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Today, the National Drought Resilience Partnership (NDRP) will bring stakeholders together at the U.S. Department of the Interior for the White House Drought Symposium, made possible with the support of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP). Nearly 40 diverse stakeholder groups will be represented to discuss the federal government’s role in building drought resilience into our water management systems and the steps that federal agencies should take to forestall future drought crises. Sportsmen hope the event will result in concrete steps that the federal government can take on drought planning and 21st century approaches to water conservation that will benefit fish, wildlife, and all Americans.
“The ongoing drought crisis creates a unique opportunity to change our water management systems so they are more resilient against future threats,” said Jimmy Hague, the TRCP’s Center for Water Resources director. “The groups gathered at the symposium have a track record of implementing innovative and effective projects on the ground to improve water resources and preserve working lands, and I’m confident that our input will set the stage for federal actions for years to come.”
Sportsmen will urge the administration to advance widely-supported conservation and water-efficiency measures to meet water demands while protecting and restoring the healthy river flows that ensure access to quality fish habitat. Hunting and angling stakeholders will also call for a renewed commitment and creative approaches to conservation funding.
“As brutal drought conditions continue throughout the West, cooperation among agricultural producers, conservation interests, and municipal users is essential,” said Laura Ziemer, Trout Unlimited’s senior counsel and water policy advisor. “We appreciate the opportunity to participate in the symposium and provide recommendations based on our work with farmers and ranchers in California, the Klamath Basin, the Yakima River Basin, and the Colorado River Basin to improve irrigation systems in a way that provides drought resilience for water supplies and fisheries.”
“The Nature Conservancy supports a proactive approach to achieve healthy ecosystems and related economies in the face of drought,” said Doug Robotham, water policy director for The Nature Conservancy. “We are working with these partners to find common ground and new ways to be more efficient and effective with the water we have and ensure that we will have the water we need for years to come. California’s severe drought or that which has affected the Colorado River Basin for the last 15 years, and which may be the worst in the last 1,200 years, demand flexible and innovative approaches to meeting the fresh water needs of cities, farms, and wildlife. We are all in this together.”
Other TRCP partners in attendance will include the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. For examples of the good work these groups are doing on water projects in local communities, see our Snapshots of Success report.
We’re kicking off our fifth annual Saltwater Media Summit this week at ICAST, the world’s largest sportfishing trade show. We’re bringing together lawmakers, thought leaders, and journalists to discuss today’s most pressing saltwater angling issues.
Want some more background on the issues that we’ll be tackling? We’ve got you covered.
Check out some of these resources on red snapper management, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and Gulf Coast restoration.
Want to learn more about our Saltwater Media Summit? Check out our preview here and check back in for daily recaps, photos from the show floor, and much more!
How do you measure a quality day on the water? By total fish caught? By your biggest catch? By how many hours were spent alongside friends and family?
What about in dollars and cents?
You may not realize the dramatic impact your recreational fishing dollars have on the U.S. economy—each year, the dollars you spend on fishing boats, guides, and gear generates $115 billion in economic activity. Saltwater anglers account for $70 billion of that. This money goes to support conservation and great public access to fishing and creates thousands of jobs that support coastal communities all across the country.
That’s why we chose to host our fifth annual Saltwater Media Summit at ICAST, the world’s largest fishing trade show, where media and business leaders can experience the full economic might of the recreational fishing industry. We’re gathering science and policy experts in Orlando, Florida, to show members of the media that important saltwater conservation issues—like red snapper management, reauthorization of the country’s major marine fisheries law, and Gulf Coast restoration—are impacting our local economies just as much as our access to quality fishing.
Want to know how $18.7 billion dollars in restoration dollars will be spent? Are you and your readers frustrated with short recreational seasons for Gulf red snapper? Do you wonder what Washington lawmakers could be doing to protect your saltwater fishing access? Our experts will discuss all that and more. We’ll be providing updates throughout the week, so follow the #TRCPSummit hashtag on Twitter, or stay tuned to Facebook and the blog for more information. To find us at ICAST, contact Kristyn Brady via email.
We wouldn’t be able to break big conservation stories at ICAST without the help of our generous sponsors. We’d like to thank Bass Pro Shops, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, NOAA Fisheries, Costa, Patagonia, Pure Fishing, the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, Yamaha, the American Sportfishing Association, and the National Marine Manufacturers Association. Check out a full listing of our sponsors right here.
The TRCP’s scouting report on sportsmen’s issues in Congress
Both the House and the Senate will be in session this week.
Last week in the House, the Fiscal 2016 Interior Appropriations bill was yanked from the floor after debate over the Confederate flag became rancorous. It is not clear when (or if) the bill will come back to the House floor, with just six legislative weeks until the end of fiscal year 2015. The House also easily cleared H.R. 2647, the Resilient Federal Forest Act of 2015, last week in a 262-167 vote. The path forward for forestry legislation in the Senate is still unclear, although several hearings will occur this week in that chamber. Both the House and the Senate have now named their respective members of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference committee, which is expected to complete its work prior to the August recess. The House version of the NDAA includes harmful sage grouse language, and President Obama has threatened to veto the bill.
On the Floor
This week, the Senate is expected to complete consideration of legislation reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (S.1177), which appears likely to consume the balance of the week’s proceedings on the floor.
This week on the House floor, discussion with center around a California drought bill, HR 2898, authored by Rep. David Valadao (R-CA). There is no other major legislation on the House floor, but according to Majority Leader McCarthy, other items are possible.
The Week in Full:
Wednesday, July 15
Thursday, July 16
Theodore Roosevelt’s experiences hunting and fishing certainly fueled his passion for conservation, but it seems that a passion for coffee may have powered his mornings. In fact, Roosevelt’s son once said that his father’s coffee cup was “more in the nature of a bathtub.” TRCP has partnered with Afuera Coffee Co. to bring together his two loves: a strong morning brew and a dedication to conservation. With your purchase, you’ll not only enjoy waking up to the rich aroma of this bolder roast—you’ll be supporting the important work of preserving hunting and fishing opportunities for all.
$4 from each bag is donated to the TRCP, to help continue their efforts of safeguarding critical habitats, productive hunting grounds, and favorite fishing holes for future generations.
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