TRCP President and CEO Stresses the Importance of TRCP's CAST and FACTS Principles to the U.S. Senate
George Cooper testifying in front of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee.
The topic of energy development and independence generates a lot of debate and a crowded Senate Hearing room was anxious to hear about the future of energy development. On March 17, George Cooper, TRCP President and CEO, was one of eight people testifying in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on development on public lands and the outer Continental Shelf.
On the heels of President Obama’s announcement that federal agencies would assert the primacy of science when making decisions that affect fish and wildlife populations, Cooper’s testimony to the committee outlined the importance of learning from past mistakes in energy development, and using precaution, planning and investment in the development of all forms of energy, whether the it is wind, solar, wave, tidal or gas and oil.
“American sportsmen-conservationists always have been mindful of the need to extract and harvest resources from our lands and waters,” said Cooper. “However, we want to be sure that these activities are carried out in a manner defined by sound science and that sustains fish and wildlife and ensures outdoor opportunities for generations to come.”
Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, was the first individual to testify at the hearing, outlining the administration’s agenda for energy development. Secretary Salazar described the administration's plans for wind, solar, wave and tidal energy development in addition to oil and gas development.
The development of off-shore energy (wave, tidal and oil) was one of the topics most discussed during the entire hearing. Cooper used this opportunity to outline the TRCP’s CAST principles that stress the importance of conservation, the proper allocation of money generated by development, using sound science to understand how development will effect fish populations and maintaining transparency throughout the development process.
With President Obama’s declaration to the federal government’s reliance on science, the TRCP is hopeful the best available science on hand and given proper weight when making fish- and wildlife-related energy development policy decisions.
Take Action! Get Dedicated Funding for Your Local Fish and Wildlife
The Teaming with Wildlife Act will allow states to conduct projects like Delaware's shore bird tagging project.
Photo courtesy of Delaware Fish and Wildlife
Without a diverse population of wildlife, a habitat never will truly be whole, but many states lack enough funding to properly manage all of their fish and wildlife resources. A new bill, Teaming With Wildlife Act of 2009 (S. 655), introduced in the U.S. Senate hopes to change that. Senators Tim Johnson (S.D.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) and Jon Tester (Mont.) initiated the “Teaming with Wildlife Act,” which would provide states with the money they need to implement their wildlife action plans, thereby conserving game and non-game species and natural areas for future generations.
“Hunters and anglers will benefit from passage of the Teaming With Wildlife Act because habitat conservation does not distinguish between game or non-game management,” said Mark Humpert, Teaming with Wildlife director at the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “If we give state fish and wildlife agencies and their partners adequate resources to do their jobs, then all wildlife can thrive.”
The legislation would provide $350 million annually over five years to help states carry out comprehensive wildlife restoration programs consistent with their state wildlife action plan. Since 2001, every state has adopted a state wildlife action plan to effectively recover fish and wildlife species in need. The Teaming With Wildlife Act would create a reliable funding source for these programs through allocation of a portion of the royalties collected from mineral development on federal lands and waters. The act is named after the Teaming with Wildlife coalition, which the TRCP serves as a member of its steering committee.
For more information on Teaming With Wildlife, click here.
Sportsmen Applaud the Advancement of Public Lands Bill
Laura Meadows fishing in a section of the North Platte River.
Photo by Dwayne Meadows
After an earlier attempt to get the Omnibus Public Land Management Act through congress failed, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives passed a new version of the legislation. The package of more than 150 lands, water and resources bills of significance to fish and wildlife habitat and public-lands hunting and fishing opportunities will now go to President Obama to sign. The TRCP welcomed congress’s action as an important step toward conserving valuable natural resources and upholding our nation’s outdoor traditions.
Initially passed by the Senate in January in a 74-21 vote following months of wrangling, the omnibus bill subsequently was rejected by the U.S. House in a closely contested vote. Senate Democrats reintroduced the measure in an effort to facilitate its passage and streamline the House approval process. It worked. The House approved the act with a 285-140 vote.
Measures in the bill of particular significance to hunters and anglers include the Wyoming Range Legacy Act and National Landscape Conservation System, both of which enable citizens’ continued enjoyment of sporting opportunities on public lands in the American West. Passage of the Wyoming Range Legacy Act, which Trout Unlimited has worked hard to get included in this billk, would prohibit further energy leasing on 1.2 million acres of prime big-game habitat and native trout waters and permit conservation groups to buy and retire existing energy leases. Codification of the National Landscape Conservation System would conserve hunting and fishing opportunities on millions of acres of Bureau of Land Management lands that comprise some of the nation’s most important extant fish and wildlife habitat.
“A prime example of this legislation’s importance to sportsmen is the Wyoming Range Legacy Act,” said Dr. Rollin Sparrowe, TRCP co-founder and acting board chair. “The Wyoming Range is actively used by the public, including generations of Western families, yet remains an inherently wild place. The threats it faces from development demand that we undertake prompt and binding measures to ensure its future responsible management.
The TRCP has long stressed that there are special places for fish and wildlife that should never be developed. The Wyoming Range is an example of one of these places.
“The Wyoming Range is a crown jewel of public lands, home to elk, moose, mule deer and three native species of cutthroat trout,” continued Sparrowe, a former federal biologist who lives in Daniel, Wyo. “Today’s Senate vote indicates the willingness of our elected leaders to safeguard landscapes emblematic of the American West and treasured by citizens, and we appreciate the steadfast efforts of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to assure their future conservation.”
TRCP President and CEO George Cooper invoked the TRCP’s namesake in signaling approval of congress’s action.
“Theodore Roosevelt himself would have been extremely happy to see the persistence of our elected officials who have stayed the course on the winding trail that is leading us toward a great victory for the American outdoor way of life,” Cooper said. “His leadership was instrumental in conserving large open spaces of public land for all Americans to enjoy. Members of Congress have added something very substantial to that legacy with final passage of this measure.”
4. TRCP Helps Launche A New Coalition With the Goal of Bringing More Little Grouse to the Prairie
Two sharp-tailed grouse performing their "courtship dance."
Photo courtesy of the National Grouse Conservation Partnership
Only 10 percent of North America’s 585 million acres of native grasslands remain today, and its associated wildlife species are in a state of rapid decline. The TRCP is taking action to reverse this alarming trend by joining with the North American Grouse Partnership, Pheasants Forever and the Mule Deer Foundation to launch the Prairie Grouse Partners, a conservation partnership with an aggressive goal of restoring 20 percent of North America's native grasslands and improving habitat for a wide range of wildlife, including three species of prairie grouse.
“One hundred years ago, millions of acres of grasslands brushed up against the bellies of wagons carrying our pioneers westward,” said NAGP Executive Director Ralph Rogers. “The wildlife in those grasslands nurtured settlers and fed their children. Watching these critically important lands and their wildlife disappear is simply not an option. We welcome other groups to join our partnership and our vision.”
The conservation work of the Prairie Grouse Partners is guided by the Grassland Conservation Plan for Prairie Grouse, a landscape-scale, ecologically based plan developed in cooperation with state natural resource agencies and adopted by the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. The plan is centered on three major grouse species (sharp-tailed grouse, greater prairie chicken and lesser prairie chicken), considered primary indicators of healthy grassland ecosystems.
“All of today’s conservation issues are critical, but when it comes to grasslands – specifically the large expanses needed for America’s prairie grouse populations – we are almost out of time,” said Howard Vincent, PF president and CEO and TRCP board member. “Through our unique model, this partnership opens up a new opportunity for our chapters to complete habitat projects beneficial to prairie grouse, which will benefit other wildlife species, including pheasants and quail at the same time.”
TRCP co-founder and board chairman Jim Range channeled his vision for grouse conservation to unite the groups now forming the Prairie Grouse Partners. Range, who recently passed away, was an ardent sportsmen and conservationist and possessed an intense passion for sharp-tailed grouse. With the TRCP and other groups, he often championed conservation initiatives affecting the grassland habitats important to sharp-tails. Prairie Grouse Partners represents a continuation of Range’s influential and enduring legacy.
“One hundred years ago, Theodore Roosevelt fell in love with grasslands and with hunting the animals he found in North Dakota,” said George Cooper, TRCP president and CEO. “More recently, TRCP founder Jim Range helped organize the Prairie Grouse Partners out of his love for prairie grouse. We are engaged in this effort not only due to the inherent merit of its underlying cause but from our deep and abiding respect for these two great American sportsmen and conservationists.”
The TRCP has worked hard to keep Wyoming’s big-game populations thriving, and now we’re giving you the chance to hunt them. Through the generosity of the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, the TRCP has secured a Wyoming Commissioner’s License for one lucky hunter to chase elk, antelope or mule deer in the Cowboy State.
For $100, you can buy a chance to win the tag, which allows you to hunt anywhere in the state this fall. All proceeds from the raffle will go toward our conservation efforts in Wyoming.
The TRCP is selling 300 chances, and, in honor of our namesake, the 26th president, every 26th person who purchases a chance will win a bonus prize from the TRCP. Our first bonus prize winner was James A. Brower from LaCrosse, Wisc., who received a copy of The Gigantic Book of Hunting Stories.
You have until June 15 to purchase your raffle ticket, and you can purchase as many chances as you’d like. Purchase of regular hunting license is required. Winners are responsible for all applicable licenses and taxes.
The pollution from the Anaconda Smelter in Montana led to the degradation of habitat and loss of wildlife in the surrounding areas.
Photo courtesy of Earthworks
As Congress continues to weigh revision of the General Mining Law of 1872, TRCP was on hand at a recent House hearing to push for reform in the name of healthy fish and wildlife habitat and hunting and fishing on federal public lands. Through the Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining (SUSM) coalition, the TRCP reiterated the need for common-sense updates to America’s most archaic natural resources legislation.
The House Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources convened the legislative hearing to consider H.R. 699, the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009. H.R. 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 its passage in the House and carry that momentum on to the Senate, where similar reform efforts stalled last year.
Reform of the 1872 Mining Law is long overdue. By acting now, Congress can safeguard valuable habitat and uphold public-lands sporting opportunities by promoting common-sense revisions. These include strengthened conservation measures, reasonable royalties on minerals taken from public lands, an abandoned mine cleanup fund that addresses wildlife impacts, discretion for public land managers and a prohibition of public-lands patenting – reform measures that all sportsmen can support.
Under the 1872 General Mining Law, more than 270 million acres of federal land are open to hard-rock mining, mostly in the Rocky Mountain West. Because the 1872 law has never been meaningfully reformed, many of America’s most treasured public lands are at risk, including important wildlife habitat and hunting areas, valuable fisheries, popular recreation sites, vital municipal water supplies and sensitive roadless areas.
H.R. 699 would initiate the first-ever significant change to the 1872 Mining Law. Under H.R. 699, sales of public lands to mining corporations would end; national forest roadless areas, BLM wilderness study areas and other sensitive lands would be placed off limits to new mining claims; and royalties would be assessed, with two-thirds of those monies put in an abandoned mine reclamation fund to help restore fish and wildlife habitat.
SUSM, an alliance of organizations and individual grassroots partners spearheaded by the National Wildlife Federation, the TRCP and Trout Unlimited, urges fundamental changes to the 1872 law to enable conservation of fish and wildlife resources and a future for America’s sporting heritage. The sportsmen’s coalition has developed policy recommendations for Congress as it deliberates reform.
“Fifty percent of the nation’s blue ribbon trout streams and 80 percent of the most important big-game habitats are found on public lands,” said Rob Masonis, vice president of Western conservation for TU. “It’s high time to bring this 137-year-old law into the 21st century – for the good of America’s public lands, the priceless fish and wildlife populations they support and the hunting and fishing traditions they sustain.”
7. Sportsmen's Involvement Critical to Backcountry Hunting and Fishing in Colorado
The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest
Photo credit: John Gale
Chasing elk and deer through the HD Mountains in southwest Colorado. Spying a bighorn sheep on Housetop Mountain in the White River National Forest. Angling for native trout in the free-flowing waterways of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison national forests. All these experiences are cherished by sportsmen who hunt and fish in the Centennial State. And all could be jeopardized if Colorado’s national forest roadless areas aren’t responsibly managed in the future.
Roadless lands in Colorado contain some of the most important habitat in the Rocky Mountain West for big-game and native fish populations. Yet a draft plan for future management of these areas continues to be plagued with loopholes and exceptions that would allow new development in prime backcountry habitat.
The TRCP has been actively involved in helping build a strong Colorado roadless rule that sustains hunting and fishing on Colorado’s 4.4 million acres of backcountry. Revision of the draft rule is continuing after a preliminary plan released in July 2008 generated more than 150,000 comments.
We hope that
Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter will work with the U.S. Forest Service – and seek recommendations from the Roadless Area Conservation National Advisory Council (RACNAC) – to resolve problems with the draft Colorado roadless rule. In its present form, the plan falls short of a successful management document. Without fundamental changes, important mule deer habitat could be harmed by construction of power-line corridors, new reservoirs and diversion canals could degrade vital trout streams, and gas pads could encroach on backcountry areas where hunters have set up elk camp for generations.
The state of Colorado needs input from sportsmen like you. The Colorado roadless rule is important in making sure that the state’s irreplaceable backcountry hunting and fishing traditions will continue.
A bull moose in northern Ontario's Crown Land.
Photo courtesy of Crownland.org
Anyone who has ever hunted or fished in Ontario knows that the lands and waters in the province are some of the best in North America. The Ontario Outdoors Recreational Alliance (a United Steelworkers Union Ontario Partner) is currently trying to improve public access to these lands for their local sportsmen. According to this group, 2,000 lakes and thousands of acres of public hunting land are being restricted in northern Ontario to Canadian citizens. They are working to resolve this issue with the Ontario government, and ensure that all hunters and anglers have equal access to the province’s great resources.
Click here to read more about their cause.
9. TRCP Addresses Climate Change at Congressional Hearing
Research shows that most wildlife migrations, including waterfowl migrations, are affected by climate change.
Sportsmen pushed for federal practices that could sustain fish and wildlife populations in the face of global climate change at a recent U.S. House of Representatives hearing. Testimony submitted jointly by the TRCP and American Wildlands emphasized the need to safeguard migration corridors and other crucial public-lands habitats in addressing the effects of climate change, subject to increased funding under the proposed budget for 2010.
A growing body of evidence demonstrates how climate change can fundamentally alter American landscapes, economies and recreational traditions, particularly those that rely on federal public lands. As fish and wildlife habitat, abundance and distribution shift in response to a changing climate, patterns of hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities likewise could follow suit. The Congressional hearing, convened by the House Committee on Natural Resources’ National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee, evaluated the role public lands can play in mitigating the effects of climate change and weighed the distribution of millions of dollars to federal agencies to address threats to natural resources on these lands.
“By taking decisive action to protect crucial areas of fish and wildlife habitat like migration corridors, the federal government has an opportunity to address the potentially devastating impacts of global climate change,” said Rick Ridgeway, founder of the Freedom to Roam coalition and well-known mountaineer and outdoor adventurer. “If important habitat areas become isolated or fragmented by climate change, the survival of large mammals, as well as numerous smaller species, could be gravely threatened.” Freedom to Roam unites a range of diverse stakeholders to forge solutions to the threats that human encroachment and global warming present to the survival of America’s wildlife.
Sportsmen stress the importance of public lands, including those administered by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service, in providing habitat connectivity and wildlife movement corridors at a regional level. American Wildlands’ Corridors of Life program works to identify and conserve habitat links in the northern Rockies in concert with ongoing efforts by local, state, regional and national entities and in collaboration with federal and state biologists.
“Obviously, maintaining the ecological connections and wildlife movement corridors between major wildland habitats presents an enormous challenge,” said Jim Roscoe, Corridors of Life program coordinator for AWL, “and the central role of our public lands in responding to this challenge cannot be overstated. Americans are counting on our federal government to guarantee adequate funding and the appropriate management to conserve these critical habitat linkages and secure the future of our irreplaceable fish and wildlife resources.”
Accelerating climate change is acknowledged by the sportsmen’s community as a serious threat to America’s hunting and fishing opportunities. Eight of the TRCP’s partner organizations recently released “Season’s End,” a report detailing the predicted impacts of climate change on the habitat and distribution of fish and game in the United States and the implications for sustainable hunting and fishing. A sequel presenting strategies, measures and costs to help fish and wildlife adapt to global climate change is scheduled for release in 2009.
“In adapting to climate change, securing funding for fish and wildlife management is critical,” said Bill Geer, who directs the TRCP’s Western lands initiatives and has worked on conservation issues for more than three decades. “The appropriate tools and resources will equip wildlife management agencies to capably administer fish and wildlife resources and mitigate the effects of climate change.”
10. TRCP Calls for the Renewal of the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act
A map of the lands that have been protected through FLTFA.
For the past nine years, land conservation has had a dedicated source of funding through the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA), and it’s time to reauthorize that legislation. First enacted in 2000, FLTFA helps federal agencies acquire critically important tracts of private land for fish and wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation with money generated by the sale of Bureau of Land Management lands. A coalition of outdoor groups, including the TRCP, have come together to urge congress to reauthorize this legislation, which expires in 2010.
“FLTFA allows the government to add vital land for fish and wildlife to the National Park Service, National Wildlife Refuge System and other federal agencies, which, in many cases, provides hunters and anglers with access to some great habitat,” said George Cooper, President and CEO of the TRCP.
11. Support the TRCP Through Searching and Shopping
Your online searching and shopping could be helping the TRCP. Through Good Search, which is a search engine powered by Yahoo!, every time you do an Internet search, $.01 gets donated to the TRCP. In addition to their searching, you can also use their Good Shop function, which allows you to shop online at a variety of stores (including Amazon.com, Orvis.com, SierraTradingPost.com, to name a few) and a percentage of your bill will be donated to the TRCP.
Simply go to www.goodsearch.com and type: Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership into the “Who do you goodsearch for?” box. For Good Shop, which also provides users with coupons, type the same thing into the “Who do you support?” box.
Good Search estimates that a group the size of the TRCP could raise over $600,000 a year just through searching and shopping online, which can help us continue to guarantee that all Americans have quality places to hunt and fish. Thanks, in advance, for your support.
Jim's daughters, Kimberly Range Truesdale (left) and Allison Range (center) receive the resolution from DU Executive Vice President, Don Young.
Many conservation organizations, not just the TRCP, have been mourning the loss of Jim Range. Ducks Unlimited recently issued a resolution in memoriam of Jim’s work with DU. Jim was a member of the organization since 1979. He helped form the DU Federal City Chapter, which is the only DU chapter in Washington, D.C. and served on many of DU’s boards through his years of volunteering with the organization.
The resolution states “that Ducks Unlimited and the entire world of wildlife conservation, with the untimely passing of James D. Range, lost one of their most respected leaders and dedicated champions; and, that a copy of this resolution be spread upon the permanent records of Ducks Unlimited, Inc. and a copy provided to his family.”
To see all of the tributes to Jim and read more about his conservation legacy, click here.
A 2009 Chevy Silverado, the official truck of TRCP's Union Sportsmen's Alliance.
Outdoors men and conservationists use their vehicles harder than anyone. Whether it’s driving to camp for two weeks or going out to survey wildlife populations, a good vehicle is an important piece of gear for any sportsmen-conservationist. In this light, the TRCP has teamed up with Chevy to help support hunter and angler access, raise funds for conservation and add additional value to membership in the TRCP Union Sportsmen’s Alliance.
In November 2008, Chevrolet launched a new website dedicated to access, www.AccessTheOutdoors.com. The TRCP and Chevrolet will work together to continually update the site with public access points for hunting and fishing as well as provide articles, photos and other valuable information.
"In these tough economic times, we are honored that Chevrolet recognizes the importance of preserving our national resources and has stepped up to support the TRCP's conservation mission and its union-dedicated hunting and fishing club," said Fred Myers, USA Executive Director. "Through this partnership, we can educate sportsmen about access opportunities around the country, while enhancing the value of USA membership. We are proud to call Chevy the official truck of the USA.”
Jack Lorenz getting ready to release a largemouth.
Photo by David Harp
By Paul Hansen
Jack Lorenz, one of America’s greatest conservationists, died March 2. Born March 14, 1939, in St. Louis, Missouri, he graduated from the University of Tulsa in 1961 with a B.S. in journalism. He was executive director of the Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA) from 1974 to 1992.
At the IWLA, Lorenz established the Outdoor Ethics program, initiated the award-winning Save Our Streams citizen action project, helped found the Jackson Hole Land Trust and worked to protect millions of acres of habitat critical to wildlife. He co-founded the business community’s Wildlife Habitat Council and the environmental community's Green Group, chaired the Washington Conservation Roundtable and served as president of the American League of Anglers and Boaters.
During his career, Lorenz won many of America’s most esteemed conservation awards: the Outdoor Writers Association of America’s Jade of Chiefs Award, the Chevron Times/Mirror Conservation Award, the Award of Honor from the Natural Resources Council of America, and the IWLA Hall of Fame and 54 Founders awards.
Lorenz knew and was liked by almost everyone in conservation – hunters, anglers, conservation-minded business people and environmentalists. “To know Jack was to love him,” said Maitland Sharpe, a friend and associate at the League. “He treated people well and dealt heroically and gracefully with adversity.”
Equally at home at a small rural League chapter house or at lunch in the White House, Lorenz was proud to represent “the streak of blaze orange in the green movement, the greenest hunters, the most well-armed environmentalists.” He cherished history, and his stories improved with each re-telling. An avid fisherman, he achieved a lifelong ambition of casting a line in all 50 states.
Lorenz was a great teacher and mentored a generation of conservationists. He taught us that durable change depended upon building a broad range of support and that we could not protect America’s outdoors without working together. The greatest source of his considerable talent may have been his humility. He employed the wisdom of those around him with extraordinary skill, generously giving the credit to others. At the IWLA, he was known for promoting his staff experts at high-profile events when as executive director he could have stepped into the limelight himself.
Jack’s response to the long days, travel and stress of running a very diverse and mission-driven organization of independent-mined members was classic: “The gratitude of our children will be thanks enough for our work.”
Paul Hansen was a staff member of the Izaak Walton League of America from 1982 to 2007 and is a founding board member of the TRCP.
[A memorial mass will be held on March 28 at 11 a.m. at St. Rita Parish, 3815 Russell Rd., Alexandria, Va. A reception will follow at 1 p.m. at Alexandria Country Day School, 2400 Russell Rd. Contributions may be made to the Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River, P.O. Box 746, Woodstock, VA 22664.]
A big thanks to everyone who sent in an answers to last month's T.R.ivia question. Congratulations go to our February winner, Phil Doll. He was the first person to correctly identify that John Burroughs accompanied T.R. to Yellowstone in 1903. We are sending Phil 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 navy blue T.R. Sesquicentennial baseball hat.
Updates from TRCP Partner Organizations -
News from the National Conservation Community
American Fisheries Society The AFS calls for nominations for its 2009 awards. More>>
American Sportfishing Association
The 2009 International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) will be moving to Orlando this year. More>>
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Save the date for AFWA's Annual Meeting, Sept. 13-16, in Austin, Texas. More>>
BASS/ESPN Outdoors Read about the looming crisis in water policy in America. More>>
Bonefish and Tarpon Trust
The BTT needs volunteers to help with the second Spring Florida Keys Bonefish Population Census. More>>
Coastal Conservation Association
A CCA-funded study indicates that red snapper stocks may be in better shape than previously thought. More>>
Delta Waterfowl
Delta Waterfowl offers research assistance to graduate students working on wetland and waterfowl projects. More>>
Ducks Unlimited
DU receives $285,200 from the National Shooting Sports Foundation for its Rescue the Duck Factory project. More>>
Federation of Fly Fishers
See how you can start a conservation project on your favorite water. More>>
International Game Fish Association The IGFA announces its 2009 awards. More>>
International Hunter Education Association The IHEA sets the date for its benefit shoot. More>>
Izaak Walton League of America
The IWLA celebrates the 40th anniversary of its Save a Stream program. More>>
Mule Deer Foundation
The Mule Deer Foundation becomes a national sponsor for the National Archery in the Schools program. More>>
The Nature Conservancy
Watch The Nature Conservancy's bald eagle webcam. More>>
North American Grouse Partnership
See how you can restore your land to benefit grouse populations. More>>
Pheasants Forever
The Mississippi Longtails PF chapter hosts a shoot to benefit Minnesota's Build a Wildlife Area. More>>
Quail Forever
A new Minneapolis/St. Paul based QF chapter is fighting for bobwhites in southeastern Minnesota. More>>
Quality Deer Management Association
Save the date for QDMA's 9th annual national convention and wildlife expo in Louisville. More>>
Trout Unlimited
Montana TU is calling for greater oversight of the use of lightly regulated groundwater wells for private fish ponds. More>>
Trust for Public Land
The TPL has been awarded $1 million in federal wetlands conservation funding for its work in Puerto Rico's San Miguel Natural Reserve. More>>
Whitetails Unlimited
Whitetails Unlimited kicks off its 2009 spring sweepstakes. More>>
Wildlife Management Institute
The Fish and Wildlife Service addresses the problem of the high populations of light geese. More>>
The Wildlife Society TWS submits comments on the revised Standard for the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. 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.
Hod Kosman Scottsbluff, Neb. Bank president, bird hunter, Field & Stream's Conservation Hero of the Year
Q: You were selected as Field & Stream’s Conservation Hero of the Year last year, how has that changed your life and your work?
A: Being nominated for the Heroes of Conservation was an honor, and being selected as the Hero of the Year has been thrilling and humbling. It has definitely brought changes, but they’ve all been good. I’ve been on the radio in 18 different states, I’ve done presentations before lots of different groups on the importance of local grassroots efforts to help larger organizations, like Pheasants Forever, The Nature Conservancy and the TRCP, in their large-scale work.
Q: How has the exposure helped your group, the Platte River Basin Environments?
A: Well, our volunteerism has always been strong with the Environments, but we have definitely seen an increase. Our website has gotten a lot more hits. It’s created a lot of opportunities for our group when it comes to grant writing. It really has increased the level of our stature and has proven that we’re a can-do organization. It’s been a great source of pride for all of us in our community. We’re doing work that has a national importance, and it’s been so rewarding to be able to share our accomplishments, while showing that our group is working harder than ever to improve public hunting experiences in Nebraska.
Q: What does the immediate future hold for the Platte River Basin Environments?
A: We’re currently going through several approaches. We’ve been able to secure a very exciting location for mentored hunting. This has lead to some great youth hunts that we’re planning to get kids out in the wild, whether they’re hunting with a bow, a gun or a camera. We also have taken some veterans out, and the warm feelings you get from taking someone out that has served is all the motivation you need to keep doing these hunts.
We are also expanding in to the Wildcat Hills, where our reintroduction of Big Horn sheep and Elk are doing very well.
Our education center is getting so much use that we’re planning on expanding that so we can do more seminars there.
Q: What do you think is the most important conservation issue that sportsmen face today?
A: Access is extremely important. When you ask hunters and anglers why they don’t do it anymore, the number one response is that they have a hard time finding access. The farming and ranching lands that used to be open to hunting just aren’t anymore. It’s so important to crate public access opportunities.
I also think that we need to find the money for conservation, especially in today’s economic environment. People just have less money, and they need to take care of their lives first. We need government programs that land owners can benefit from to fund conservation programs.
Q: Why did you decide to get active in the TRCP?
A: The TRCP is a crucial force for the voice of conservation, good stewardship and good science. The TRCP has been able to transcend all the differences that our community has and settle in on a common voice, which is so much louder than a fragmented one. That great voice is that of the TRCP.
Q: How do you hope to help the TRCP in the future?
A: I’d like to be able to have Platte River Basin Environments be a litmus test for how grassroots organizations can benefit from what TRCP is doing nationally. We can be the boots on the ground for the work that you guys are doing in D.C. and provide feedback on what’s working and what other issues that sportsmen need an advocate for, so that the TRCP can keep making these huge improvements for hunters and anglers.
Bird, Butterfly, Eel, story and paintings by James Prosek
James Prosek is one of the most famous outdoor artists of today, with his very successful books: Trout and Tightlines. His newest book, Bird, Butterfly, Eel, is a children's book that uses the stories of a bird, a butterfly and an eel to talk about animal migrations.
The battle between doing work around the house on the weekend or hitting the stream is one that has been ongoing since the first fishing rod was invented. Thomas Pero's collection of essays, Till Death or Fly Fishing Do Us Part, brings out the comedy in altercations that occur between a flyfishing husband and his wife.
Check out How Your Fellow TRCP Partners Fared this Season
TRCP Vice President for Policy, Terry Riley, recently led a group of youth volunteers in his home state of New Mexico in a project to hang fence markers to help prevent lesser prairie-chickens from flying into them. Research shows that as many as 35 percent of hen lesser prairie-chicken mortalities are caused by fence collisions.
We want your photos. Send photos to info@trcp.org.
Electronic photos only please.
Upon his return from a South American adventure that took him down an unknown river, and which nearly claimed his life, Theodore Roosevelt’s cousin asked him why he had undertaken such a foolhardy trip. Roosevelt replied by saying: “Because it was my last chance to be a boy.”
Teddy with his four sons.
Teddy Roosevelt exhibited a boyish enthusiasm throughout much of his life. As a grown man and President of the United States, he could often be found running through the woods and playing games with his children and the children of his large extended Roosevelt Clan--many who lived in and around Sagamore Hill, on New York’s Long Island.
In Hermann Hagedorn’s book, The Roosevelt Family of Sagamore Hill, he wrote:
“One afternoon, early that July, the President was in the library discussing Cuban reciprocity with a visiting statesman when a group of bareheaded boys in old clothes and sneakers appeared at the doorway, ‘Cousin Theodore,’ said their lanky spokesman, respectfully, ‘it’s after four.’”
“‘By Jove,’ the President exclaimed, ‘so it is! Why didn’t you call me sooner? One of you boys get my rifle.’ A little figure departed itself from the group and ran upstairs. The President turned to his visitor. ‘I must ask you to excuse me. We’ll finish this talk some other time. I promised the boys I’d go shooting with them at four o’clock and I never keep boys waiting. It’s a hard trial for a boy to wait.’ And he was off, with the boys around him, all talking at once. With ‘Cousin Theodore’ this, or ‘Father’ that, until they were out of hearing.’”
I suspect TR understood boys so well, because he was one himself, and anybody who has ever been a boy will understand as well.
