TRCP News

1. Sportsmen Help Drive Mining Reform
2. BLM Pulls Thousands of Acres from Lease Sale in Colorado
3. Finish Line in Sight for 2007 Farm Bill
4. President Assists Striped Bass, Red Drum and Migratory Birds
5. Get Your Own TRCP 2008 Calendar Today
6. Highway Bill Funding Benefiting Wildlife
7. A Summit for Salmon
8. National Geographic Examines Hunters and Conservation
9. New Staff Join the TRCP
   

1. Sportsmen Help Drive Mining Revorm
   
   

   Abandoned mine site, Boulder River watershed, Mont.. Photo courtesy:  USGS

   The House of Representatives, yesterday, passed HR 2262, the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007. The bill modernizes an outdated mining law from 1872 that allows mining companies to pay no federal royalties on mineral extraction from public lands and pay between $2.50 and $5.00 an acre for the land they mine. HR 2262 requires an 8 percent royalty for new mining on public lands, a 4 percent royalty on existing mining operations, and prevents mining in sensitive fish and wildlife habitat, such as roadless areas.
   
   Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining, a coalition composed of the TRCP, the National Wildlife Federation, and Trout Unlimited has been advocating for sensible mining reform through an integrated public education campaign across the West. Through grassroots pressure and media education, sportsmen have clearly made their views known on this issue. In the mark up leading to the floor vote, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall (D-WV), author of the bill, specifically thanked the hunting and angling community for its input on the bill.
   
   Next up is the Senate, where a bill is expected to be introduced early in 2008. It is imperative that sportsmen and sportswomen continue to provide leadership in this effort so that hunting and fishing concerns will be incorporated into the Senate bill. Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining continues to push for recommendations in mining policy that follow its ASAP Guidelines:
   
   Assess a royalty from any minerals taken from public lands to fund fish and wildlife conservation programs and abandoned mine reclamation.
   Strengthen protections against mining impacts for fish, wildlife and water resources.
   Allow "Good Samaritans" reclamation incentives and common-sense liability relief.
   Prohibit the patenting or sale of public lands under this law.
   
   For more information please visit the Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining Web site.
   
   

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2. BLM Pulls Thousands of Acres From Lease Sale in Colorado
   
   

   Mule deer are one of the many species that benefit from the BLM cancellation of Utah lease sales.  Photo courtesy:  Joel Webster

   Your persistent calls for improvements to the public lands energy leasing process are causing change on a grand scale. Earlier this week, the BLM announced its decision to pull approximately 38,000 acres from a Nov. 8 Colorado auction. The majority of that acreage was included in the TRCP lease protest filed Oct. 24. The protested leases encompass 165,000 acres containing critical wildlife habitat in Colorado, including the headwaters of both the Colorado and North Platte rivers.
   
   “The repeal of these leases in Colorado, which comes on the heels of similar actions in Utah, shows that the agency is finally starting to use better discretion is its leasing decisions.” said Dwayne Meadows, field representative for the TRCP’s energy initiative. “The next logical step for the agency will be to exercise such discretion before the leases are ever placed on the auction block.”
   
   In September, for the first time in two decades, the agency cancelled an oil and gas lease auction in Utah due to concerns over the impacts of energy development on fish and wildlife habitat. This decision continues an encouraging trend: In August, the BLM withdrew half the acreage proposed for oil and gas leasing – more than 72,000 acres – following protests by the TRCP and other groups. To date, 3.9 million acres of Utah’s public lands have been leased for energy development.
   
   “Too often, the BLM’s actions are inconsistent with its multiple-use mandate,” said Steve Belinda, manager of the TRCP’s energy initiative. “America’s sportsmen are holding the agency accountable and have impressed federal legislators with the urgency of needed reforms.”
   
   Newly proposed legislation from Wyoming Senator Barasso demonstrates this point. He introduced The Wyoming Range Legacy Act of 2007, which will eliminate oil and gas development in the Wyoming Range. Conserving more than 1.2 million acres of the Wyoming Range, this legislation preserves a key part of Wyoming’s natural heritage and validates what sportsmen’s interests, such as TRCP and the coalition Sportsmen for the Wyoming Range, have advocated. In the coming months, the TRCP will work hard to help ensure that a place revered by sportsmen will be preserved for the enjoyment of future generations.
   
   Sportsmen’s involvement is making a difference, but we must stay involved if we want our government to plan for the future. Approximately 43 million acres of public land – an area the size of Washington state – have been leased for oil and gas development. Only about 30 percent is currently under exploration and production. Many of the leases being sold are located in sensitive habitats, important to fish and wildlife populations. The stakes are high.
   
   So far in 2007, the TRCP has protested 10 lease sales. Responsible development of energy resources, as outlined in the TRCP’s FACTS for Fish and Wildlife, will preserve the public lands sporting opportunities that are part of our nation’s legacy. To stay informed, sign up as a Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development. The TRCP will make sure your voice is heard.
   
   
   
   

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3. Finish Line in Sight for 2007 Farm Bill
   

   This ad in Roll Call was part of our recent efforts on the Farm Bill.

   
   
   

   After many months of drafts, discussion and debate, the 2007 Farm Bill is nearing the finish line. The TRCP and the members of its Agriculture and Wildlife Working Group (AWWG) have been there from the beginning, educating legislators and their staff on the importance of conservation programs in the Farm Bill. With tight budgets facing us, your contacts to elected officials to let them know of the importance of strong conservation funding have been hugely important.
   
   We now need to make one final push. In late July, the House passed its version of the Farm Bill, providing an overall increase of about $4.5 million to the Conservation Title. This was just enough to renew the vital Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) and Grassland Reserve Program (GRP), which began the process zeroed-out and needed new money just to survive. How did the other programs fare?
   
   
   

   Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) – funding same as previous level
   Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) – funding same as previous level
   Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) – funding increased by $2.5 billion over 5 years
   Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) – shelved for this farm bill, funding for only existing contracts

   
   

   A pair of hunters watch for pheasants near Square Butte on a piece of property enrolled in Montana's successful Block Management program.  Photo courtesy:  Geoff Mullins

   
   One highlight of the House legislation was the inclusion of an “Open Fields” provision, a TRCP signature issue since our inception. This will provide $20 million a year in federal money to states that seek to expand their existing sportsmen’s access programs or start one for the very first time. This funding is critical because, as the numbers of hunters and anglers in this country continue to decline due to dwindling open spaces and lack of access, a monetary shot-in-the-arm to states can help slow - and perhaps reverse - the trend. Because so little new spending was available throughout all titles of the Farm Bill, successfully getting Open Fields into the Farm Bill was a huge win for hunters and anglers everywhere.
   
   In August, the Senate began its process of drafting the Farm Bill, and in the months since TRCP and its partners have participated in numerous rounds of discussion and input with Senate staff. The Senate Finance Committee passed a package of tax measures that would free up some additional money for conservation in the Farm Bill, including the option for farmers to take a tax credit instead of a direct payment when enrolling in CRP, WRP and GRP. The Senate version of the Farm Bill is expected to be debated before the full Senate as soon as November 5th.
   
   Again, the budgetary restrictions affected levels of conservation funding. The Senate bill currently provides an additional $3.7 billion in increased funding to conservation programs – less than the House bill provided, and even reaching this amount was difficult.
   
   

   WRP – funding same as previous level
   GRP – funding slightly less than previous level
   CRP – funding same as previous level
   WHIP – funding same as previous level
   EQIP – under umbrella of Comprehensive Stewardship Incentives Program, funding same as previous level
   CSP – under umbrella of Comprehensive Stewardship Incentives Program, funding increased by $1.28 million
   Open Fields – funding at $20 million
   

   
   Time will tell if these funding levels will survive the coming weeks' debate on the Senate floor, and a conference committee will finalize funding levels. Our coalition of sportsmen and conservation groups will need to continue to push for additional funding, while we protect the hard-fought gains realized thus far. Be on the lookout for further updates via TRCP emails and on our website for the latest developments on our effort to grow conservation in the Farm Bill.

   
   
   
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4. President Assists Striped Bass, Red Drum and Migratory Birds
   
   

   President Bush signs an Executive Order to protect and conserve the striped bass and the red drum populations on October 20, 2007. Joining him at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md., for the signing were, from left, Mike Nussman, President and CEO, American Sportfishing Association; Brad Burns, President, Stripers Forever; Dave Pfeiffer, President, Shimano America Corp.; Walter Fondren, Chairman, Coastal Conservation Association; U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez; U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R – MD); and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne. White House photo by Eric Draper.

   America's saltwater anglers achieved a major victory recently when President George W. Bush gave gamefish status to red drum and striped bass in federal waters. An Executive Order signed Saturday by the president not only instructs the Secretary of Commerce to implement new regulations in place covering red drum and striped bass in federal waters, but encourages states to take similar actions in their waters. The gamefish designation for two of the most treasured species in the recreational fishing world would relieve fishing pressure by limiting commercial harvest. This measure comes after many years of advocacy by anglers and the groups who represent them.
   
   "With this action, the president has secured a legacy for the recreational anglers and conservationists who have worked so hard on behalf of our marine resources," said Walter W. Fondren III, Chairman of Coastal Conservation Association. The Coastal Conservation Association, the American Sportfishing Association and Stripers Forever have been leading the way, with many other state and local groups and recreational fishing industry leaders who knew that this step was needed to cap off conservation efforts that have seen stripers and redfish recover from overfishing and other pressures.
   
   "This Executive Order has the full support of the sportfishing industry. By signing the order, the president sends the right message about the need to ensure that striped bass and red drum endure as a species and as sport fish to be enjoyed by anglers now and for generations to come," said Mike Nussman, ASA President and CEO.
   
   In his remarks, the president made it clear that he also supports improving the quality of data available for managing our fish stocks. This is one of the central tenets of the Angling 4 Oceans campaign carried out through TRCP's Marine Conservation Working Group (MCWG) last year with CCA and ASA's leadership. The campaign focused on reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which included many new provisions that speak to the conservation priorities of saltwater anglers. The MCWG is now working together to make sure those provisions are now properly implemented into law.
   
   A few days prior to the Executive Order on the red drum and striped bass, President Bush discussed migratory bird conservation at the Patuxent Research Refuge. Due to expanding development, migratory birds have an increasingly difficult time finding stopover habitat. In the U.S., stopover locations are critical to more than 800 species of birds that journey thousands of miles between their southern wintering grounds and northern breeding ground.
   
   After touring the facilities, Bush outlined steps being taken to promote healthy migratory bird populations. The administration is putting forward a policy, called recovery credit trading, which allows landowners who improve habitat to earn credits they can sell. Having asked Congress to provide conservation tax incentives for easements, Bush also requested Interior Secretary Kempthorne produce a “State of the Birds” report, charting our progress and identifying species that need more assistance. Building on existing efforts, the administration also plans to restore 200,000 acres by 2009, raise $3 billion for national parks and allocate more than $509 million in FY08 to Farm Bill conservation programs.
   
   

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5. Get Your Own TRCP 2008 Calendar Today
   
   The TRCP calendar, “Hunting and Fishing in America 2008,” is now available for only $12.99. Featuring the brilliant nature photography of Dusan Smetana and quotes and historical images from T.R.'s life, this calendar is perfect for outdoors-lovers and T.R. fans alike. Get a jump on your holiday shopping with a calendar for your favorite hunter, angler or T.R. buff, while simultaneously supporting Roosevelt's conservation legacy.
   
   Though the TRCP does not charge for membership, we do need your financial support. Purchasing a calendar is an excellent way to help out and get something in return that will remind you of the joys of being in the field all year long.
   
   Click here to buy your calendar.
   
   
   

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6. Highway Bill Funding Benefiting Wildlife
   
   
   

   This deer fence and wildlife crossing under US 550, north of Aztec, is an example of one way to make highways safer for both wildlife and people.  Photo courtesy: NMDOT

   You might not remember the 2005 highway bill, but as it was making its way around Capitol Hill, the TRCP was there fighting for the inclusion of conservation funding. Two years later, the funding sportsmen worked so hard to secure is creating tangible improvements for both wildlife and humans.
   
   With these dollars, the state was able to install a system to significantly reduce vehicle-wildlife collisions in Tijeras Canyon, N.M., and reconnect Sandia and Manzano mountain wildlife habitats. This stretch has been designated by New Mexico Game and Fish as the most critical wildlife crossing area in New Mexico. The $750,000 project includes 8-foot wildlife-proof electric fencing, passages under existing overpasses, Electro-mats, warning signs and solar-powered motion-detecting cameras that turn on highway caution lights.
   
   The various components work together to encourage wildlife to cross the highway in designated areas where caution signals alert motorists, allowing safer passage between habitats for game and safer travel for drivers. The effectiveness of this system, the first of its kind in New Mexico, will be monitored by the Department of Fish and Game.
   

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7. A Summit for Salmon
   
   

   Join the TRCP for the Northwest Salmon Summit 2007:  Creating a More Powerful and Effective Voice for the Recreational Fishing Community. Photo courtesy:  USGS

   The TRCP invites you, members of the recreational fishing community, to join us in Tacoma, Washington, Friday December 14th, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., for a one-day summit on salmon recovery. This event will focus on improving communications and policy coordination within the northwest sportfishing community, as well as with elected officials and other decision-makers. There is no registration cost for the summit and a catered lunch will be provided for all participants.
   
   The summit will include representatives from the recreational fishing community in Oregon, Washington and northern California. Our invited speakers and moderated panels will address current and future opportunities for improved communications and more effective coordination and representation within the recreational fishing community on salmon recovery and management.
   
   Speakers, including elected and appointed officials, will address issues such as the U.S.- Canada salmon treaty, Magnuson-Stevens Act, watershed-level planning for salmon recovery and various federal and state proposals to improve fisheries management. A specific agenda with more details will be available in November. Until then, please save December 14th for this important event.
   
   For questions, please contact Joe La Tourrette, TRCP West Coast Policy Consultant, by email dipodomy@quest.net or phone 360.754.2594.
   
   

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8. National Geographic Examines Hunters and Conservation
   
   
   

   Ken Barrett photo

   The November issue of National Geographic magazine contains a feature entitled, “Hunters: For the Love of the Land.” Written by Robert M. Poole, with photographs by William Albert Allard, the story focuses on the conservation tradition of hunters and argues that “hunters have become essential partners in wildlife management.” Questions about the declining numbers of hunters are addressed as well.
   
   Click here to read the full story.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

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9. New Staff Join the TRCP
   
   

   Justin Henry

   Justin Henry, Marketing Coordinator, will be focusing on the Union Sportsmen's Alliance.  He says he's been pursuing outdoor adventures since the time he could walk and began hunting big game at the age of 12. Originally from western New York, he loves all kinds of hunting. Especially passionate about traditional archery, he has been bowhunting solely with longbows or recurves, most of which were homemade, since 1992.
   
   After graduating from Wittenberg University with a degree in Environmental Studies, Justin began a career in law enforcement, involving everything from patrolling the streets to undercover narcotics. Never losing zeal for the outdoors, he freelanced as an outdoor photographer, writer and videographer, allowing him the opportunity to work and hunt in several states around the country.
   
   Justin lives in Nashville, TN with his ever-forgiving wife, Janet, and their three children – Kaitlynn, Nathaniel, and Faith. He is currently pursuing an MBA at Trevecca University. When not at work or school, you’ll find Justin sitting in a ground blind with his kids “hunting” for turkeys.
   
   
   
   
   

   Greg Holyfield and his dad, Wayland, with walleye and crappie caught on Center Hill lake.

   Greg Holyfield joined the TRCP in October of 2007 as the Southeast Regional Organizer. He will work with TRCP partners throughout the South, focusing on wetlands conservation issues.
   
   Previously, Greg worked on Capitol Hill as Agriculture Legislative Assistant for a representative from Tennessee. He recently received his master's degree in public service from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. Greg is happy to be back in Nashville, where he can go fishing with his dad, Wayland.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

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

American Sportfishing Association More than 140 sportfishing industry leaders representing nearly 90 companies and organizations from the United States, Canada and Europe gathered at the ASA annual Sportfishing Summit. More>>
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Wyoming Game and Fish release a list of the top 10 hunting violations, reminding hunters to familiarize themselves with the hunting regulations for the species they plan to pursue. More>>
BASS/ESPN Outdoors BASS/ ESPN Outdoors is concerned about two bills currently before the New Jersey Legislature. These two bills could alter the course of the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife and your ability to hunt and fish in the state. More>>
Coastal Conservation Association More information about the red drum and striped bass story found above.   More>>
Ducks Unlimited The amount of native prairie destroyed in the Prairie Pothole Region skyrocketed by at least 40 percent in the last year. More>>
Federation of Fly Fishers The Federation of Fly Fishers asked people why they fish at Conclave 2007. Click on the link to watch video footage of what people had to say. More>>
Izaak Walton League of America Find out what resolutions were authorized at convention this year. More>>
Mule Deer Foundation The Mule Deer Foundation examines highway mortality and ways to make road systems more permeable for wildlife. More>>
The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy thanks President and CEO Steve McCormick for his years of service and leadership.  More>>
Pheasants Forever The first annual Dakota Women of the Outdoors Pheasant Hunt will be held Saturday November 3rd.  More>>
Quail Forever Residents in Tishomingo County have formed a new Quail Forever (QF) chapter in the state of Mississippi, the Bear Creek Chapter of QF. More>>
Quail Unlimited Check out Quail Unlimited’s quail hunting forecasts for the 2007 season. More>>
Trout Unlimited The Colorado Supreme Court has reversed a lower court decision that earlier granted two local water districts the rights to divert and store water at a proposed Dry Gulch Reservoir outside of Pagosa Springs. More>>
Trust for Public Land The Trust for Public Land celebrates the additions of 108 acres to the Chattahoochee National Forest. More>>
Whitetails Unlimited WTU announces their 2007 drawing winners. More>>
Wildlife Management Institute Read the latest issue of the Outdoor News Bulletin. More>>
The Wildlife Society Read the October issue of Wildlife Policy News. More>>

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Grassroots Action

Thank you to all the TRCP partners who have responded to our calls to action in the last month. You were especially vocal on the Farm Bill issue, with hundreds of partners contacting their senators asking for increased support of conservation in the 2007 Farm Bill. Thank you for taking action on these significant issues.

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Featured Conservation Leader

Christy Plumer, Senior Policy Advisor, Fish and Wildlife, The Nature Conservancy

Chritsty Plumer, TRCP Policy Council Member

Who got you involved with hunting and/or fishing? When?

One of my earliest memories is fishing with my Dad, pulling a rainbow trout out of the water and wondering how the heck that managed to get on my worm-baited hook. Since then, my fishing experiences have been spotty, but I enjoyed recently trying my hand at fly fishing in Oregon with several of my former Hill colleagues and watching the trout laugh at me as I unhooked my line from the surrounding bushes on the Metolius. I also had a similar experience with my new TNC colleagues while fishing on the Potomac (with the fish laughing at me, that is).

What is your most memorable experience afield?

I've spent quite a bit of time in the backcountry with friends and family both on hiking and backpacking trips on the East Coast and the West Coast, but I have to say my most memorable experience afield would be during a trip to Southeast Alaska with a group taking a look a logging issues in the Tongass and Chugach National Forests. It was my first trip to Alaska, and I had no concept of how completely wild Alaska would be just minutes outside of any given town. We spent several days hopping from point to point via boat in the Chugach, and then heading into the forest on mid-day hikes along stream basins thick with spawning salmon swimming upstream. After catching sight of a grizzly engorging itself on salmon one day, we headed on another hike through an incredible old growth forest. Everything seemed in harmony there, but also a bit charged, as though our group wasn't all that welcome, a sentiment shared by the multiple infant eagles crying out as they flew away from their own salmon meals. All of a sudden our guide turns to our group and expresses concern that several grizzlies are nearby -- pointing to the fresh tracks and recently torn up salmon scattered along the basin path. He proceeded to turn our small hiking group around a bit frantically, and we briskly walked back to the safety of our moored vessel. I’m not sure how close we were to witnessing a grizzly up close and personal that day, but it was still an incredible afternoon hike in Alaskan bear country.

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

The two conservation issues that I see as being the most pressing, as well as the most challenging, are climate change and development pressure on landscapes. Within the past year, there has been a flood of new information on the impacts of climate change to fish and wildlife and their habitats, and yet we still don't completely have a grasp on what climate change will mean to species and ecosystems in general. Combine that with other pressures, such as increased development, in many of these sensitive landscapes, and we have some tough choices on our hands. For example, is it possible to move species along with humans in response to sea level rise? How do we create corridors for this purpose? What happens to species in alpine habitats, where scientists are telling us habitats could disappear altogether within the next 50 years, as the lower habitats push upward? The Nature Conservancy and our federal, state, local and NGO partners are grabbling with these issues, and trying to ensure that the right policy and science framework is in place to address the tough issues that lie ahead of us.

What is your approach to facing conservation challenges?

I worked for moderate Republicans for nearly 10 years, and the experience has taught me that the only way to make progress in the field of conservation is to listen, ask lots of questions and be ready to roll up your sleeves to tackle the big issues with an open mind and a strong sense of the direction. The other trick is to find the partners who are willing to do the same, even if they have major differences with your boss' or organization's views at the start of the conversation. There are very few big leaps in environmental and conservation policy that have occurred in recent years - the real work has been done by being willing to work others to reach a compromise that will most likely only move the ball forward a small degree. But in the end, those small movements finally add up to something substantive for conservation in the United States.

Why are you involved with the TRCP?

I learned of TRCP while working on the Hill, and understood it was a group of anglers, hunters and members of the conservation community working toward common goals for conservation. Upon starting with TNC in their Government Relations division, I was invited to sit on the Policy Council for TRCP. I've been very impressed with TRCP's approach, and willingness to tackle some politically difficult issues, such as oil and gas development in the Rocky Mountains and the major push they have made more recently to take a hard look at needed reforms to the 1872 Mining Law. I look forward to working closely with TRCP in the months ahead on these difficult issues, and others, that lie ahead of us.

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Bookshelf

Theodore Gordon on Trout: Talks and Tales from a Great American Angler by Theodore Gordon, edited by Paul Schullery

In this selection of Gordon’s trout-fishing tales and lessons, a new generation of readers will be introduced to one of American angling’s freshest and most original voices, rich with the adventure and awe that come from a lifetime of inspired engagement with nature. Despite the considerable differences between his time and ours, today’s anglers will be fascinated by the similarities this great writer shares about the sport, which still hold true today. For more information, please click here.

A Peach Tree in an Apple Orchard: Tales of a Southerner's Life in Vermont by Paul Fersen

He grew up in the Georgia woods, played football for the New Orleans Saints, spent a few years as a ski bum, put in his time as a Vermont farmer, and eventually sold his farm to take a desk job. Through all this, writer Paul Fersen has never lost his sense of humor or appreciation for a good hunting dog.
These are tales of becoming a New Englander while remembering a strange and distant life in the rural South, of building one’s own home and raising a family, of finding the best dog ever, of catching the biggest fish with his smallest son, and finding respite in the field with dog and duck.

For more information, click here.

Photo Gallery

Check out How Your Fellow TRCP Partners Fared this Season

We need your photos. We are working to expand the photo gallery on our Web site and would love to include your photo. Please send the photo with information on how and where you got what’s in the shot. If we pick yours for our next newsletter, we’ll send you a TRCP hat too. Send photos to photos@trcp.org. Electronic photos only please.

Britta Blodgett, TRCP Communications Associate and editor of this newsletter, with a 19" brown trout she caught on the Missouri River, near Craig, MT.

View the rest of the TRCP Partner Photo gallery here.

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Roosevelt Reflections

Through the Roosevelt Arch
by Ken Barrett

Roosevelt  on horseback in the West

Visitors entering Yellowstone National Park through its north entrance pass through a large stone arch, dedicated in 1903 by Teddy Roosevelt during his visit with famed naturalist and writer John Burroughs to our nation’s first national park . This past July 4th weekend, my cousin and I drove through the “Roosevelt Arch,” as it’s been called ever since, on our way into the park for a day of trout fishing. Frankly, I didn’t hold high expectations for success; the weather had been hot and sunny and the summer crowds were in full attendance.

Leaving our truck parked at Tower Falls, about 20 miles from the park headquarters in Mammoth, we hiked half a mile down the main trail to the Yellowstone River. When we arrived, we had the entire river to ourselves. For two hours, we fished the famed salmonfly hatch, taking any number of big fat native Yellowstone cutthroat trout, all the while never seeing another soul.

The Roosevelt Arch in Yellowstone National Park is inscribed with the words, "For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People." Photo credit: National Park Service

Two days later, we returned and fished the Gardner River, just inside the north entrance. Again, we had the river to ourselves and took a number of wild rainbows, cutthroats and brook trout. As people walked by on their way to a dip in the hot springs, just upriver from where were fishing, we got a beautiful 18” brown trout.

My cousin, a resident of suburban D.C. area, marveling at our good luck, turnedto me as we walked back to the truck after we had finished fishing and said, “Ilovethis place because it belongs to me.” As a family from Tennessee walkedbyus, he continued, “And to them and to all of us; isn’t that incredibleandisn’t that wonderful?”

Our public lands, especially our crown jewels like Yellowstone, are of unfathomablevalue and nobody knew this more than T.R. He fought like a tiger, along withhis fellowBoone & Crockett Club members, to protect it more than a centuryago.

I, for one, am overwhelmed with gratitude for Yellowstone, the surrounding NationalForests and all our public lands. As I released a beautiful wild cutthroat backintothe pristine waters of the river, I renewed my pledge to do what Teddy woulddoand fight for their continued health and well-being. They’re my legacytothe next generation and they’re your legacy too.

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