Critter Madness 2016 has come to a close and the elk are your repeat champions! The tournament started with a field of 16 from all over the country representing the best of the best in game species.
Right out of the gate in round one there were heated battles and huge upsets. The Largemouth Bass splashed out of nowhere to stun the number one seeded Brook Trout, last year’s Cinderella story. The elk barreled through the big horn sheep to set up an interesting “west vs. east” matchup in the next round.
The second round, though a bit calmer than the first, was still met with great matchups. The turkeys strutted past their arch upland foes in the pheasants. The Chinook swam past the blue marlin while the Rainbows edged out the largemouth bass by one vote .
The semi-finals showed just how dominant the elk were, breezing past the turkeys and besting all of their opponents by over 543 votes! The rainbows took down the mighty Chinook to become the only non-one seed to make it to the semi-finals or finals.
The final matchup pitted last year’s victor, the mighty elk against the underdog in the rainbow trout. When it came down to it, the trout never had a chance. A valiant effort on the part of anglers everywhere voting for their favorite fish to claim the crown, but they just weren’t strong enough to beat the king of the West!
Thank you to everyone who voted this year and helped us crown the 2016 champion critter!
Critter Madness 2016 has come to a close and the elk are your repeat champions! The tournament started with a field of 16 from all over the country representing the best of the best in game species.
Right out of the gate in round one there were heated battles and huge upsets. The Largemouth Bass splashed out of nowhere to stun the number one seeded Brook Trout, last year’s Cinderella story. The elk barreled through the big horn sheep to set up an interesting “west vs. east” matchup in the next round.
The second round, though a bit calmer than the first, was still met with great matchups. The turkeys strutted past their arch upland foes in the pheasants. The Chinook swam past the blue marlin while the Rainbows edged out the largemouth bass by one vote .
The semi-finals showed just how dominant the elk were, breezing past the turkeys and besting all of their opponents by over 543 votes! The rainbows took down the mighty Chinook to become the only non-one seed to make it to the semi-finals or finals.
The final matchup pitted last year’s victor, the mighty elk against the underdog in the rainbow trout. When it came down to it, the trout never had a chance. A valiant effort on the part of anglers everywhere voting for their favorite fish to claim the crown, but they just weren’t strong enough to beat the king of the West!
Thank you to everyone who voted this year and helped us crown the 2016 champion critter!
The TRCP’s scouting report on sportsmen’s issues in Congress
The Senate will be in session this week, while House members continue to work in their districts until April 12.
Road blocks continue for the bipartisan energy bill. Consideration of the Energy Policy Modernization Act on the Senate floor has once again been pushed to a later date. As you may remember, the bipartisan energy bill was a potential vehicle for a portion of the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act. Senator Murkowski (R-AK) and leadership have been trying to resolve issues stemming from the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and a legislative hold on the bill from Senator Lee (R-UT) since February. The bill has to come to the Senate floor before May, when the Senate will likely turn its attention to appropriations.
Photo courtesy of Library of Congress.
In the meantime, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell decided to move forward with “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2016” (S. 2658). The FAA bill is certainly not a small issue, since it funds air traffic control and other aviation advancements, so it could potentially occupy the Senate floor for weeks, thereby complicating the path forward for the energy bill.
And, speaking of appropriations… Because of the Republican and Democratic conventions at the end of July and the presidential elections in November, Congress has a narrow window to focus on appropriations. This week, various Senate appropriations subcommittees will continue to examine agency budgets, with an eye towards having individual appropriations bills on the Senate floor in May. Reminder: The goal is to pass the 12 individual appropriations bills needed to fund the government, rather than a sweeping omnibus funding package, by September 30 for the first time in—well, a long, long time.
The House is slightly further along than the Senate when it comes to appropriations, and several subcommittees plan to begin marking up their spending bills as early as next week. The Energy and Water appropriations bill is one of the first, and it’s one to watch because 120 House Republicans are requesting that appropriators add a rider to block funding for the Clean Water Rule that sportsmen celebrated last year.
We’ll be scanning for other riders that are bad for fish and wildlife habitat, access, or conservation funding throughout the appropriations process.
It’s ba-ack: An old threat re-emerges to undo sage-grouse conservation. Last year, Congressman Bishop (R-UT), chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, added a greater sage-grouse provision to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in order to give governors veto authority over federal conservation plans aimed at boosting critical greater sage-grouse habitat. Because of good work by lawmakers and sportsmen, the Bishop provision was not included in the NDAA that was eventually signed by the President.
Now, Congressman Bishop has introduced a standalone bill that, while not as sweeping as last year’s efforts, would still potentially jeopardize the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision not to list the sage grouse for Endangered Species Act protection. A mark-up of the bill has yet to be scheduled in the House Natural Resources Committee, but expect a hearing on this issue in the near future. We also anticipate that this provision will be included in the House version of the NDAA, scheduled to be marked up by the Armed Services Committee on April 27.
What We’re Tracking
Budget requests for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and U.S. Forest Service
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Rural development programs and their economic impacts, to be discussed by the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy in a hearing about the U.S. Department of Agriculture initiatives
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Habitat science and research will be on the table in a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on conducting oversight for the U.S. Geological Survey, the agency that collects, monitors, analyzes, and provides scientific understanding about natural resource conditions, issues, and problems.
Water infrastructure and costs, up for debate in a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing
Compassion: A Surprising Ingredient in the Recipe for Cool, Clean Water
Our Oregon field rep hangs up her waders for a high-profile public-speaking opportunity in D.C., where she discovers a spirit of hope for water solutions
Last year, Oregon experienced the worst drought on record, with many adverse effects on our rivers and fish. I saw firsthand the results of drought and dam regulations in my own backyard on the Deschutes River, renowned for its native Redside trout. Water temperatures reached up to 74 degrees as salmon arrived, searching for a cooler refuge from the Columbia River—but the cooler water wasn’t there. The rising water temperatures caused an algae bloom that clung to the banks and rocks. Warm-water macroinvertabrates, such as water skippers, were abundant, but the expected cool-water mayflies and stoneflies were few and far between.
The river I knew was almost unrecognizable.
Access to suitable water resources seems like a human right, but our fish and wildlife have rights to clean, cool water, too. As an angler, I know that salmon, steelhead, and trout need the right water conditions to thrive. While there are some policies in place that begin to help during a drought crisis, we need federal decision-makers to prioritize actions that invest long-term in better water quality for healthy, viable rivers and our outdoor recreation opportunities.
I recently hung up my waders to walk the halls of the Eisenhower building, part of the White House complex, in a navy blue suit. And I felt the energy of change, as people hustled around me.
In celebration of World Water Day, the White House convened a water summit where innovators, policy-makers, advocates, and media were gathered to discuss our country’s water future. I was honored to attend and share my personal connection with water through fishing, especially as one of the only representatives of the sportsmen’s community. I had three minutes to reflect on the importance of considering fish, wildlife, and outdoor opportunities in concert with infrastructure challenges, human consumption, and water use for agriculture and forestry. I talked about the Deschutes and found myself getting choked up as I told the crowd, “When fish lose, we lose.” I guess that was the moment that I really felt the impact of what I’d seen during the drought and dam regulators were drawing the warmer surface water of Lake Billy Chinook
I felt confident and composed, however, when I shared that the TRCP’s petition recognizing serious threats to rivers and streams and calling on federal decision-makers for action has been signed by more than 1,000 sportsmen and women. It was nice to know these kindred spirits were standing with me, in a sense, at the podium.
As the summit came to a close, Pueblo Tribal Councilman Nelson Cordova from Taos, New Mexico, recited a prayer in his native tongue asking for the wisdom, strength, and compassion to deal with our water issues. Compassion, which was the last thing I expected from a D.C. crowd in suits and heels, was certainly what I heard from longtime colleagues, strangers, and local anglers after my speech. I’d shown more emotion than I’d intended, but many people assured me they felt the same way.
If you want to learn more about the changing water conditions on the Deschutes River, click here.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
CONSERVATION WORKS FOR AMERICA
In the last two years, policymakers have committed to significant investments in conservation, infrastructure, and reversing climate change. Hunters and anglers continue to be vocal about the opportunity to create conservation jobs, restore habitat, and boost fish and wildlife populations. Support solutions now.
Right out of the gate in round one there were heated battles and huge upsets. The Largemouth Bass splashed out of nowhere to stun the number one seeded Brook Trout, last year’s Cinderella story. The elk barreled through the big horn sheep to set up an interesting “west vs. east” matchup in the next round.
