| TRCP News- A Big Step and a Big Win for TRCP Energy Initiative
- 2007 Farm Bill Passed in House
- Sportsmen Set Sights on Mining Reform
- Escape to the Wild Marathon Labor Day Weekend
- Give This Month, Get Next Year
- Orvis Launches New Season of Roosevelt Collection
- A Big Step and a Big Win for TRCP Energy Initiative
TRCP Sues Interior Department over Wyoming Drilling Plans
 | The Atlantic Rim is a place where sportsmen from across the country come to fulfill hunting and fishing dreams on public land.
Photo: Dwayne Meadows | The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) filed suit Friday, August 17 in U.S. District Court against the Department of the Interior for its mishandling of a process that cleared the way for rapidly accelerated energy development on public land in south-central Wyoming. Contending that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is not addressing the needs of sportsmen and fish and wildlife, the TRCP is protesting the BLM’s authorization of 2,000 new oil and gas wells, along with 1,000 miles of road and 1,000 miles of pipeline, in an area known as the Atlantic Rim. This region is primarily used for hunting, wildlife viewing, grazing and pleasure driving, all of which will be greatly hindered by development.  | TRCP staff and partners during a field trip to the Atlantic Rim region of Wyoming, viewing an unnatural “mud pot,” likely a byproduct of coal bed methane wells.
Photo: Len Carpenter. | Under the recent BLM action, energy development would come despite the federal government’s admission that “the natural setting would be converted to an industrialized setting by development” for multiple generations and that “implementation of the [project] would have adverse impact to suitable habitat for many wildlife species,” including iconic big game species such as mule deer, elk and pronghorn antelope. (See Final Environmental Impact Statement, Atlantic Rim Project Area.) “In these actions, we see a federal agency acting on behalf of only one user group, the energy industry,” said TRCP Energy Initiative Manager Steve Belinda. “The BLM is not fulfilling the multiple-use mandate it is legally obligated to follow. The time has come to hold the agency accountable.” The TRCP suit states that the BLM has failed to fulfill its obligation under the National Environmental Policy Act and has committed numerous violations. Among those violations are BLM failures to evaluate a reasonable range of alternatives to intensive development, including a more measured approach that would allow development to proceed while maintaining fish and wildlife populations. The approved plan allows for maximized development with no assurances for fish and wildlife for the future. The BLM also failed to define how losses in fish, wildlife and outdoor recreation will be mitigated if development proceeds as planned. The TRCP further asserts that the BLM failed to properly analyze the cumulative impacts of both the project and nearby expanded development. It also points out that the agency ignored new scientific data and recent experiences in other well fields concerning the effects of energy development on populations of mule deer and sage grouse. Additionally, the suit contends that BLM violated the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, which requires the agency to balance the concerns of the many users of America’s public lands and to assure long-term sustainability of non-mineral resources. “This suit is a major step for our organization and not one that we took lightly,” said TRCP President and CEO George Cooper. “We reached this point only after years of exhausting every other avenue, including direct contacts in Washington and in the field and formal administrative appeals. But we at the TRCP strongly believe that, in the case of the Atlantic Rim, the evidence speaks for itself. And that evidence compels us to pursue all remedies available under the law. America’s sportsmen deserve as much.” “The federal government must honor its commitments to protect fish and wildlife resources and the hunting and fishing opportunities they support,” said Dr. Rollin Sparrowe, a Wyoming resident and founding board member of TRCP. “We know development can be conducted in a manner that balances fish and wildlife needs with resource extraction – the Atlantic Rim plan makes no attempt to achieve such balance.
BLM Withdraws Energy Leases on 42 Parcels in Utah
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced Aug. 15 that it deferred 42 parcels for its Aug. 21 oil and gas lease sale because of wildlife concerns related to mule deer and sage grouse. Of these 42 parcels, the TRCP had officially protested 29 only days earlier. The BLM’s reversal closely follows a similar decision made by the agency in Montana, in which 73,000 acres were pulled from auction after they were protested by the TRCP due to concerns over planning for sage grouse populations. TRCP’s Utah protest covered 46,000 acres in the Deep Creek Range, southern West Tintric and Sheeprock Mountains, and along the Canyon Mountains, Pahvant Range and Valley Mountains.  | Photo: Karen Nichols. | “This is positive news for the Utah hunting community,” said TRCP Field Representative Joel Webster. “The BLM was pursuing energy leasing on some of Utah’s finest mule deer habitat without the planning needed to develop that resource in a way that minimized impacts to mule deer and sportsmen. It’s time to formulate an approach to energy development that reduces impacts to fish, wildlife and public uses before lease parcels are sold.” “We hope the BLM takes this opportunity to start managing for multiple uses and begin upfront planning for wildlife in advance of leasing our nation’s public lands,” said William Geer, a TRCP initiative manager and former director of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. “As we’ve seen in other states, poorly planned energy development can disastrously impact big-game hunting opportunities.” The TRCP’s namesake, Theodore Roosevelt, stated in 1910, “Conservation means development as much as it does protection. I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land; but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us.” The TRCP believes that to better balance the concerns of fish and wildlife in the face of accelerating energy development, federal land management agencies must follow the conservation tenets outlined in the FACTS for Fish and Wildlife. Sportsmen who support the FACTS approach are invited to join TRCP’s grassroots campaign, Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development, which provides a voice for hunters and anglers so that our values are integrated into energy development on public lands. |
| Back to Top | | Go to TRCP Home Page | - 2007 Farm Bill Passed in House
On Friday, July 27th, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2419, The Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007, commonly called the Farm Bill. Representing the single greatest federal investment in conservation on private land, this legislation heads next to the Senate's Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee for consideration and further debate. Because of the importance of the Farm Bill, the TRCP and the members of its Agriculture and Wildlife Working Group (AWWG) began preparing for the 2007 Farm Bill debate in Congress over two years ago. Aiming to develop a set of sound recommendations that would enable our community to speak with one voice, the AWWG released a consensus report entitled, Growing Conservation in the Farm Bill: Recommendations of the Agriculture and Wildlife Working Group. This report captured the attention of congressional leaders including House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson early on when he referenced our coalition and commented on the impressive nature of so many groups speaking as one. Throughout the legislative process we called on you, our partners, to engage in the debate and speak out on the importance of conservation in farm policy. Your letters to Congress, Op-ed articles, and letters-to-the-editor from across the country helped to shape the bill and ensure that it included many strong provisions to benefit fish and wildlife and conserve habitat.
Considering the current tight budget climate, we were fortunate to see many conservation programs reauthorized at previous levels and even see some increases and new funding. Positive elements in the House Farm Bill include:
| "Open Fields" Included Open Fields is now included in a Farm Bill for the very first time and is one step closer to becoming a reality. This provision provides $20 million in funding to states, enabling them to enhance or create state public access programs. It directly helps fight the problem of lack of access, the number one cause of decline in hunting and fishing activity.
Photo: Denver Bryan |  | WRP & GRP Restored Both Wetlands Reserve Program and the Grasslands Reserve Program enter this new Farm Bill debate with no baseline funding. The House Farm Bill restored funding for WRP at 3.6 million acres and GRP at 1 million acres. |  | Increased funding for EQIP The Environmental Quality Incentive Program is the USDA's primary cost-share program for assisting farmers and ranchers seeking to meet conservation needs for soil, water, wetlands and wildlife on working lands. The House bill increases EQIP by $1.1 billion over the next five years. |  | Increased funding for the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP) FRPP funding was increased by $205 million over five years for purchase of conservation easements. FRPP promotes agreements with farmers and ranchers to not convert their land to nonagricultural uses and to develop and implement a conservation plan for any highly erodible land. |
The 2007 Farm Bill now moves to the Senate's Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, where efforts are already under way to draft its own version. The same budgetary challenges present during the House process will also heavily influence the Senate. TRCP and the members of its AWWG are looking forward to working closely with the senators and their staff to improve upon the good foundation for conservation laid in the House, and we are counting on you, our partners, to continue to raise your voices for strong conservation in the Farm Bill. | Back to Top | | Go to TRCP Home Page | - Sportsmen Set Sights on Mining Reform
More than a century of hard rock mining on American’s public lands has left its mark on fish and wildlife populations. It also has set the stage for a new effort by TRCP aimed at correcting the problem.
The 1872 Mining Law, which governs hard rock mining – for minerals such as gold, silver and copper – on public lands, is a relic of an era long past and overdue for reform. Under the law, more than 270 million acres of federal land are open to hard rock mining, mostly in the Rocky Mountain West. Mining companies may freely strip and degrade the landscape, all without paying royalties to taxpayers, and may purchase public lands for as little as $2.50 per acre. Many of America's most treasured public lands are at risk, including important wildlife habitat and hunting areas, valuable fisheries, popular recreation sites, vital municipal water supplies and sensitive roadless areas.
 | Stream ruined by mining runoff. | This issue is especially important to hunters and anglers, as public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service harbor some of our country’s most important fish and wildlife habitat and provide some of our finest hunting and angling opportunities. America’s public lands contain more than 50 percent of the nation’s blue-ribbon trout streams and are strongholds for imperiled trout and salmon in the western United States. More than 80 percent of critical habitat for elk is on lands managed by the Forest Service and the BLM. Antelope, sage grouse, mule deer, salmon, steelhead and countless other fish and wildlife species, as well as the nation’s hunters and anglers, are similarly dependent on public lands. America’s sportsmen are not opposed to mining, but want to limit its lasting detriments to fish and wildlife. They realize that the 1872 Mining Law, which has changed little since its original passage, allows much of the damage. As such, they have set their sights on reforming the 1872 Mining Law.
July saw the launch of Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining, a campaign representing millions of hunters and anglers, fish and wildlife professionals and citizens who recreate on and enjoy our public lands. TRCP, National Wildlife Federation and Trout Unlimited are spearheading the effort, with 18 other hunting, angling and conservation groups joining in. A letter dated July 25, 2007, jointly signed by these groups, was sent to members of Congress urging them to take action and modernize this archaic law.  | Click Here to view our full-page ad in Congress Daily.
Click Here to read the perspective of new TRCP Staffer William Molini, the former head of Nevada's Department of Wildlife. | HR 2262, the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007, was proposed by House Natural Resources Committee Chair Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) and addresses sportsmen’s concerns about hard rock mining. HR 2262 would prohibit the continued forced sale or “patenting” of public lands; eliminate the issuance of patents for vein, lode, placer and mill site claims; and protect special places by declaring that certain types of lands shall not be open to the location of mining claims, subject to valid existing rights. The proposed legislation was considered at a House hearing on July 26, where noted outdoorsman Tony Dean testified on behalf of sportsmen’s concerns. To be informed of breaking developments, sign up for the Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining Campaign and join TRCP’s online community of hunters and anglers in protecting and restoring America's fish and wildlife resources.
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- Escape to the Wild Marathon Labor Day Weekend
| As a special tribute to America’s working men and women, VERSUS Network will host an Escape to the Wild Labor Day marathon on Monday, September 3, 2007. Escape to the Wild, a union-sponsored television program of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP), surprises dedicated union members with all-expense-paid trips to world-class hunting and fishing destinations where the monsters roam, the fish are fierce and the birds fly by the hundreds.  | Rocky Raimondi lands a marlin. | Tune in to VERSUS Network (formerly OLN) for seven hours, 8am-3pm (EST), and watch the excitement unfold as lucky winners travel to Africa’s plains, the Great White North, the rugged Rocky Mountains, tropical ocean waters, the endless fields of the Great Plains and other incredible locations to fulfill their dreams. “The whole experience was something I’d never get to do on my own…It was the ultimate adventure experience – unbelievable,” said IAMAW member Scott Karelson after winning a trip to hunt caribou in Quebec in season one. “I will always remember this and am truly thankful I had the opportunity to participate.” As each surprise unfolds, you’ll get a glimpse into the lives of each winner, like Rocky Raimondi, a fire fighter who lost union brothers and friends in the 9/11 attack, Todd Heustis, a sheet metal worker who hunts on the same land his great-grandfather homesteaded in the early 1920s, and John Demers, an electrical lineman who got his first hunting experience as a kid through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Between the episodes, you’ll discover some of the amazing destinations winners are headed to in season two of Escape to the Wild, beginning in January 2008. | | To locate the VERSUS Network on your TV dial, simply visit http://www.VERSUS.com/findVERSUS and enter your zip code. | | Back to Top | | Go to TRCP Home Page | - Give This Month, Get Next Year
 The TRCP is celebrating its fifth birthday! To mark the occasion, we are unveiling our first-ever TRCP calendar, “Hunting and Fishing in America 2008.”
In September, when you donate $25 or more to the TRCP, you will receive a copy of this calendar before it is available to the general public. Featuring the brilliant images of Dušan Smetana, “Hunting and Fishing in America 2008” is a fantastic way to simultaneously bring the great outdoors and T.R. into your home. To learn more about outdoors photographer Dušan Smetana, see the Featured Conservation Leader section below. Click Here to donate now. |
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- Orvis Launches New Season of Roosevelt Collection
Now you can look a little more like Teddy Roosevelt while working to keep his conservation legacy alive. The Orvis Company recently introduced their new season of the Roosevelt Collection, a line inspired by the man who set aside more than 280,000,000 acres of land and reflecting the clothing he himself wore. Actual items of Roosevelt’s clothing were examined at his Long Island home during the preparation of these designs. The resulting items combine the best materials from TR’s times with the best modern outdoor fabrics, just as they unite flair and function. Orvis donates 5% of the pre-tax profits of the Roosevelt Collection to the TRCP, and since the September 2006 launch the TRCP has received over $22,000. To see Orvis’s Roosevelt Collection please go to www.orvis.com/roosevelt. | Back to Top | | Go to TRCP Home Page |
Updates from TRCP Partner Organizations - News from the National Conservation CommunityAmerican Sportfishing Association
In support of its mission to teach young people to fish, the Future Fisherman Foundation received more than $8,000 in cause-related marketing contributions from members of the sportfishing industry. More>> |  | Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
The Landowner Incentive Program, which supports cooperative efforts with private landowners interested in conserving natural habitat for species at risk, may be in its last year. More>> |  | BASS/ESPN Outdoors
The 2007-2008 Costa Del Mar/BASS Conservation Scholarship Program will lend a financial hand help fund the studies of seven future natural-resource professionals. More>> |  | |
Coastal Conservation Association
The most recent summer flounder stock assessment brought some unwelcome news and will almost certainly result in additional catch reductions for recreational fishermen. More>> |  | Ducks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited is partnering with the Wildlife Habitat Council to create the Wings Over Wetlands award to recognize companies that protect and manage wetlands. More>> |  | Federation of Fly Fishers
The FFF Harley Reno's book ondrift boats and drift fishing in serial form. More>> |  | Izaak Walton League of America
The Izaak Walton League of America supports a watershed restoration and education project located in central New York. More>> |  | Mule Deer Foundation
The Mule Deer Foundation announces their new Vice-President of Marketing and Director of Merchandise. More>> |  | The Nature Conservancy
Virginia executive director of The Nature Conservancy applauds Sen. John Warner for his bold leadership on climate change. More>> |  | |
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