Celebrating Achievements of the D.C. Champions of Sportsmen, Conservation, and Wildlife

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April 22, 2015

At TRCP’s seventh annual Capital Conservation Awards Dinner last week, we proudly honored lifelong conservation leader Dr. Steven A. Williams, Senator Lamar Alexander, and Senator Patty Murray for their lasting commitment to real on-the-ground results for sportsmen. The gala event, held at the historic Decatur House, brought together policy makers, conservation advocates, and outdoor industry leaders.

TRCP253_web — Image courtesy of Kristi Odom Photography.

Williams received TRCP’s 2015 Lifetime Conservation Achievement Award for expanding access to sportsmen, addressing climate change, allowing science to guide management, and championing conservation funding throughout his career. He is currently the president of the Wildlife Management Institute and formerly served as director of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service under President George W. Bush. Williams also held leadership positions with wildlife agencies in Kansas, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. “Steve has become the moral compass of the hunting conservation community, a role we hope he won’t relinquish anytime soon,” said TRCP President and CEO Whit Fosburgh in his opening statements last night.

Williams said he’d like to share the honor with the hundreds of collaborators he’s had in more than 30 years of wildlife conservation efforts. “No one gets anything like this done alone, so this award also belongs to them,” he said. “The people in this profession are like family, and it isn’t hard to see why. We all care about the future and where it intersects with nature.”

Sen. Alexander and Sen. Murray were presented with the 2015 James D. Range Conservation Award—named for TRCP’s co-founder and conservation visionary—for their dedication to protecting what sportsmen value in Congress.

TRCP272_web — Image courtesy of Kristi Odom Photography.

Alexander said that part of his job is “reminding our country how much the great outdoors is a part of our American character. Egypt has its pyramids, Italy has its art, and we have the great outdoors.” The third-term senator grew up hunting and fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Indicative of his unrepentant support of conservation, Alexanderbucked 51 of his colleagues to oppose an amendment endorsing the sale of our public lands, during the recent budget resolution process. His award was presented by Representative Mike Simpson of Idaho.

Sen. Murray was the driving force behind last session’s budget deal that ended sequestration and reinvested in conservation, an achievement lauded by Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, who presented her award. “Patty Murray was able to forge real, lasting bipartisan compromises to make sure we didn’t give short shrift to all those things we care about as sportsmen.” Murray spoke about her love of salmon fishing in the Pacific Northwest and the need to renew our efforts for conservation funding. “I’ll keep pushing for robust funding and to keep conservation and sportsmen’s access a top priority, so our children and grandchildren will have the same opportunities I’ve had to fish these unique, beautiful places,” she said.

View more photos from the evening, courtesy of Kristi Odom Photography.

Learn more about the TRCP’s Capitol Conservation Awards.

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by: Jimmy Hague

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Snapshot of Success: Toledo, Ohio

From California to New York, from Montana to Mississippi, hunters and anglers are leading important efforts to improve the quality and quantity of our water resources. The most successful conservation efforts are locally driven with a broad base of support, including federal financial and technical assistance. They honor and respect the traditions of hunting, fishing, farming and ranching while protecting the resources we share.

In a report released on February 26, 2015, the TRCP showcases ten examples of collaborative, sportsmen-led efforts and the importance of federal funding that fuels them. The lessons sportsmen have learned executing these projects tell a convincing story about the need for responsible water management and adequate funding.

Here is lesson eight from Toledo, Ohio:

Healthy Water from Healthy Wetlands: Howard Farms Ohio Coastal Restoration Project

It’s ambitious, but we know this is 100% doable and will have fantastic benefits.

Ohio 2 - USACE — Image courtesy of USACE.

Mistakes of the past reached a boiling point in the summer of 2014 in Toledo, Ohio, where residents were warned against drinking and even bathing in local tap water.

Bright green algae bloomed across Lake Erie, fed by phosphorous- and nitrogen-rich agricultural runoff—causing extremely high levels of microcystin (which can damage the liver) in the water supply. Toxins in the water supply were so bad that fish were dying.

The incident highlights the importance of the Howard Farms Coastal Restoration Project, which is transforming nearly 1,000 acres of farmland along Lake Erie back into its original wetland habitat. The efforts will result in restoring a natural filter for polluted water.

The Challenge

More than 75 years ago, in an effort to cultivate new cropland, the Howard Farms property was drained, ditched, and disconnected from Lake Erie by levees.

As a result, twenty-eight species of fish could no longer spawn there, an important creek channel disappeared, and hundreds of acres of wetland habitat vanished along with their natural ability to cleanse water before it reached Lake Erie.

The Solution

To tackle the problem, Ducks Unlimited and local stakeholders turned to grant funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to restore the property back to its former wetland habitat. Metroparks of the Toledo Area (the local parks agency) previously had bought Howard Farms with the idea of restoring habitat and transforming the agricultural land into a world-class metropark.

What Will Restoration Look Like?

Ohio 1 - Russ Terry, DU — Image courtesy of Russ Terry, Ducks Unlimited.

The project will hydrologically reconnect the property to Lake Erie and restore several hundred acres of coastal emergent wetlands and nearly 7,500 feet of the historic Cedar Creek riverbed. The 28 species of fish now suffering from habitat loss will soon benefit from the restoration, which will make it possible for them to once again migrate from Lake Erie into the wetlands for spawning.

A key part of this project will be installing boardwalks around the land, opening up the wetlands to hunting, fishing and birding. The Toledo area is one of the most popular birding spots in the country, and the Howard Farms restoration project will bring back new opportunity for birders across the country.

What’s Next?

The project’s $2.8 million in grants from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative will be pooled with $1 million from the Ohio Division of Wildlife and an additional $5 million from Metroparks. The plan is to finish designs and hire contractors in early 2015. Habitat restoration and installation of the recreational use amenities will run into 2016.

by: Kristyn Brady

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Big decision for a small gamebird

As 11 Western states anxiously await the end of September, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will decide whether to list the range-wide population of greater sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), good news has emerged from Nevada and California. Today, the agency determined that a smaller population of the majestic western gamebird isolated to these two states was not warranted for listing under the ESA, indicating that, with concerted conservation efforts, a federal listing may be avoided.

greater-sage-grouse-web-blm-oregon-Jeannie-Stafford-USFWS — Image courtesy of Jeannie Stafford/USFWS.

The decision comes after months of proactively planning a combination of regulatory and voluntary measures on federal, state, and private land to assure the birds’ future. “Today’s decision is great news for this population of sage-grouse and all the stakeholders who rolled up their sleeves and demonstrated that the states can work with the federal government to achieve a positive outcome,” says Miles Moretti, president and CEO of the Mule Deer Foundation. “We’re poised to get the same result for the remaining populations of sage-grouse, if we stay the course and don’t back away from strong conservation efforts that will benefit allsagebrush-dependent species.”

The Service must decide whether to list the broader, range-wide population by September 30, 2015. Sagebrush ecosystems that support sage-grouse are also critically important to more than 350 species of plants and animals, including mule deer, pronghorns, and elk.

“The same regulatory assurances and proactive voluntary measures that have helped prevent the listing of this bi-state population are exactly what we need in the rest of the sage-grouse’s range,” says Steve Williams, president of the Wildlife Management Institute and former director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Ultimately, the decision to list the range-wide population will end up in a federal court, and unless the state and BLM plans and assurances can be defended by the Service, a judge may rule that the sage-grouse must be listed,” Williams adds.

Nearly half of the nation’s remaining sagebrush habitat lies on federal public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, and conservation measures in that agency’s new resource management plans will likely carry a lot of weight in the September 2015 decision. Private and state lands, however, are also vital to the birds’ future, and the ESA listing decision will hinge on strong state conservation plans.

“Governors simply cannot take their foot off the gas now,” says Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO of the TRCP. “They must finalize solid plans for their states and support federal plans in order to avoid a listing later this fall. We need their leadership to embrace change, conservation, and a newly defined future for sagebrush ecosystems.”

Policy makers in Washington enacted a rider in the recently passed budget bill stating that FWS cannot “write or issue” listing rules for four grouse species, and new bills are being developed to propose delaying a listing decision by 6 to 10 years. “Politicians seeking to drag out the September 2015 deadline for listing greater sage-grouse were sent a strong message today—putting in the hard work now will pay off in the long run,” says Fosburgh. “The necessary assurances for state and federal plans don’t require 6 to 10 years to result in a positive outcome. By buckling down, stakeholders in California and Nevada have shown us a path forward for the rest of the western states.”

by: Jimmy Hague

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April 21, 2015

Snapshot of Success: Syracuse, New York

Here is lesson seven from Syracuse, New York:

“Freaks” Breathe New Life Into Beartrap Creek: The Beartrap Creek Restoration Project

014 — Image courtesy of Central New York Chapter of Izaak Walton League.

It all started 25 years ago when retired chemist Les Monostory discovered an unusual problem in Syracuse’s Beartrap Creek. While testing water as a volunteer with the Central New York Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America, Monostory found extreme levels of chemical glycol in the water. The glycol depleted the water’s oxygen and suffocated fish. In fact, the water quality was so bad only bacteria could survive. After months of regular testing, Monostory traced the glycol contamination to de-icing fluid runoff from the nearby Syracuse Hancock International Airport.

Monostory’s discovery turned into a passion to clean up the filthy Beartrap Creek, a critical tributary to Lake Onondaga that formerly supported a healthy trout population.

“It’s not just a matter of cleaning up an eyesore in our community, it’s a matter of doing our part to clean the river in order for fish to survive and use it,” Monostory says. “That’s our responsibility and we’re proud to live up to it.”

022 — Image courtesy of Central New York Chapter of Izaak Walton League.

Joined by volunteers of self-described “creek freaks” and armed with federal grant funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the Izaak Walton League created the Beartrap Creek Restoration Project. Volunteers from the local Izaak Walton Chapter decided to adopt Beartrap Creek as their primary stream restoration project, and cleaned out trash and debris by enlisting support fromlocal town and county officials.

What Happened

Monostory’s discovery forced Hancock International Airport to install a facility to treat de-icing fluid runoff onsite. Still not satisfied with cleanup efforts, Monostory and his fellow Creek Freaks went to work rehabilitating the creek and its water. They stopped local snowplows from their practice of shoving dirty piles of snow into the creek, which littered the area with debris. They got volunteers with heavy equipment to rebuild entire sections of the creek bottom and trout spawning beds. Today, brown trout are migrating to Onondaga Lake through Beartrap Creek for the first time in more than two decades.

What’s Next

The local Izaak Walton League plans to use what’s left of its original federal grant to begin the second phase of the project in the summer of 2015. This phase will add additional habitat improvement structures along the lower Mattydale section of Beartrap Creek.

by: Jimmy Hague

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April 20, 2015

Snapshot of Success: Cascade County, Montana

Here is lesson six from Cascade County, Montana:

Building Trust With a Smart Solution in Montana: Improving Fort Shaw Irrigation District Water Efficiency

image (1) — Image courtesy of Sun River Watershed Group.

The most valuabletreasureinthe famed Treasure State doesn’t come from any mine.

“Water is liquid gold,” says Laura Ziemer of Trout Unlimited in Montana. “It’s a scarce resource we cannot live without, and we overcame our disagreements to protect it.”

Ziemer is referring to a unique partnership that uses federal WaterSMART dollars to rehabilitate irrigation infrastructure and water use along the Sun River.

The Challenge

For years, agricultural pollution and erosion along the Sun River bred animosity and mistrust among local landowners, irrigators and ranchers. As tensions neared a tipping point, stakeholders instead turned their attention away from each other and toward a much more formidable enemy: water scarcity.

image (2) — Image courtesy of Sun River Watershed Group.

The new partnership to improve water usage along the Sun River began as the Muddy Creek Task Force. Members took on the challenge of restoring the polluted Muddy Creek, which dumped millions of tons of sediment into the Sun River. The Task Force eventually became the Sun River Watershed Group, a group of locals who laid the foundation for dealing with water rights issues, improving fish habitat and restoring water flow. Today, the Sun River Watershed Group provides an open forum to discuss conservation, resources and information about land management and voluntary conservation projects.

With funding from the WaterSMART program and the Coca-Cola Company, Trout Unlimited and local ranchers and landowners worked together to successfully rebuild irrigation systems, increasing water flow and restoring native fish habitat in the Sun River.

How It Worked

Two WaterSMART grants awarded in 2012 and 2013, combined with state, local and private funding and in-kind contributions, funded the program to improve habitat for wild trout and improve irrigation—especially during times of drought. The grants helped pay for:

A new bypass canal and pipe for water delivery
2,000 feet of new lined canal and 2,310 feet of PVC pipe
Efficient new center-pivot irrigation systems

As a result, almost 10,000 acre-feet of conserved irrigation water will be protected and managed each year to restore flows to the Sun River for the life of the project.

What’s Next

Project leaders hope the Sun River project will serve a model for the restoration of other river basins. The significant size of the project, which involved 177 individual users, will be used as a template for even larger multi-user areas.