The TRCP and the entire hunting, fishing and conservation community came together to mourn the passing of TRCP co-founder and chairman of the board, James D. Range. On a snowy day in the District of Columbia, a group of his family, friends and colleagues gathered at the Boat House at Fletcher’s Cove for a memorial service in honor of Jim, who passed away after a brief battle with kidney cancer on January 20. (visit jimrange.com, a memorial website devoted to Jim)
Reflections by several of Jim's closest friends and colleagues, including former Sens. Fred Thompson and Howard Baker were shared with a crowd of about 400 who braved the weather to pay respect to this modern-day conservation hero. A second memorial service was held on January 31 at Jim’s second home, the Flyway Ranch, in Craig, Mont. Fittingly, an enormous flock of geese flew over the ranch after a shotgun salute.
The TRCP staff and Board of Directors will soon unveil plans for a legacy fund inJim’s name aimed at ensuring the long term success of the TRCP and the continuity of Jim’s fight for better conservation of our natural resources and a better future for hunting and fishing in America.
Succeeding Jim as the interim chairman of the board is Dr. Rollin Sparrowe, of Daniel, Wyo.. Rollie, a co-founder of the TRCP, brings to the post a wealth of experience from his time as the executive director of the Wildlife Management Institute and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Sparrowe accepted the position with a heavy heart, but is eager to continue the hard work and dedication that Jim brought to the position of chairman.
“Jim Range’s untimely passing has left a void inside every single one of us who had the good fortune to call him a friend, as well as in the larger community of American conservationists,” Dr. Sparrowe said. “It also has left the TRCP Board of Directors without its chairman. If I can facilitate the work of the board with a mere fraction of the adeptness with which Jim guided it, I will consider my efforts an absolute success.”
In addition to the new chairman, the TRCP Board underwent some other changes. Charles Gauvin, president of Trout Unlimited, stepped down after seven years of service. The TRCP is happy to welcome four new members it its board.
Mike Fitzgerald Jr., of Wexford, Pa., first mixed business
with pleasure in between his junior and senior years of college working
for his parents’ Frontiers Travel and as an Orvis flyfishing guide on
the historic chalk streams in Hampshire, England. After graduating from
Duke University in 1987, Mike joined Frontiers Travel full-time. Now
the company’s president and co-owner, he works closely with the
American West, Saltwater and South Pacific departments, and he has used
his personal interests in flyfishing and bird hunting to handle a
number of trips tailored to those activities.
Kirk Otey, of Charlotte, N.C., is no stranger to volunteering
for conservation groups. A 20-year Trout Unlimited volunteer, first
volunteering at his local chapter, Kirk served on TU’s executive
committee for 10 years. His most recent positions were Chair of the
National Leadership Council and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees.
When Kirk is not volunteering or working at his title insurance agency
or with his new “tech” startup firm, he is usually doing something
outdoors, whether it’s bird hunting, flyfishing for trout or hiking and
camping.
Mills Schenck, of Chicago, harbored his interest in
conservation not on his favorite trout stream, but in the plains of
Zimbabwe. Mills grew up hunting and fishing in his native Charleston,
S.C., and he has taken an active role in his family’s safari
business—establishing a game ranch as part of an innovative wildlife
conservancy in Zimbabwe. Mills, a strategic consultant with The Boston
Consulting Group, enjoys hunting for big game and birds and all types
of fishing, particularly fishing off the shores in the Carolinas for
red drum and trout.
Eric Washburn is no stranger to the TRCP, having served as the organization’s first Executive Director. Now a principal at Bluewater Strategies, LLC, he works mainly on providing federal legislative advice to industry, non-profit and philanthropic foundation clients on a broad range of natural resource and energy issues. Eric has been working to positively affect environmental policy in D.C. as for over 10 years, working in various policy-making and management capacities in the U.S. Senate and as a private advisor and consultant. Eric holds a masters degree in forest science from Yale University, and enjoys hunting big game out west, particularly in his native state of Colorado.
In a move that sportsmen have reason to support, the 111th Congress is reconsidering revisions to America’s most archaic natural-resources legislation, the General Mining Law of 1872. Now more than ever, the voices of hunters and anglers are needed to bolster the necessity of reform of the 1872 law – for the good of our nation’s public lands, the invaluable fish and wildlife populations they support and the outdoor traditions they sustain.
House Natural Resources Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) once again is leading the charge for fish and wildlife habitat restoration through introduction of HR 699, the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009. The bill would initiate the first-ever significant change to the 1872 Mining Law, which governs the extraction of hard-rock minerals such as gold, silver and uranium on Western public lands. Under HR 699, sales of public lands to mining corporations would end. Royalties of up to 4 percent would be assessed to existing mines and 8percent to new mines, with proceeds funding cleanup of abandoned mines. New permitting and environmental guidelines also would be enacted.
HR 699 is identical to a bill passed by the House last year in a 244-166 bipartisan vote.The bill’s supporters hope to expedite passage of HR 699 in the House and to carry that momentum on to the Senate, where similar reform efforts stalled last year.
Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining (SUSM), a coalition of organizations and individual grassroots partners spearheaded by the National Wildlife Federation, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and Trout Unlimited, encourages American hunters and anglers to strengthen the case for common-sense reform of the 1872 Mining Law – reform that will enable better management of our fish and wildlife resources and safeguard our public-lands outdoor heritage.
TRCP Works With Partners to Help Habitat Within Stimulus
President Barack Obama signs the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law with Vice President Joe Biden at his side.
Photo courtesy of whitehouse.gov
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, more commonly known as the stimulus bill, went through a very quick and very controversial approval process over the past few weeks. The end result features great projects for fish and wildlife. Among the $787 billion in programs aimed at creating jobs, the TRCP, working with its partner organizations and the Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, ensured that some of that money was set aside to enhance habitat.
Among the wildlife-specific programs, some highlights include:
• $375 million for restoration of the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
• $280 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for refuge operations and maintenance and $165 for resource management.
• $125 million for the Bureau of Land Management for projects including abandoned mine and well site remediation, road and trail maintenance, watershed improvement and high-priority habitat restoration.
“Congress and the administration are keying in on the reality that many investments in quality fish and wildlife resources also are investments in a quality economy,” said TRCP President and CEO George Cooper. “Several of our partner organizations, including Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, the Izaak Walton League of America, The Nature Conservancy and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, deserve credit for reaching out to our leaders to help grow this understanding.”
Thousands of jobs immediately will follow from the investments in fish and wildlife habitat improvement contained in the stimulus package, a factor that compelled the ranks of union sportsmen to align behind the bill. Earlier this month, the Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO joined the TRCP in a joint letter calling on Congress to include funding for shovel-ready projects that could give a boost to the American landscape and economy. Several of those measures were included in the final bill, which President Obama signed into law on February 17.
4.Recent Federal Actions on Energy Lauded by Sportsmen
A herd of elk on the winter range that is often threatened by development.
Photo by Laura Meadows
It’s been a busy month on the Western energy development front, with the federal government rendering decisions of particular importance to American sportsmen. On Feb. 4, Interior Sec. Ken Salazar withdrew proposed oil and gas leases on more than 100,000 acres of public lands in Utah to evaluate the risks of development to valuable natural resources. On Feb. 10, the U.S. Forest Service directed the BLM to defer 67,000 acres of public lands in Colorado following objections by state and local governments and conservation groups.
While lauding the federal actions, the TRCP also took the opportunity to reaffirm that such operations should be pursued as part of an overall revision of the federal minerals-leasing paradigm – by way of a return to the multiple-use principles governing use of our nation’s public lands.
The Interior secretary’s decision regarding the Utah energy leases effectively resolved this controversial sale, which had drawn criticism from a range of interests due to the areas’ fish and wildlife habitat and cultural significance. TheTRCP filed an official protest of the Utah sale in December due to concerns about the impacts of proposed energy development on big-game habitat, crucial mule deer winter range, vital sage grouse habitat and Bonneville cutthroat trout streams, as well as hunting and fishing opportunities on these lands.
“American sportsmen are encouraged by the new administration’s willingness to acknowledge the current conflicts over the energy leasing process – and how this process fails to consider science and the concerns of everyday citizens,” said TRCP Energy Initiative Manager Steve Belinda. “We hope these recent actions indicate a more responsive Department of the Interior as it charts a new course for public-lands oil and gas development, and we look forward to continued strong leadership by Sec. Salazar to resolve this challenging issue.”
The Colorado lease sale likewise had attracted considerable negative publicity due to the presence of fish and wildlife resources that could be harmed through energy development. In January, the TRCP protested approximately 83,000 of the nearly 100,000 acresoffered in the Feb. 12 sale, which included sage grouse habitat, big-game winter range and migration routes, and native trout waters. The Colorado Division of Wildlife and San Miguel and La Plata counties also formally protested the potential sale.
A cutthroat trout caught out of the Colorado River
photo by Dwayne Meadows
“By no means should we cease leasing minerals altogether, as doing so is central to cultivating our domestic energy reserves,” continued Belinda, a former federal biologist. “But we must revise the system to address current deficiencies. The easily accessed oil and gas has been developed, and federal policy seems not to recognize this. This system does not work for fish and wildlife and fails to uphold the multiple-use approach mandated for public-lands management.”
Earlierthis month, the TRCP led a consortium of prominent angling businesses andgroups in opposing areas of Colorado River cutthroat trout habitat included in the Centennial State sale as part of a general critique of the overall federal approach to minerals leasing. The proposed leases did not include adequate management actions or safeguards for maintaining cutthroat trout.
“The angling community is concerned that poorly planned oil and gas projects could result in significant loss of the fisheries that rely on those areas,” said Gary Berlin, president of the American Fly Fishing Trade Association. “We are gratified by Sec. Salazar’s decision to have the BLM withdraw these problematic leases in Colorado, and we hope that the federal government continues to pursue actions that will uphold the recreational and economic benefits of responsibly managed public lands.”
The developments in Utah and Colorado signal a promising shift from the status quo– a shift that hunters and anglers should welcome with open arms. In the future, controversial issues like these can and should be minimized by open dialogue and careful advance planning.
Ultimately, the challenges of crafting a new approach to public-lands energy development are manifold. Yet the TRCP maintains that only through a return to the principles of multiple-use management can we hope to achieve the balanced administration of our resources that the federal government is charged with overseeing. The TRCP will continue working to positively influence responsible management of our fish and wildlife and lands and waters – thereby guaranteeing every American a place to hunt and fish.
5. Anglers Introduce New Principles for Offshore Energy Development
Britta Blodgett with a Chesapeake Bay striped bass.
On the heels of hearings before the House of Representative’s Natural Resources Committee on offshore oil and gas drilling, the Angling 4 Oceans coalition released new principles to help guide the committee’s decisions on energy development to ensure recreational anglers’ needs are met. Organized by the TRCP, the coalition’s new CAST principles are aimed at promoting the conservation of marine fisheries.
“We’ve seen avoidable population declines in fish and wildlife populations following the most recent energy development boom in the Intermountain West,” said TRCP President and CEO George Cooper. “Our coalition supports developing offshore energy resources, but only if we ensure that we avoid those mistakes and think about how the development will effect fish populations.”
One of the provision in S.22 would add over 16,000 acres of winter range to the Mount Hood Wilderness Area.
Photo courtesy of U.S. Forest Service
Following the Senate's passage of the The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, the TRCP and 33 of its partners sent a letter the representatives urging them to pass their version of bill. If passed, S.22 will safeguard some of the nation's best fish and wildlife habitat and places to hunt and fish including the Wyoming Range, the National Landscape Conservation System and Copper Salmon in Oregon.
"This bill is one of the most important pieces of legislation in congress now for sportsmen," said said TRCP President and CEO George Cooper. "The 150 individual pieces of legislation in this bill does much to cause of promoting robust fish and wildlife populations on our public lands.”
7. TRCP Asks Businesses and Groups to 'Bank on the Backcountry'
A view of Badger Creek Roadless Area in the Pike & San Isabel National Forest in Colorado.
Photo credit: John Stansfield
To highlight the economic boost provided by America’s national forest roadless areas, the TRCP has launched “Banking on the Backcountry,” a campaign uniting hunting and angling groups and businesses in support of backcountry conservation. If you’re a member of a rod and gun club or involved with an outdoors-oriented business, you can help sustain these important lands and waters by encouraging your group or business to sign the sportsmen’s backcountry petition.
“Banking on the Backcountry” urges the new administration to retain the maximum acreages of national forest roadless areas to conserve important fish and wildlife habitat and uphold America’s backcountry-reliant economy. Backcountry lands provide large blocks of exceptional habitat for big-game species such as mule deer, elk, bighorn sheep and mountain goats. These areas also offer the least degraded streams and lakes where trout, salmon and other desirable fish species--dependent on clean water, stable streamflows and consistent lake storage--can thrive.
“Fishing and hunting annually contribute more than $190 billion to our nation’s economic system,” said TRCP Roadless Initiative Manager Joel Webster. “Conscientious management of our roadless backcountry can support strong economies in rural communities and stable jobs associated with hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation.
“During today’s tough economic times, Americans need these jobs more than ever,” continued Webster. “Backcountry areas can help safeguard both the future of our sporting traditions and the viability of thousands of businesses. ‘Banking on the Backcountry’ gives sporting-related businesses and groups a means to offer a unified message to the new administration regarding our backcountry’s crucial role in their long-term financial security.”
American hunters and anglers are uniquely positioned to appreciate the value and benefit of our backcountry. Regardless of how sportsmen spend time afield, we all have a stake in our continued ability to enjoy this country’s national forest roadless areas. “Banking on the Backcountry” enables outdoor-oriented groups and businesses to powerfully unite under this common interest.
8. TRCP Wins Sporting Classic's Sporting Heritage Award
George Cooper, TRCP President and CEO (second from right), receiving the award from Sporting Classic's editor in chief, Chuck Weschler. Joining George were (left to right) Matt Hogan (Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies), Marc Pierce (Big Sky Carvers), Christopher Merritt (Beretta USA), Kinsey Robinson (United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers), and Howard Vincent (Pheasants and Quail Forever).
As part of their 2008 Awards of Excellence, Sporting Classics magazine awarded the TRCP with its Sporting Heritage award at the SHOT Show this past January.
Created in 1999, the awards recognize companies and organizations that make significant contributions to improve the quality of our outdoor experience. The Sporting Heritage award recognizes a group that is working to conserve hunting and fishing resources.
“It is a great honor to be selected by such a prestigious magazine for such a prestigious award,” said Cooper. “For an organization as young as ours to be recognized in such a way underscores the hard work of everyone: our staff, board, and partners. T.R. once said that, ‘It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things,’ and our entire staff has poured all of their energy into making sure that hunters and anglers have better things.”
The TRCP western lands team recently added a new voice. Steve Belinda, associate director for science and policy, and his wife, Kate, welcomed a baby boy on November 21. Jackson Earl "Jack" Belinda weighed in at 8 pounds, 13 ounces and was 19 inches long. Steve, who missed the birth because he was on official TRCP business, is anxious to get Jack in the field with him. Steve and Kate also have a 4-year-old daughter, Zoe.
A big thanks to everyone who sent in an answers to last month's T.R.ivia question. Congratulations go to our January winner, Karin Bivins. She was the first person to correctly identify that T.R. was 28 when he ran for Mayor of New York City (we also accepted 27 because T.R. celebrated his 28th birthday while on the campaign trail). We are sending Karin a TRCP knife made by Buck Knives. Congratulations, Karin.
Email your answer to this month's question to brianm@trcp.org for your chance to win a TRCP knife, made by Buck Knives.
Updates from TRCP Partner Organizations -
News from the National Conservation Community
American Fisheries Society The AFS news blog keeps you up to date on the latest happenings within the fishing community. More>>
American Sportfishing Association
The ASA is looking for supporters to take action in ensuring the Consumer Product Safety Act represents anglers' needs. More>>
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
AFWA joins a coalition to create the American Wind Wildlife Institute. More>>
BASS/ESPN Outdoors New York BASS chapters are fighting invasive species and stocking largemouths. More>>
Bonefish and Tarpon Trust
The BTT lauds the Bahamas for creating a marine protected area to promote the importance of catch-and-release fishing. More>>
Coastal Conservation Association
CCA-funded study reveals economic reality for Gulf grouper. More>>
Delta Waterfowl
Delta Waterfowl expands its efforts in Alberta to help increase mallard numbers in the Pacific and Central flyways. More>>
Ducks Unlimited
DU celebrates its 72nd birthday. More>>
Federation of Fly Fishers
Become an FFF-certified fly casting instructor. More>>
International Game Fish Association The IGFA launches a new North Pacific Coast Grand Slam club. More>>
International Hunter Education Association Learn how you can become a hunter's education instructor. More>>
Izaak Walton League of America
The IWLA announces its legislative priorities for 2009. More>>
Mule Deer Foundation
The Mule Deer Foundation broke fundraising records at its national convention earlier this month. More>>
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy commends Senator Barbara Boxer for the release of new climate change principles. More>>
North American Grouse Partnership
Learn about the birds that the North American Grouse Partnership protects. More>>
Pheasants Forever
Pheasant Fest draws in over 20,000 people in Madison, Wisc. More>>
Quail Forever
New Illinois governor makes big moves for conservation. More>>
Quail Unlimited
Sign up for the 20th annual QU National Sporting Clays Tournament. More>>
Quality Deer Management Association
Read the February 2009 issue of Quality Whitetails. More>>
Trout Unlimited
Stream protection legislation advances in Wyoming. More>>
Trust for Public Land
The TPL helps add more than 2,200 acres to the protected Elk Springs area in New Mexico. More>>
Whitetails Unlimited
Whitetail Watch goes national to help curb poaching. More>>
Wildlife Management Institute
Kentucky launches a bid to enhance bobwhite quail population on public land. More>>
The Wildlife Society Read the most recent issue of The Wildlife Society's newsletter, The Wildlifer. More>>
Every month, we profile an individual who is doing great things for conservation. Whether they're a head of a company or an everyday outdoorsman, they all are working hard with the TRCP to help guarantee that you'll always have a place to hunt and fish.
Steve Walker pulling back his recurve at an archery shoot.
Who got you involved with hunting and/or fishing? When?
My parents and grandparents all were, or are, ardent sportsmen.
What is your most memorable experience afield?
I expect everyone has either a big-rack story or the fish that got away. However, I can unequivocally state that getting thrown out of the raft while floating the Snake River was the most memorable day of my life, in fact, almost the termination of it. It was our second run and everything looked perfect when we lined up on Skull Rock, suddenly the raft swung sideways, and I was airborne. A moment later, I was pulled under. I didn’t think I would ever surface, and when I did I was half drowned. I thought my troubles were over because the raft was right below me, however, I shot by the raft, bounced over rocks, and flew through Class IV rapids for about a mile. If running the rapids in a raft is exciting, try it wearing only a life preserver. When extracted, I was hypothermic, half drowned, shaking violently and could barely walk--a real lesson in mortality.
What do you think are our most pressing conservation issues today?
Access is number one. In the West we have people buying property adjacent to public land and effectively bottling up all the land behind for their own private wilderness. Number two would be property development, or urban sprawl, on prime hunting and fishing grounds. Idaho has the most public land of any state in the nation other than Alaska, and I’d like to keep that tradition alive. By tradition, I’m referring to both public land and access to it.
What is your approach to facing conservation challenges?
Get involved. It’s really not that difficult--all you have to do is show up for a public meeting, read and possibly speak. File your comments with the Forest Service or BLM, and if necessary, contact your state governor or congressmen. I think most members would be surprised at how welcome their suggestions are. The other surprise is how little time it really takes (it’s certainly less time consuming, and far cheaper, than elk hunting).
Why are you involved with the TRCP?
Well, its a great organization. I was working on the Idaho roadless rule with a fellow archer, Jay Loftin, researching the issues and preparing to speak at a public meeting and was contacted by Joel Webster of the TRCP. Joel drove all the way down from Montana, multiple times, to work with us on addressing the issues. The majority of our suggestions were ultimately adopted. The TRCP was the one organization that worked with all parties to broker a solution. They also didn’t threaten legal action, which I disdain as a tactic. Of course I joined the TRCP then and there. and Theodore Roosevelt is a true American hero, a great writer and conservationist. Any organization that embodies his ideals has my vote.
Paving Paradise, by Craig Pittman and Matthew Waite
It's no surprise that Florida is the state with the second-most acres of wetlands (Alaska has the most), but these wetlands are vanishing at an alarming rate. Craig Pittman and Matthew Waite, reporters with the St Petersburg Times, began researching and reporting on the shrinking wetlands of Florida four years ago, which turned into an award-winning newspaper series.
The authors have expanded their research on the topic and have delved into how wetlands numbers have spiraled so far downward.
Ever since man invented the fishing hook, every angler has had some not-so-proud moments on the water. Fishing Greatest Misadventures is a compilation of some of the most outrageous stories of mishaps, self-afflicted pain, and crazy fish. The book features contributions from some of the best outdoor writers and professional fishermen--everything from a charter boat operator getting speared by a marlin to a group of ice fishermen who literally loose everything over a pike.
With spring gobbler season on many hunters' minds, Tales from the Turkey Woods, Mornings of My Better Days is all you'll need to get you ready to get your camo on and your decoys ready. Mike Joyner's collection of over 30 turkey hunting narratives is actually a sequel to his first book: Hills of Truxton: Stories and Travels of a Turkey Hunter. The book features hunts from both the spring and fall seasons.
Check out How Your Fellow TRCP Partners Fared this Season
Going through our photo archives looking at pictures of Jim Range, we realized that there could be no better collection of hunting and fishing photos than those of our former chairman. While he was clearly one of the greatest conservationists of his time, he was also one of the most talented hunters and anglers. To see more photos of Jim, go to www.jimrange.com
We want your photos. Send photos to photos@trcp.org.
Electronic photos only please.
Theodore Roosevelt's Epic Cougar Hunt
by Ken Barrett
In January of 1901, then Vice President-elect of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, went on a 5-week mountain lion hunt near Meeker, Colo., with his companions Phillip Stewart and Gerald Webb. Their guide was a man named John Goff, a noted lion hunter.
The cougar has the largest range of any wild terrestrial animal in the western hemisphere, and can be found from the Yukon Territory to the southern tip of South America.
Stewart and Webb left after two weeks, but the always-enthusiastic Roosevelt stayed an additional three, relishing the chase with Goff’s hounds across the stark winter landscape of northwestern Colorado.
The group killed 14 mountain lions and 10 bobcats--including a huge male that Roosevelt killed, which reportedly weighed 227 pounds and was 8-feet long. It held the number one spot in the Boone & Crockett Record Book for many years. True to his life-long interest in natural history and science, T.R. sent the skulls of all two-dozen cats to his friend Dr. Hart Merriam, who was the first person to suggest to Teddy that he take his famed African safari. He then sent the skulls to the Biological Survey in Washington, D.C.
While the group’s total kill may seem excessive by today’s standards, northwestern Colorado was still a wild and sparsely settled place in 1901. The state continued paying bounties on mountain lions well into the 1960s before the cougar was reclassified as a game animal.
