TRCP News

1. Sportsmen's Collaborative Efforts Shape New Farm Bill
   
2. TRCP Launches "We Are Wetlands" Campaign
3. Sportsmen Release Climate Change Report
4. TRCP Marks Earth Day with Chairman Dingell
5. Energy Development Not Confined to the West – Stay Informed and Get Involved
6. Time Running out for Reform of 1872 Mining Law; New Report, Western Resource Managers Urge Hasty Reform
7. House Passes Nationals Landscape Conservation System Act
8. TRCP Honors Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation, Announces Additions to Board and Policy Council
9. Remembering David Foster
   

1. Sportsmen's Collaborative Efforts Shape New Farm Bill
   
   

   The Wetlands Reserve Program was renewed with $1.3 billion in new money. Photo credit the Environmental Protection Agency

   The House and Senate Conference Committee on the Farm Bill announced their completion of a finalized bill on May 8, 2008 wrapping up months of extended negotiations delayed by competing priorities, limited resources for funding and threats of a presidential veto.  The House and Senate are expected to pass their final bill sometime this week and send it to the president’s desk.

   While the details of the new bill are still being analyzed, we do know that the existing elements of the Conservation Title were kept intact and approximately $4 billion in new money was dedicated to these programs.  While there are some pluses and minuses in the new legislation, the fact that the TRCP and its Agriculture and Wildlife Working Group stayed unified throughout the two-year process and pushed a set consensus priorities is a major reason why conservation programs did not receive the brunt of cuts in a tight budget process.  In fact, the Open Fields program, a signature issue of the TRCP, is now included in the Farm Bill for the very first time.

   An overview of the new elements of the Conservation Title includes:

   Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) – Total acreage authorization was reduced from 39.2 million acres to 32 million acres.

   Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) – This program was renewed with $1.3 billion in new money (slightly smaller amount than previous Farm Bill).

   Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) – This program was renewed with $300 million in new money (slightly smaller amount than previous Farm Bill).

   Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) – These programs focused on working lands conservation received an increase of at least $3.4 billion.

   Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP) – This program was funded at $562 million – an increase from previous levels.

   Chesapeake Bay Program – Funding for a brand new program targeting conservation for the Chesapeake Bay was authorized at $372 million.

   Open Fields – A new access program to help states enroll private land in programs that will open that land to sportsmen is authorized at $50 million.
   

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2. TRCP Launches "We Are Wetlands" Campaign
   

   Participants of the Wetlands and Waterfowl Weekend attend a presentation by Geoff Mullins, TRCP policy initiative manager.

Our nation loses an average of 80,000 acres of wetlands each year. To help fight this trend the TRCP launched "We Are Wetlands," a major new grassroots educational campaign calling for the restoration of federal wetlands protections, at this year's Wetlands and Waterfowl Weekend, on April 11-12, in Minnesota.  In addition to educating the public on the critical role wetlands play for fish and wildlife, We Are Wetlands will attempt to collect 80,000 signatures - one for each of those 80,000 acres of wetlands lost each year - on a petition to be presented to the new president.

Organized jointly by the TRCP, the Izaak Walton League of America and the Minnesota Waterfowl Association, the Wetlands and Waterfowl Weekend drew more than 200 participants.  The event kicked off with a workshop on the details of the "We Are Wetlands" campaign.  The enthusiastic participants had no shortage of questions and ideas despite the presence of an April snowstorm. 

TRCP Policy Initiative Manager Geoff Mullins was interviewed Saturday morning by Outdoor News Editor Rob Drieslein on KFAN in Minneapolis. The TRCP began Saturday’s program by announcing the campaign to the full summit, including a video message from Rep. Jim Oberstar about the importance of wetlands.  Representatives from the National Wildlife Federation and Ducks Unlimited, two of the partners on the TRCP’s Wetlands Working group, were on hand to provide a specific overview of the Clean Water Restoration Act. 

Visit the We Are Wetlands Web site to learn more about why wetlands matter. Sign the petition to let the president know how important wetlands are to us.

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3. Sportsman Release Climate Change Report



Read Seasons' End: Global Warming's Threat to Hunting and Fishing

A group of the nation’s leading hunting and fishing organizations released a new report on April 10 examining climate change. Seasons’ End: Global Warming’s Threat to Hunting and Fishing details the predicted impacts of climate change on fish and wildlife habitat and the future of hunting and fishing in the United States.  The group, which includes eight of the TRCP's partner organizations, also announced a new Web site, www.seasonsend.org, providing updated information on the science of climate change and what we can do to address this challenge.

Seasons' End was compiled and edited by the Wildlife Management Institute and based on analysis by Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, BASS/ESPN, the Izaak Walton League of America, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the Coastal Conservation Association, the American Sportfishing Association, and Pheasants Forever.    These groups were joined by Rep. John Dingell, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, at a press conference in Washington, D.C., releasing the report. Seasons' End is funded by the Bipartisan Policy Center, whose projects include the National Commission on Energy Policy.

"Sportsmen were among the first conservationists in our history," said Rep. Dingell.  "They have been leaders in creating national forests and parks and have been instrumental in protecting our fish, wildlife and habitat.  I encourage America’s sportsmen to continue on this course.  Their involvement and contributions to this debate are a critical part of any solution to the problem of climate change."

Seasons' End discloses that climate change is expected to have profound impacts on a broad range of fish and wildlife species and could dramatically affect hunting and fishing in the future. 

"Hunters and anglers have a unique bond with our lands and waters and the seasons and weather that define and shape their outdoor pursuits," said George Cooper, TRCP president and CEO. "Sportsmen are seeing the effects of climate change and know full well that foresight and proactive management will be necessary to help fish and wildlife adapt. Sportsmen and policymakers need to read Seasons' End and incorporate its findings into the policy and funding decisions being made to deal with changes in our climate."



Read Seasons’ End online.

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4. TRCP Marks Earth Day with Chairman Dingell

In celebration of Earth Day 2008, Michigan Rep. John D. Dingell addressed the TRCP board of directors. "Chairman Dingell has shown an unflagging dedication to America’s hunters and anglers, and the fish and wildlife central to their pursuits," said TRCP Chairman James D. Range. "To have the opportunity to hear his views on the country’s most pressing conservation needs is a rare treat."

Rep. Dingell, the Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, pointed to several persistent challenges to our natural resources that require immediate and lasting attention from sportsmen, including wetlands and climate change. "We need to stop acting like we own this world," Rep. Dingell said, "and realize that we’re just borrowing it from those who will come after us."

The Orvis Company Vice President and TRCP Board Member Dave Perkins, TRCP Chairman Jim Range, Chairman John D. Dingell and TRCP President and CEO George Cooper gather for a photo with Rep. Dingell and his new hat from the Orvis Company's Roosevelt Collection .

 "Sportsmen were among the first conservationists in our history," said Rep. Dingell.  "They have been leaders in creating national forests and parks and have been instrumental in protecting our fish, wildlife and habitat.  I encourage America’s sportsmen to continue on this course."

Earlier this month, Chairman Dingell helped roll out the Seasons’ End report which documents the effects climate change is having on fish and fowl. (Read more about this in the article above.)  "Like so many sportsmen in the field, Rep. Dingell has seen just how big a threat climate change poses to species large and small and knows that now is the time to act to conserve the habitat on which they depend," said TRCP President and CEO George Cooper.

"If you think about almost any piece of landmark legislation on natural resources that emerged from Congress in the last three decades, it’s very likely that Chairman Dingell helped to shape it," said Range. "I know he’s the Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, but it’s safe to say that he’s the Chairman of Conservation, too."

 

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5. Energy Development Not Confined to the West – Stay Informed and Get Involved



Sportsmen know that energy development on public lands in the Rocky Mountain West poses a serious threat to fish and wildlife habitat and our hunting and fishing traditions, particularly if it’s not managed responsibly. The TRCP remains actively engaged in Western energy issues and will continue its work on behalf of sporting opportunities and habitat resources in the Rocky Mountain West.

An angler enjoys time on a Pennsylvania stream.

But what about energy development in the East? Energy leases recently proposed by the federal government would enable oil and gas projects on thousands of acres in places such as West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest and Pennsylvania’s Allegheny National Forest, both favorite destinations of sportsmen. And technological advances and rising natural gas prices have sparked renewed interest in a layer of rock called the Marcellus Shale, which encompasses parts of Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio.

The Marcellus Shale has been on the energy industry’s radar for decades, but until recently its development was not viewed as an economically feasible option. Now, however, energy companies are courting landowners for development rights to swaths of Eastern farms and forests, provoking a fire sale of privately owned minerals and lands that could dramatically affect where and how sportsmen pursue pastimes enjoyed by their ancestors for generations.

Energy development, and its accompanying network of roads, well pads, noise and pollution, can effect substantial changes on a landscape. The potential loss of Eastern hunting and fishing grounds – in a part of the country with little public land for sportsmen to enjoy – is cause for sober reflection. Many Easterners have hunted and fished on their families’ landholdings for generations.

"Sportsmen need to be aware that energy projects proposed for the eastern United States could change the way they experience and enjoy the outdoors," said Steve Belinda, manager of the TRCP energy initiative. "Many hunters and anglers seek quiet solitude and relief from the footprint of society when they go afield, even if it’s only just off the beaten path. These opportunities will be far less available if development proceeds without sportsmen’s interests in mind."

Eastern energy projects could affect millions of Americans who live to spend time in our woods and on our waters. Are these oil and gas projects being planned with adequate consideration given to fish and wildlife resources and our sporting traditions? And are these landowners sacrificing the value of their land and their sportsmen’s dreams for just a little money?

These questions lack easy answers. Our country must develop its domestic energy reserves; that fact is undeniable. Yet it’s been proven that energy development can proceed while maintaining fish and wildlife and the conservation legacy built by dedicated hunters and anglers over the last century.

If you’re a sportsman who cares about our outdoor heritage, you owe it to yourself to do everything within your power to ensure that energy development is conducted responsibly, with impacts to game species and their habitats kept to an absolute minimum. And you can feel confident that the TRCP is looking out for your interests.

The BLM pulled 144,000 acres of public land from the auction block in Colorado after 100 formal protests were filed.  Included among the protesters were the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Sen. Ken Salazar, Rep. John Salazar, Back Country Hunters and Anglers, the Colorado Wildlife Federation, the TRCP and Trout Unlimited.  The protested parcels flank the Rio Grande from the town of South Fork to Del Norte, providing quality trout fishing as well as critical winter range for elk, deer and bighorn sheep.

While the focus of the TRCP’s energy work continues to be the Rocky Mountain West, we’re continually alert to new and evolving projects nationwide, especially concerning the possible impacts of such projects on hunting and fishing. As always, the TRCP advocates development of our energy resources that’s balanced with sound management of fish and wildlife populations. But sportsmen must speak up for our work to be effective. Joining the TRCP’s grassroots sportsmen’s campaign is an easy way to get involved

Formerly known as Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development, Hunters and Anglers for Responsible Development – or the HARD energy campaign – continues to keep sportsmen informed about domestic energy development and helps you speak up for hunting, angling and habitat concerns across the country.

American sportsmen long have fought to establish a legacy of incredible public lands and fish and wildlife resources. We must continue this conservation ethic to assure that our values and outdoor traditions are sustained. The TRCP’s partners believe that state and federal agencies’ use of the principles contained in "FACTS for Fish and Wildlife" will improve management of lands and resources during development of energy resources. The FACTS can help conserve the legacy of habitat and wild spaces – a legacy that fish and wildlife need and sportsmen cherish.

More than 1,500 sportsmen have joined the TRCP’s grassroots energy campaign since its inception one year ago. If you support TRCP’s FACTS principles, we need your help. The HARD energy campaign provides a voice for hunters and anglers so that our values are integrated into public-lands energy development. Our impressive achievements show that sportsmen comprise a potent force in influencing our country’s approach to energy development. Together, we’re already making a difference. Sign up now and make sure your voice is heard.






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6. Time Running out for Reform of 1872 Mining Law; New Report, Western Resource Managers Urge Hasty Reform



Congress is running out of time to pass meaningful reform of the nation’s hard-rock mining legislation, the 1872 Mining Law. A truncated schedule due primarily to this year’s presidential elections is compounded by the Senate’s delay in introducing a reform bill, which could help address the impacts of more than a century of irresponsible mining for gold, silver and other hard-rock minerals on America’s public lands.

The House of Representatives did its part late last year when it passed HR 2262, the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007. Yet Senate leaders have been unable to agree on an approach that would satisfy both supporters of mining reform and the often-divided Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Meanwhile, the consequences of 136 years of unregulated hard-rock mining continue to accumulate.

In Wyoming, interest in gold and uranium could eliminate public access to some of the state’s most productive big-game hunting grounds. New Mexico’s Red River, once a blue-ribbon trout stream, has been devastated by molybdenum mining. In California, mercury from recreational suction dredgers on the Klamath River is endangering salmon populations. An attempt by South Dakotans to prohibit surface metals mining and conserve fisheries in Spearfish Canyon was struck down by a federal judge.

Read Sensible Solutions online.

These stories and other case studies from across the West are profiled in Sensible Solutions, a new report detailing the destructive impacts of hard-rock mining on important public-lands hunting and fishing destinations. Published by Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining (SUSM), a coalition of sportsmen’s groups spearheaded by the TRCP, the National Wildlife Federation and Trout Unlimited, formed to preserve America’s legacy of hunting and fishing through sensible mining practices. More than 400 hunting and angling organizations across the country have endorsed SUSM’s recommendations for mining law reform and are calling on Congress to update the 1872 law.

The Congressional foot-dragging is making waves locally, too. Twenty-nine former fish and game directors from across the West were compelled to endorse a letter to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee detailing necessary revisions to the 1872 Mining Law. The signatories, who represent more than 180 years of collective experience in fish and wildlife management, primarily support reform of the 1872 law as a means to ensure the reclamation, restoration and enhancement of important fish and wildlife habitat and to prevent future degradation of such habitat by hard-rock mining.

"As a former fish and game director, I understand the impacts of mining operations on fish and wildlife populations. Any reform of the 1872 Mining Law must include funds to restore fish and wildlife habitat damaged by mining," said TRCP Field Representative Willie Molini, director of the Nevada Department of Wildlife from 1982-1998. 

An abandoned mine in Montana

An estimated half-million abandoned mines blanket the Western landscape. Forty percent of Western headwaters, most on public land, are contaminated by mine pollution. Twelve-thousand miles of streams and 180,000 acres of lakes and reservoirs are polluted by mining waste. Cleanup costs are estimated between $32 billion and $72 billion. 

"The stars have aligned for reform to take place this year. Sportsmen and -women have worked hard to make this a priority in Congress. We must capitalize on this momentum and get a bill introduced in the Senate," said William Geer, a TRCP policy initiative manager and director of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources from 1984-1989. 

Let your senators know that sportsmen want reform of the 1872 Mining Law now. Hunters and anglers offer a reasonable voice in the debate over mining law reform and represent the interests of America’s fish, wildlife and public lands. Ask them to support SUSM’s tenets of sensible mining reform.

Learn more about Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining.





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7. House Passes Nationals Landscape Conservation System Act



The Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) includes more than 850 federally recognized areas and approximately 27 million acres of national conservation areas, national monuments, wilderness areas, wilderness study areas, wild and scenic rivers and national historic and scenic trails. The mission of the NLCS is "to conserve, protect and restore nationally significant landscapes recognized for their outstanding cultural, ecological and scientific values." Many of these landscapes are wonderful public lands for huting and fishing.




 On April 9, the House approved the National Landscape Conservation System Act (HR 2016).  This legislation would officially establish the 26 million-acre National Landscape Conservation System managed by BLM.  One of the amendments passed provides "that the bill does not in any way limit access for hunting, fishing, trapping or recreational shooting on the 27 million acres administered by the Bureau of Land Management." Similarly, infringement upon the right of the states manage these activities on public lands would not be permitted.  Now that it has passed the House, this bill will advance to the Senate.  We will keep you updated on its progress in future editions of the Square Dealer.

 






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8. TRCP Honors Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation, Announces Additions to Board and Policy Council


George Cooper, TRCP president and CEO, presents a plaque in appreciation of Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation to Charlie Potter, Max McGraw president and CEO and TRCP board member.

Founded in 1962 by sportsmen and ardent conservationist Max McGraw, the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation is a leader in natural resource research and education with a special emphasis in the fields of wildlife and fisheries management. At the April meeting of the TRCP's board of directors, the TRCP honored the foundation's contributions to conservation and the TRCP. TRCP President and CEO George Cooper presented a plaque to Charlie Potter, president and CEO of the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation and TRCP board member, who accepted it on behalf of the foundation.

The TRCP is pleased to announce an addition to the partnership's board of directors. Sid Evans is the editor-in-chief of Garden & Gun, a Southern lifestyle magazine with a strong conservation focus. Evans was formerly the editor-in-chief of Field & Stream ,a position he held from 2002-2007. Under his tenure Field & Stream set the standard for excellence in outdoor journalism, earning an unprecedented nine National Magazine Award nominations in three years and raising the bar for conservation reporting in the outdoor industry. Evans also founded the successful Heroes of Conservation program, which brings together a broad range of conservation groups and corporate partners to recognize the conservation efforts of hunters and anglers.

The TRCP policy council welcomes new members Wayne East, executive director of the International Hunter Education Association; Dr. Scott Kovarovics, conservation director for the Izaak Walton League of America; and Ralph Rogers, executive director of the North American Grouse Partnership.  (For more about Ralph and the North American Grouse Partnership, please see the Featured Conservation Leader Section of this Square Dealer.)  When the board approves an initiative, members of the policy council form a working group assigned to provide strategic recommendations and general management for that specific issue. The TRCP policy council is comprised of members experienced in natural resource policy, fish and wildlife management and fish- and wildlife-related recreation.

 

 

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9. Remembering David Foster

David Foster and Gracie Photo courtesy Dusan Smetana




The conservation community lost one of its most distinguished voices with the passing of David Foster, long-time editor of Gray's Sporting Journal, who passed away in mid-April after a prolonged battle with cancer. A dedicated friend of the TRCP, David brought to every encounter a razor-sharp intellect matched only by his rapier wit. "He brought smiles to our faces and toughened our hides at the same time," said TRCP President and CEO George Cooper.  "David was a gentleman’s gentleman, a sportsmen’s sportsman and an editor of the highest magnitude. He’ll be sorely missed by everyone who had the privilege to get to know him."

David's blog documented his courageous battle with cancer. You can read one or more of his inspiring and thought provoking entries here.

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A big thanks to everyone who sent in an answers to last month's T.R.ivia question. Congratulations go to our April winner, Tony Grossman. Tony was the first person to correctly identified T.R.'s first gun as a French double-barreled shotgun given to him at age 13. According to Morning on Horseback, a biography of young Theodore Roosevelt written by David McCullough, T.R.'s father gave Roosevelt the 12-gauge Lefaucheux during the summer of 1872. The Lefaucheux lead to another gift for the youth at the end of the summer. When out shooting, T.R. noticed that his friends were firing at and hitting objects he could not see. His father subsequently presented him with a pair of spectacles.

Email your answer to this month's question to bblodgett@trcp.org.

Updates from TRCP Partner Organizations - News from the National Conservation Community

American Sportfishing Association The ASA is showing its support for summer flounder anglers by assisting the Save the Summer Flounder Fund in raising money for their efforts. More>>
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and seven of the nation's leading hunting and fishing organizations released a new report detailing the predicted impacts of climate change on the fish and wildlife habitat and the future of hunting and fishing in the United States. More>>
BASS/ESPN Outdoors BASS Conservation and the Berkley Conservation Institute reward conservation and angler recruitment. More>>
Coastal Conservation Association Read the latest edition of TIDE Magazine.  More>>
Delta Waterfowl Delta Waterfowl chapter in western Michigan helps to thwart a proposed hunting ban. More>>
Ducks Unlimited Native prairie losses continue to mount.  More>>
Federation of Fly Fishers Learn more about Conclave 2008 to be held in July in Whitefish, Mont. More>>
Izaak Walton League of America A Whole New Game, a set of two new reports by the Izaak Walton League, documents the changing Minnesota and South Dakota climates and what these changes mean for those states' hunting, fishing and outdoor heritage. More>>
Mule Deer Foundation The Mule Deer Foundation announced the creation of the Mule Deer Foundation Endowment Fund. More>>
The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy examines the benefits of fire.  More>>
North American Grouse Partnership Learn more about the Montana grouse mini-conference. More>>
Pheasants Forever Pheasants Forever introduces Bird Dog Bonanza, a section of the Pheasants Forever website devoted entirely to bird dogs.  More>>
Quail Forever New Illinios Quail Forever chapter forms in support of youth shooting sports. More>>
Quail Unlimited Quail Unlimited announces WYLIE Manufacturing as their newest corporate sponsor. More>>
Quality Deer Management Association Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center and QDM for Kids will host a full-day hunting skills event May. More>>
Trout Unlimited Trout Unlimited finds that recreational angling provides over $1 billion to driftless area economy.  More>>
Trust for Public Land The Trust for Public Land unveiled the first, single, comprehensive online database of land conservation in America. More>>
Whitetails Unlimited -  Read about Whitetails Unlimited’s recent activities at the SHOT Show. More>>
Wildlife Management Institute At a meeting in West Virginia's Canaan Valley, the Appalachian Mountain Woodcock Initiative (AMWI) was launched in early April.  More>>
The Wildlife Society Read the latest issue of Wildlife Policy News.  More>>

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Featured Conservation Leader

Ralph Rogers, Executive Director, North American Grouse Partnership

Ralph Rogers was an original member of the TRCP policy council. We are pleased to welcome him back.

Can you please tell us a bit about the North American Grouse Partnership?

It was on the grasslands of the Dakotas in 1883 that Teddy Roosevelt fell in love with wild places and things, dedicating his life to conservation.  A hundred years later, over 80 percent of our American grasslands are gone or dysfunctional, taking many associated species with them.  Prairie grouse spring mating behaviors formed the core of our Native Americans dances, fed our pioneers as they moved westward, and now provide thousands of hours of hunting opportunities for sportsmen and -women.  Today, their population numbers are declining rapidly and several are being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act.  The North American Grouse Partnership (NAGP) was formed in 1999 because we felt that these grouse species and the sporting public needed an organized voice to support this critical biological and cultural American asset.  We have recently given the public and wildlife managers a plan for the conservation of 20 percent of the original prairie.  This is, essentially, the smallest grassland that can remain functional.  The choices mankind has to make with respect to wild places and things are getting tougher.  The NAGP’s job is to educate the public about the possibility that without concrete actions, one of the greatest grasslands in the world could soon disappear.  With the announcement of the Grassland Conservation Plan for Prairie Grouse, the NAGP has provided a tool to address the problem.  Now it is up to the public and wildlife managers to make it happen. The NAGP will be there to encourage and guide the process.
Who got you involved with hunting and/or fishing? When?

I can't remember not hunting and fishing, and, though my Dad would be disappointed to hear this response, my grandfather got me involved.  His business took him all over the world, and he explored hunting and fishing opportunities wherever he went.  In his 90s he was still out there walking with gun and fishing rod, though, in his later years he became more famous as the camp cook.  His secret: "Never cook all an outdoorsman can eat. That way, they will always appreciate what they get."


What is your most memorable experience afield?

Ralph took this photo of swans and the moon from his tipi.

Since 2002 I have had the good fortune to spend September and October camping in a tipi in North Dakota.  I hunt with both trained falcons and guns.  The time there with my falcons, dogs and friends on a large piece of prairie is something I look forward to annually.  I can see three seasons in those two months in the Dakotas.  You arrive in summer and expect the snow to chase you down the road as you depart late in October.  Though the grouse populations vary from year to year, as Roosevelt discovered, the prairie is magic.  Through the smoke hole in that tipi and on that flyway, not only can you hear Leopold's "Goose Music," you can see thousands of migrating geese, swans, cranes and countless ducks and shorebirds.  Places and experiences like this are becoming increasingly rare.  I take serious measures to guard this time and realize how fortunate I am to have these opportunities.  My time there is much of what drives me to help others in making sure we can hand these experiences down to our grandchildren.


What do you think are our most pressing conservation issues today?

Unfortunately, all conservation issues are pressing today.  Humans are trying to somehow make infinite growth workable within a finite system.  Competition for natural resources can only become more intense over time.  A provincial look at our grouse populations is typical of what is happening to all wildlife.  Direct loss of habitat, habitat fragmentation, exotic diseases like West Nile Virus and invasive weeds all have a negative effect on wildlife.  Grouse could most likely accommodate any one of these factors but the sum effect is more than any wildlife species can handle.

What is your approach to facing conservation challenges?

While the challenges facing wildlife today are large and growing, so are the intelligent and motivated problem-solvers working on behalf of conservation.  The NAGP has been extremely fortunate to inherit some of the very best of those minds, many as volunteers.  My job is to identify problems, find the best people to address those problems and support those people while staying out of their way.


Why are you involved with the TRCP?

While I have known some of the TRCP’s leaders for a long time, my involvement with the organization itself began about 7 years ago.  The individuals leading the modern TRCP have long and successful records of accomplishment in behalf of wildlife conservation.  NAGP is honored and thankful for the help and counsel given to our young organization.  We continue to partner with the TRCP whenever possible and appreciate the honest and forthright manner in which the TRCP conducts business.

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Bookshelf

History of Fisheries and Fishing in South Dakota

Twenty-seven authors contributed to this 477-page book, which devotes 23 chapters to fish, anglers and aquatic habitat of South Dakota. It covers habitat in the Missouri River, warm-water streams, cold-water habitats, natural lakes, small impoundments and aquatic resources on tribal lands. It also discusses warm-water and cold-water fishes, exotic fishes and rare species, the history of fish hatcheries, commercial fisheries, law enforcement and recreational fisheries management, and even prehistoric fish in South Dakota. Editors offer predictions about the next 20 years in the final chapter. For more information, please click here.

Wild and Fair: Tales of Hunting Big Game in North America by Thomas McIntyre

Thomas McIntyre has united some of our finest outdoor writers to create this anthology of big-game hunting in North America. These original stories cover all North American big-game - from moose and bear in Alaska to sheep and mule deer in the Lower 48; it even chronicles a hunt for muskox. Contributors include Stephen Bodio, author of Eagle Dreams; David Petzal of Field & Stream; Craig Boddington, one of the most famous outdoor writers today; Philip Caputo of the Chicago Tribune and a 1973 Pulitzer Prize winner and many more.This book will give you a profound sense of why hunting is such an integral part of the American landscape and is a grand collection of well-crafted stories on North America's most sought-after big-game species.

For more information, click here.

Photo Gallery

Check out How Your Fellow TRCP Partners Fared this Season

Kelly Peterson caught this 8 pound summer steelhead while fishing the Sandy River in Oregon. It was delicious.

View the rest of the TRCP Partner Photo gallery here.

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Roosevelt Reflections

Celebrating the 150th Birthday of Theodore Roosevelt
by Ken Barrett

Young Theodore Roosevelt

One hundred and fifty years ago a young, beautiful and socially prominent woman in New York City, Martha Roosevelt, learned she was pregnant with her second child. The baby was due in October, an auspicious month for a future hunter to arrive in the world. The child was born on the 27th of the month and was named after his father, a social activist and reformer, and a figure who would loom large in his young son’s heart and mind, serving as an example to him throughout his life.

October 27, 2008, will be the 150th anniversary of the birth of Theodore Roosevelt, America’s greatest hunter-conservationist, co-founder of the Boone & Crockett Club, New York City Policy Commissioner, under secretary of the Navy, hero of San Juan Hill, Governor of New York State, author of six well-known books on hunting, 26th President of the United States, a man who set aside over 230 million acres of public lands and the namesake of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. It’s an anniversary that the TRCP will celebrate throughout the year in ways big and small.

The 150th birthday of Theodore Roosevelt gives us all a perfect opportunity to recognize and revisit the phenomenal personage of T.R. and his accomplishments, using his example to reinvigorate our own efforts to continue and improve the legacy he left behind. The TRCP invites you to join in the celebration.  Watch these pages and the partnership’s Web site and emails as the year progresses. This is an anniversary that will be filled with surprises and prizes that you won’t want to miss.

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