Reflections on Salmonflies, Big Trout, and Winter Range

The author, TRCP’s Western conservation communications manager, remembers how a day of good Spring fishing can reveal the importance of intact habitats and healthy winter range for big game

Salmonflies, big as hummingbirds, flew so close to my head my first reaction was to duck. Alders shook in the breeze that carried the massive stoneflies out over the river, and flycatchers and robins did their best imitations of peregrine falcons as they launched after the orange T-bone steaks. Trout, braving the surface for meals equal to a thousand trico mayflies, gulped and slapped the bugs with such intensity any angler might honestly think a child was throwing rocks into the current. This was a good time to be in the Lolo National Forest, an opportunity my buddy James and I wouldn’t miss.

Still needing to cling to the streamside willows, I worked my way from eddy to eddy where rocks interrupted the flow. My size 10 skinny salmonfly buoyed a size 10 black stonefly pattern that probed below. The first fish was a foot-long rainbow on the edge of a glide. She must’ve known her cousins just to the west in Idaho make annual trips to the sea and she was inspired by them. Going airborne and catching the current twice, the trout fought above her weight class, and I thanked her as she kicked back into the shallows after I freed the hook.

The T-bone steak of the dry fly world: the salmonfly.

The Lolo National Forest stretches across 2 million acres of western Montana. This landscape offers vital habitat for elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, and moose, and invaluable, intact cold-water systems home to native fish like bull trout and Westslope cutthroat as well as wild rainbow, brown, and brook trout. These millions of acres support innumerable recreation and commercial opportunities that provide thousands of jobs in local communities.

As with all National Forests, land management plans must be updated periodically, and the Lolo’s has not been revised in over two decades. In that time, new challenges have arisen that must be addressed, including increased outdoor recreation, the growing presence of noxious weeds, and the impacts of decades of fire suppression combined with hotter, drier weather. And with burgeoning exurban development, winter and transitional ranges for elk and deer continue to fragment on neighboring private lands.

A mature brown trout released back into the cold waters of the Lolo National Forest.

The brown missed the nymph on my first float. I could see the fish turn, but when I lifted the rod there was nothing. I bit the inside of my cheek and told myself to wait. The flies smacked the rock and began their second drift. I saw the trout come unstuck again, and when the top fly disappeared, I was connected.

Then I ran downstream.

The brute rode the swift water down. I tried to turn the brown and grinned at myself for foolishly not using 3x. The fish worked below me, but made a poor choice to head back upstream, fighting both the current and me. James netted the exhausted trout, and we admired the golden sides void of talon marks and a mouth uncut by tippet or hooks. An unlikely, unscathed mature fish returned to the river.

As we climbed the bank to continue to the next run, we saw the old scat of wintering elk, pellets a chalky brown under the ponderosa pines. A few of their tracks were still caught in the path where mud dried a month or more ago. Their presence a reminder that our feet could carry us from the river to the peaks of the Bob Marshall Wilderness, all on contiguous public land.

A top priority for TRCP is to ensure the Lolo recognizes that in the decades since the existing forest plans were finalized, several important big game migrations and winter ranges for elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep in western Montana have been identified.

The Lolo is currently in the process of updating its land use plan, and engaged hunters and anglers will have upcoming opportunities this year to speak up for a successful planning outcome that conserves important big game and fisheries habitats and maintains special places for outdoor recreation. A top priority for TRCP is to ensure the Lolo recognizes that in the decades since the existing forest plans were finalized, several important big game migrations and winter ranges for elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep in western Montana have been identified.

Over 2,000 elk roam the Blackfoot and Clearwater watersheds. These herds mostly calve and spend their summers in the Bob Marshall and Scapegoat Wilderness areas at the northernmost reaches of the Lolo. As winter dumps feet of snow in the high meadows, the elk drop down onto private, state, and Bureau of Land Management land along the rivers.

The Forest Service must incorporate the latest science, utilize the best-available conservation tools, and prioritize coordination with other stakeholders to safeguard big game corridors and winter range as the agency initiates the forest plan revision process for these public lands.

Winter range in the Lolo National Forest.

The day turned to evening and we made our way back to the vehicle. Drained from fighting the water and cobble, we trudged toward the fantasy of pizza and burgers once we made it back to town.

Then the pool came into view.

The current hugged the large bolder like an old friend. It was a place that a trout would feel safe and happy: depth, a bubble line buffet, and the barrier of a rock field to keep most anglers away.

But we braved the rock field and James worked the bubble line until his salmonfly was pulled under by the great-grandma of the rainbow I caught earlier. Rod doubled over, he climbed the rock over and back as the trout couldn’t decide which way to run. Finally, she settled in the shallows, and I returned the favor of netting the fish for my friend. Already recovered from the spawn, the fish was strong and turning silver, with a pink cheek clinging to the spring cold.

Swallows had filled the air, chasing a hatch of mayflies upstream. Beyond them were grassy parks that in the evening would welcome mule deer and elk, all of them feeding and moving higher.

Photos courtesy of James Wicks

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by: Alex Funk

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

September 17, 2024

Sporting Groups Unite Around Policy Recommendations to Strengthen Wetlands Conservation Efforts

Conserving wetlands and streams is critical to the hunting and angling community.

Today, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, along with valued partners representing sporting and conservation interests released its Sporting Community Wetland and Stream Platform which outlines several policy recommendations seeking to strengthen federal wetland conservation efforts.

Conserving wetlands and streams is critical to the hunting and angling community. Wetlands and streams provide crucial public benefits, including supporting fish and wildlife habitat, helping to recharge water supplies, reducing flood impacts, and enhancing water quality. Yet, wetlands and streams are at risk more than ever. The most recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Wetlands Status and Trends Report finds that more than half of wetlands in the lower 48 states are gone, and loss rates have increased by 50 percent since 2009. Additionally, the recent loss of federal protections for many wetlands and streams has made it much more difficult for federal agencies to safeguard some of our most vulnerable waters from pollution and destruction. Without additional conservation actions to protect these ecosystems, wetland loss will likely continue, reducing ecosystem benefits for people and habitat for fish and wildlife.

These waters provide habitat for more than half of North American waterfowl, critical spawning grounds for salmon and trout, and drinking water for millions of people.

Given these challenges, the sporting and conservation community acknowledges that lifting up federal and state wetland and stream conservation efforts will be important. Our platform includes recommendations for action by both Congress and federal agencies. “With these recommendations, we intend to unite and amplify the voices of hunters, anglers, and conservationists whose outdoor traditions depend on conserving wetlands and streams,” said Alex Funk, Director of Water Resources at the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “TRCP is eager to work with partners to advance these recommendations while working to secure long-term protections for our country’s wetlands and streams.

“Conservation and restoration of wetlands and tributary streams are essential to securing safe drinking water for all Americans, fighting the climate crisis, and providing essential habitat for fish and wildlife,” said Jared Mott, Conservation Director of Izaak Walton League of America. “These recommendations are a helpful roadmap for limiting alarming declines in the number and productivity of these ecosystems in the face of the elimination of longstanding Clean Water Act protections. The League is proud to collaborate with our partners and announce these proactive steps we must take to save the nation’s wetlands and waterways and ensure a future with clean water.”

Photo Credit: Christian Fritschi

“Hunters and anglers understand that wildlife rely on healthy, abundant water bodies. Last year, the Supreme Court unwisely removed longstanding protections for many streams, wetlands and floodplains – leaving them vulnerable to pollution and destruction,” said Glenn Watkins, Senior Policy Specialist of Water Resources at National Wildlife Federation. “While a full restoration of federal protections is needed to safeguard our waters, this platform lays out commonsense actions Congress and federal agencies can take in the meantime,” said Abby Tinsley, vice president for conservation policy at the National Wildlife Federation. “These measures will help support healthy populations of ducks, fish and other game species while protecting drinking water supplies and reducing flooding.”

Read the full suite of recommendations and policy platform HERE.

The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.

by: Zach Bodhane

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

September 11, 2024

House Committee on Natural Resources Hears Testimony on Conserving Wildlife Migration Corridors

Hearing highlighted bipartisan legislation aimed at formalizing migration conservation programs that provide financial and technical assistance to states, Tribes, and private landowners

This week, the House Committee on Natural Resources conducted a hearing that included the bipartisan, bicameral Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act led by Senator Padilla (D-Calif.), Senator Hoeven (R-N.D.), Congressman Zinke (R-Mont.) and Congressman Beyer (D-Va.).

“Successful migration conservation requires collaboration between local, state, Tribal and federal governments, private landowners, and the NGO community,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “This legislation would authorize existing federal programs that support locally driven, collaborative conservation projects that restore and conserve the most important areas wildlife need to migrate and move to fulfill their lifecycle needs. TRCP thanks Senator Padilla, Senator Hoeven, Representative Zinke, and Representative Beyer for their leadership on this critically important, bipartisan legislation.”

The Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act would formally authorize existing federal programs initiated by the Department of the Interior during the Trump Administration through Secretarial Order 18-3362, to conserve big game migration corridors. These crucial programs have been supported and expanded by the Biden Administration but remain discretionary. Congressional action to formalize these discretionary programs would guarantee that the work will persist regardless of future administration changes. This is important because state and Tribal wildlife agency annual budgets are unable to meet the full demand for resource management. The financial and technical assistance from these federal programs would help to bridge that gap.

The bill seeks to expand the scope of existing work to support corridor conservation efforts nationwide for a wider range of species and provides Congress the opportunity to support collaborative partnerships, policies, and funding to advance the research and conservation of migration corridors and seasonal habitat.

The legislation would:

– Establish the Wildlife Movement and Migration Corridor Program at the Department of the Interior, to be administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, to fund projects that improve or conserve habitat quality in movement areas including habitat treatment projects, fence modification, and wildlife crossings.

– Establish a State and Tribal Migration Research Program at the Department of the Interior to provide funds directly to state fish and wildlife agencies and Tribes for research that improves understanding of wildlife movement and migration routes.

– Allow for funds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program to provide technical and financial assistance to private landowners undertaking voluntary conservation projects that support wildlife movement and migration routes on their land.

– Support the U.S. Geological Survey’s Corridor Mapping Team to provide technical assistance to states and Tribes to map priority routes.

During the hearing, witnesses demonstrated broad support for the bill:

“CSF is proud to support this vital legislation, and we are excited to see a thoughtful and locally driven approach to the ecologically critical topic of wildlife migration and movement and overall landscape connectivity,” said Taylor Schmitz, Federal Relations Director with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. “Advancing this legislation will not only support wildlife, but also, sportsmen and women, state and federal agencies, tribes, and interested private landowners.”

“The Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act extends the benefits of successful existing federal programs to more wildlife, and more states,” said Mike Leahy, Senior Director of Wildlife, Hunting and Fishing Policy with the National Wildlife Federation. “Important terrestrial wildlife migrations and movements for a wide range of species are at risk throughout the country, so this bill provides an opportunity for states and tribes and communities throughout the US. to receive grants, research funds, or technical support.”

Learn more about migration corridors HERE

Photo Credit: USFWS

by: Dan Morgan

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

August 30, 2024

New BLM Solar Plans Seek to Balance Conservation and Renewable Energy Goals

Hunting, fishing organizations welcome a responsible approach to solar energy development on public lands

Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published the Final Programmatic EIS and Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendments that would support an updated siting and permitting framework across 11 western states for management of utility-scale solar energy development on public lands. The plans would allow development near existing and planned transmission lines and on previously disturbed lands, all while avoiding important fish and wildlife habitat, cultural and Tribal resources, and recreational opportunities.

“Trout populations throughout the West face many challenges, not the least of which is climate change and land uses that place additional stress on shrinking native and wild trout habitat. While the plan does not include specific criteria for important fish habitat, we are encouraged that the exclusions would preclude development in areas subject to conservation agreements, such as habitat for many native trout species,” said Tasha Sorensen, Western Energy Lead with Trout Unlimited. “We look forward to working with the BLM to implement this important safeguard appropriately and ensure renewable energy development balanced with the protection and restoration of wild and native trout.”

“As the country grapples with the need to meet energy demands, it’s crucial to approach the development of solar energy with the perspective that wildlife and solar can coexist on the landscape,” said Joel Webster, interim Chief Conservation Officer for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “TRCP appreciates refinements made by the BLM to the Western Solar Plan that will help maintain seasonal habitats that are crucially important for the West’s big game herds.”

“Our nation’s public lands are at the center of our outdoor traditions, providing countless opportunities for sportsmen and women. We thank the BLM for taking into consideration the importance of intact wildlife habitat, including migration corridors, in their final Western Solar Plan,” said Kaden McArthur, Government Relations Manager for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. “Doing so will ensure that as our country continues to develop energy, we avoid detriments to treasured public resources like our wildlife.”

“Renewable energy buildout on public lands must be thoughtful, cautious and informed, ensuring that we conserve important wildlife habitat, protect hunting and fishing opportunities, and avoid impacts to cultural and Indigenous resources, as we strive for cleaner energy.” said Bailey Brennan, Public Lands Counsel with the National Wildlife Federation. “The BLM’s improved approach to siting and permitting solar development will help achieve these goals, balancing public lands’ many uses.”

Publication of the proposed final resource management plan amendments initiates a 30-day protest period running through September 30. The BLM anticipates finalizing the plan before the end of the year.

Read the Big Game Guidelines for Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Solar Development by clicking HERE

The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.