Flying for the Future of the Lolo

October 6, 2025

TRCP’s Montana field manager shares a bird’s-eye view of the Lolo National Forest with diverse stakeholders

As our small group boarded the single-prop, six-seater plane at the Missoula airport, wildfire smoke hung low over the airfield casting a hazy veil across the valley. Still, we hoped for a clear view of the Lolo National Forest.

This was the first of two morning aerial tours organized by TRCP in partnership with EcoFlight, a nonprofit based in Aspen, Colorado. EcoFlight’s mission is to use small aircraft to provide a powerful aerial perspective of public lands, watersheds, and places communities value across the West. On this flight, our focus was the Lolo National Forest, which is currently undergoing a land-use management plan revision. The decisions made in this process will ripple across western Montana, affecting hunters, anglers, and everyone who values, recreates, and makes their living on this incredible swath of public land.

As we rolled onto one of MSO’s massive runways, our headsets crackled to life and conversations began. I was struck by the diversity of perspectives onboard. We had county commissioners, a wildlife biologist, two foresters, and an employee from a foundation that has been heavily involved in wildlife highway crossings in Montana and the West. Each person brought valuable insight to the discussion, and I felt fortunate that such a thoughtful group had been assembled.

Once airborne, we excitedly pointed out familiar landmarks and places we’ve hunted, fished, logged, and camped. We saw areas used for cattle grazing, recreation, and big game winter range. From above, it was easy to recognize the many uses and interests the Forest supports, along with the thousands of local jobs the forest supports. We also talked about the growing pressures facing the Lolo, including increased recreation, rapid development in the wildland-urban interface, and the fragmentation of critical winter habitat for wildlife.

Our flight path followed the Clark Fork River to Sixmile Creek, a key wildlife crossing site along I-90. From there, we flew over Fish Creek, the Petty-Sawmill commercial timber project, and the backcountry areas of Cache Creek, Burdette Creek, and Garden Point. As we traced Lolo Creek back to the Bitterroot Valley, we saw examples of multi-use management including logging, fire scars, mining activity, and popular trailheads used for berry picking and fall hunting. Near the town of Lolo, we observed a well-known wildlife corridor between the Sapphire and Bitterroot Mountains. Finally, we ended our flight over Marshall and Woody Mountains, where recreation and wildlife habitat overlapped, each contributing to the broader landscape.

From the air, it was clear just how ecologically vital and culturally significant these landscapes are. We saw big game winter range, managed forests, and coldwater fisheries that anchor Montana’s outdoor and stewardship traditions. We agreed that the revised forest plan must strike a balance: conserve habitat connectivity and public access while also supporting sustainable forest management. A wildlife underpass at Sixmile could reduce vehicle collisions and conserve a known migration route that links the Glacier-Crown of the Continent ecosystem in the north with the Selway, the Frank Church, and the Greater Yellowstone to the south. The aerial perspective made it clear how interconnected these areas are and how thoughtful planning can conserve them for generations to come.

Looking ahead, the Forest Service is expected to release the Draft Environmental Impact Statement in fall 2025, outlining proposed alternatives for the Lolo land-use management plan revision. Once released, the DEIS will kick off a formal public comment period, giving hunters, anglers, and all public land users a chance to weigh in on the future of this important landscape.

Stay tuned. We’ll share updates as soon as the comment period opens.

If you’re a hunter, angler, or anyone who values Montana’s public lands, this revision will shape how the Lolo is managed for decades to come. Let’s ensure the plan revision reflects the values we hold dear: thriving wildlife habitat and connectivity across the landscape, clean and cold water, and sustainable uses that support hunting, fishing, and our local economies.

Learn more about the Lolo National Forest HERE.

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by: Jaclyn Higgins

posted in: Hunting & Fishing Access

October 1, 2025

Can the Gulf Menhaden Fishery Reduce Redfish Bycatch?

TRCP breaks down the final results of a 2024 Gulf menhaden bycatch study, which reveals multiple ways to protect redfish and other sportfish

Louisiana’s Gulf menhaden fishery is the second largest fishery in the country, with harvests of nearly 1 billion pounds of these critical forage fish annually. And this comes at a cost. As TRCP recently reported, state-funded research shows that the two companies that harvest Gulf menhaden, also known as “pogies,” are catching and killing nearly 150 million non-target fish each year as bycatch, including 30,000 redfish and hundreds of thousands of other pogy predators like spotted seatrout (speckled trout), black drum, and jack crevalle, as well as 25-million-plus sand seatrout, commonly called white trout.

For Louisiana, this matters because redfish (Louisiana’s only saltwater gamefish, also known as red drum) and other sportfish aren’t just any fish — they’re a cornerstone of the state’s $3.7 billion recreational fishing economy. They bring in anglers, fuel guide services, and support local businesses. When redfish are lost as bycatch – especially breeding-size fish – Louisiana loses twice: in terms of the fish themselves and again in terms of lost economic opportunity.

Environmental research company LGL Ecological Research Associates conducted a two-part study during the 2024 pogy fishing season to examine: 1) What species (including red drum) are caught as bycatch in Louisiana’s menhaden reduction fishery, and 2) What happens to released bycatch—i.e. how many fish survive after being caught and released.

TRCP reported on the preliminary results of this work back in July, but now that we have the final results, the public and Louisiana decisionmakers have the data they’ve needed for years to determine how this industrial fishery truly impacts redfish populations in Sportsman’s Paradise, and which bycatch mitigation measures could be effective moving forward to help sustain healthy sportfish populations.

Key Study Findings

Here are some key takeaways of the full report:

Total bycatch (i.e. non‐target species) for the fishery was estimated at 3.59 percent by weight – that’s within state limits but represents about 146 million fish unintentionally caught by the menhaden fishery in a single fishing season. This includes 86 total non-target species.
- “Retained bycatch,” which enters a vessel’s hold to be processed with the pogies, made up approximately 82 percent of the bycatch by weight. Top species in retained bycatch were Atlantic croaker, sand seatrout, spot, white shrimp, hardhead catfish, and gafftopsail catfish.
- For released bycatch, there were two main components: “rollover bycatch” (fish too large to enter a suction hose inside the purse net, which were then rolled out into the water at the end of the set) and “chute bycatch” (fish that passed into the hose but were then blocked by an excluder device and diverted into the water via a chute).
Half of all sets made in 2024 were in less than 15 feet of water.
- Redfish bycatch was more likely to occur in sets made in 0-22 feet of water depth (76 percent of all sets made); deeper than that and redfish bycatch was reduced.
Croaker, sand seatrout, spot, and white shrimp made up 84 percent of all retained bycatch. An estimated 240,000 speckled trout also were caught as retained bycatch, with an average size of 10 inches.
- Recreational speckled trout regulations prohibit harvesting any fish under 13 inches in Louisiana.
Many different types of bycatch excluder devices were used between the 32 vessels operating in the fishery, with some much more effective than others at reducing the number of non-target fish sucked into the hose and destined for the chute or the hold.

Redfish bycatch was more likely to occur in net sets made in less than 22 feet of water depth.

Regarding redfish specifically:

Nearly 45,000 redfish were caught as rollover and chute bycatch, and after survival experiments, nearly 22,000 breeding-size redfish were estimated to die during the season as a result of being caught.
- While 84 percent of redfish remaining in the net as rollover bycatch were estimated to survive, only 2 percent of redfish sucked into the hose and diverted to the chute survived.
- Another approximately 8,300 smaller redfish were caught as retained bycatch, likely all juveniles, all of which died as they ended up in the hold.
- Total redfish mortality (released + retained) was estimated at over 30,000 individuals for the season.
The average redfish size in rollover bycatch was 37 inches, in chute bycatch 35 inches.
- That means these were nearly all fully mature fish. Recreational redfish regulations prohibit harvesting any fish over 27 inches to protect as many spawning-size redfish as possible.
In the late summer through fall months, the likelihood of redfish bycatch increased noticeably, with consistently higher bycatch observed along central and eastern Louisiana, with redfish bycatch peaking from August through October.
- A full 45 to 50 percent of female redfish caught as bycatch in September and October were spawning (i.e., egg-laden and ready to reproduce).

In the late summer and fall, the likelihood of redfish bycatch increased noticeably.

Implications for Decisionmakers – And Louisiana’s Redfish Population

Here’s why Louisiana decisionmakers and anglers should care, and what could be done to reduce the menhaden fishery’s impacts on redfish populations:

Bycatch excluder device design is important. This study underscores that the design of bycatch excluder devices—most importantly, hose cages that prevent larger, non-target fish in the net from experiencing trauma due to entering the suction hose—strongly influences how many mature redfish end up in the more dangerous chute component versus being excluded/rolled over the net while never leaving the water. Of course, handling after capture and before release also affects survival.
- Potential mitigation measure: Require standardized bycatch excluder devices that maximize rollover release and minimize chute mortality.
Released bycatch mortality is non‐trivial. Even though many redfish caught as bycatch are released, for chute‐released individuals survival is extremely low (about 2 percent). For rollover, survival is far better. But because both methods are used, total mortality from released plus retained bycatch is sizable (approximately 30,000 redfish in 2024 alone). That’s a meaningful number, especially considering this happens each year.
- Potential mitigation measure: Address redfish retention and harvest by the menhaden fishery via current commercial regulations (redfish commercial harvest has technically been prohibited in the state for nearly 40 years).
Where and when the fishery operates matters. The study showed that bycatch levels aren’t uniform: amounts vary greatly by time of year, by location, by vessel/plant, etc. for different species. This suggests there is potential to reduce harm to species like redfish by reducing pogy boat efforts in certain areas and at specific times.
- Potential mitigation measure: Explore locational/seasonal restrictions in hotspots where redfish bycatch has been shown to be highest, such as during the August to October redfish spawning season in central and eastern Louisiana, particularly in shallower, near-shore waters.
Additional oversight can help. Louisiana already has some pogy regulations to address bycatch—no more than 5 percent of catch by weight for species other than menhaden and herring-like species, and buffer zones to reduce bycatch in shallow water—but clearly more could be done to evaluate ecosystem impacts moving forward.
- Potential mitigation measure: Continue monitoring bycatch in future fishing seasons (observer coverage and/or electronic monitoring) and update enforcement quality.

Bottom Line

This study shows that bycatch (both retained and released) in Louisiana’s pogy fishery is a significant fraction of total catch, at more than 146 million fish annually.
Redfish are one of the primary species caught as bycatch, and while many are released, survival depends heavily on how they are released (rollover vs. chute).
- Of those fish, many that are retained with menhaden in the hold haven’t ever spawned and never will, and many that are caught in the chute and eventually die are mature, and possibly actively spawning.
Speckled trout caught by the fishery mainly end up in the hold, with over 240,000 mostly juvenile individuals retained annually by the fishery.

While recreational fishing accounts for most of the redfish harvest in Louisiana, bycatch from the industrial menhaden fishery still kills tens of thousands of redfish each year, along with millions of other fish including speckled trout, white trout, Atlantic croaker, and cownose rays. Unlike recreational harvest, these deaths produce no economic return for Louisiana – they’re simply waste. In addition, the industry is clearly commercially harvesting species that are either illegal to harvest commercially or are under regulations that don’t seem to apply to the menhaden fishery’s activities.

The science is clear: with better bycatch reduction gear and data-based locational/seasonal catch considerations, much of this loss could be avoided. By addressing menhaden bycatch from multiple possible angles, Louisiana can protect the sportfish central to its culture and economy, reduce unnecessary waste, and ensure our coastal ecosystems provide abundance for future generations of anglers.

More information about the ecological and recreational importance of Gulf menhaden is available on TRCP’s Forage Fish Recovery Page.

Banner image courtesy Pat Ford Photography

by: Tristan Henry

posted in: Hunting & Fishing Access

September 24, 2025

Support the Best Rocky Mountain Elk Habitat in Oregon and Washington

Hunters and anglers can now comment on the Blue Mountains National Forest Plan Revision

The U.S. Forest Service is revising the forest plan that guides management across the Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests. This plan will shape wildlife habitat management, public access, grazing leases, timber harvest, and some of Oregon and Washington’s most valuable hunting and fishing opportunities on more than 5 million acres of public lands for the next 20 years or more. As the Oregon field representative for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, I am no stranger to days spent chasing elk across the ridges and valleys of the Blue Mountains. I’ve shared these forests with the unforgettable smiles of first-time hunters harvesting wild turkeys, and I watched my young pup lock up on his very first blue grouse in a late summer meadow in the Blues.

These memories and experiences are why hunters and anglers should weigh in and ask the USFS to revise the forest plan in a manner that balances quality fish and wildlife habitat, hunting and fishing opportunities, and local economies that depend on these public lands.

The Forest Service is accepting public comments until October 6 on their proposal to revise the Blue Mountains Nation Forest Plan. Hunters and anglers can make a difference by supporting intact habitats, strong local economies, and lasting outdoor traditions. We have provided a sample comment for your convenience below.

SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS HERE BY OCTOBER 6!

Comment Now

Sample Comment:

The Blue Mountains are nationally recognized for their importance to hunters and anglers, and many rural communities are economically tied to the resources they provide. I ask the U.S. Forest Service to include in the Draft Plan a balanced management approach to sustain quality fish and wildlife habitat, hunting and fishing opportunities, and local economies that depend on these public lands.

To achieve this, please consider analyzing and including a management alternative that includes the following:

Elk habitat and security goals for each watershed to ensure elk remain on public lands during the hunting season and beyond.
Active management projects to improve fish and wildlife habitat. These projects can include timber harvest, thinning, prescribed fire, invasive weed management, and riparian restoration so long as they provide ecological benefits.
Desired conditions and guidelines that provide for improved elk habitat security while ensuring continued adequate road access for hunters, anglers, landowners, private companies, and agency staff. This balance will ensure active management and needed access for firefighting activities while improving elk security based on the best available science to maintain quality hiding cover that is at least ½ mile from open roads during key periods of the year.

A draft plan that analyzes and incorporates elk security, increases active management, and thoughtfully manages the needs of access will sustain hunting opportunities, reduce private-land conflicts, and help this landscape continue to deliver for Oregon’s sportsmen, Tribes, and rural communities. The need is clear to revise this forest plan that is over 30 years old to better address changes in economic, social, and ecological conditions. Thank you for taking steps forward to revise the plan.

SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS HERE BY OCTOBER 6!

Access Matters. So Does Habitat Management for Big Game

Roads are essential for recreation, active management, firefighting, and ranching and logging operations. That’s why land management plans like this are so important to ensure local economies can continue to thrive and crucial active management can occur while providing times and places where big game can rest and feed with less disturbance, particularly during hunting seasons.

When security is missing from public lands, elk move to private lands. This simple act reduces hunting opportunities on public lands and increases conflicts between big game and landowners. The Blue Mountains support one of the largest elk herds in the West, and hunters and anglers should work with the Forest Service to help shape a new forest plan that manages habitat to ensure quality elk habitat, including elk security. Hunters, anglers, public land managers, and landowners all benefit when elk remain distributed on public lands.

The Blue Mountains are also home to the Starkey Experimental Forest and Range, the only research station in the country dedicated to studying how forest management affects big game use and their habitat. For over three decades, the nation’s leading wildlife biologists have been studying elk habitat and behavior at Starkey. Two core findings are (1) forests need active management in many areas to provide adequate forage, and (2) those investments pay the greatest dividends when access management is carefully considered to ensure elk use this improved habitat and remain on public lands.

Starkey research shows that elk seek hiding cover that is at least ½ mile from open roads, especially during hunting season. If roads are too dense, elk will avoid quality habitat altogether.

Let the USFS know you think they should update management of the Blue Mountains for intact habitat, strong local economies, and lasting outdoor traditions.

SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS HERE BY OCTOBER 6!

by: Noah Davis

posted in: Hunting & Fishing Access

September 18, 2025

Hunters and Anglers Cheer House Introduction of MAP Roads Act

Bill would direct Department of Transportation to establish grant program to fund the digitization of county public roads

The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership joins hunters, anglers, and all who drive rural, county roads in cheering House introduction of the Modernizing Access to Public Roads Act.

The bipartisan legislation is sponsored by Representative Blake Moore (R-Utah) and cosponsored by Representative Val Hoyle (D-Ore.), Representative Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.), and Representative Susie Lee (D-Nev.).

“The lack of publicly accessible and accurate county road map information is a key barrier for hunters and anglers trying to access public lands,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “The bipartisan MAP Roads Act will provide funding to address these mapping shortfalls and improve public access, resulting in reduced confusion for hunters and anglers trying to navigate rural road systems across America.”

The MAP Roads Act builds on the success of the MAPLand Act, MAPWaters Act, and MAPOceans Act by establishing a $20 million, 5-year pilot grant program through the U.S. Department of Transportation to:

⦁ Fund county road digitization by converting paper or outdated formats into standardized geospatial datasets.

⦁ Create publicly accessible statewide road data repositories that distinguish public and private roads, are compatible with third-party mapping platforms, and are updated annually.

⦁ Provide funds to support local capacity toward county subgrants, personnel training, or hiring contractors for data conversion.

The clarity and accessibility to this information for both the public and local municipalities would improve rural commerce, public safety, navigation, and access to public lands so more Americans can confidently access and enjoy their public roadways and the adventures beyond. The MAP Roads Act would not create any new road authority, or alter any legal status, ownership, or jurisdiction of roads.

“We appreciate Congressman Moore’s introduction of the Modernizing Access to Public Roads Act,” said Judy Camuso, commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “This legislation affords the opportunity for states and local governments to utilize technology to improve road access data that will ultimately help improve public access for our hunters, anglers, and outdoor recreationalists.”

“Too often, outdoor recreationists are left guessing whether a rural road is public or private because county road records have not kept pace with modern navigation technology,” said Laura Orvidas, CEO of onX. “This uncertainty can restrict recreational access to public places and can cause conflicts between private landowners and the public. The MAP Roads Act will accelerate the modernization of these records, giving people the confidence to know where they can travel to reach public land. Not only will it expand recreational access, but it will also streamline county operations, all while preserving local authority over road networks.”

“In an era where mobile apps and GPS are essential for navigating vast public lands to reach remote hunting grounds, accurate and up-to-date county road data is critical,” said Kurt Dyroff, Co-CEO of the National Wild Turkey Federation. “The MAP Roads Act will reduce inadvertent trespass risks, enhance safety during hunts, and open safer, more reliable access to our nation’s public hunting opportunities.”

“Accurate and readily available maps are essential for ensuring access to our nation’s public lands and waters,” said Kaden McArthur, Congressional Affairs Director for Trout Unlimited. “We thank Representative Blake Moore for his leadership on the MAP Roads Act which would make it easier to find reliable routes to rivers and streams by bringing outdated road maps into the digital age. This legislation would allow anglers to spend more time on the water and less time worrying about how to get there.”

Learn more about TRCP’s commitment to public access HERE.

by: Joel Webster

posted in: Hunting & Fishing Access

September 12, 2025

Weigh in on Behalf of America’s Backcountry

Hunters and anglers can help shape the future of our national forests

Anyone who has spent time hunting and fishing on our national forests knows that success often depends on putting some distance between yourself and roads. Roadless areas—casually called the backcountry—are essential to America’s sporting traditions and wildlife management.

These roadless landscapes provide secure refuge for elk, mule deer, and other big game species, ensuring healthy herds and sustaining increasingly rare over-the-counter hunting opportunities. State wildlife agencies have long emphasized that blocks of secure habitat are critical for effective herd management and for preventing displacement of wildlife onto private lands.

For anglers, roadless areas conserve cold, clean headwaters that sustain wild trout and salmon, and roughly 70 percent of roadless areas contain habitat for native fish.

These qualities are why the sporting community values roadless areas and sees them as a crucial part of the future of hunting and fishing in America.

The Proposal to Rescind the Roadless Rule

On August 29, the U.S. Department of Agriculture published a notice proposing to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule—a long-standing policy designed to maintain these backcountry values. The public comment period is open through September 19.

A primary argument for rescission is to allow more flexibility for wildfire suppression and forest management. Hunters and anglers understand this does not have to be an either/or choice. We can support proactive management to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health while maintaining safeguards that are critical for fish, wildlife, and our sporting traditions.

A Balanced Path Forward

Hunters and anglers support a middle ground approach to managing roadless areas. This approach respects backcountry values and provides flexibility where it’s needed. That means:

Conserving core backcountry habitat for fish and wildlife while allowing thinning, prescribed burning, and restoration projects to protect communities and improve habitat.
Limiting costly new road construction so that scarce agency funding can go toward maintaining the 370,000 miles of existing national forest roads that already provide access for hunters, anglers, and local economies.
Accommodating multiple uses, including livestock grazing and motorized and non-motorized recreation.

The Roadless Rule was designed to strike this balance. Rather than scrapping it altogether, the USDA should work with hunters, anglers, and other stakeholders to adapt and improve the rule to ensure it remains durable, practical, and true to the values we share. We have seen this approach work before with the Idaho and Colorado Roadless Rules, and we can apply that success to the rest of the National Forest System.

Take Action

This comment period is our chance to ensure that the future of America’s backcountry reflects hunting and fishing values. By speaking up, we can help secure lasting hunting and fishing opportunities for future generations of sportsmen and women.

Hunters and anglers can make a difference by commenting before September 19.

SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS HERE BY SEPTEMBER 19!

Here are some important talking points to include in your comments:

Roadless areas are critical to America’s sporting traditions. They provide secure habitat for elk, deer, and other big game, and conserve headwaters that sustain native trout and salmon. These landscapes ensure that future generations of hunters and anglers will have the same opportunities we enjoy today.
Hunters and anglers know that flexibility can be added to the rule to reduce wildfire risk while also improving forest health and maintaining conservation safeguards that are critical for fish, wildlife, and sporting traditions.
The Forest Service should work with hunters, anglers, and other stakeholders to adapt and improve the rule so it remains durable, practical, and true to the values we share.
A balanced approach will ensure our forests remain healthy, our communities are safer, and our sporting traditions persist.

SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS HERE BY SEPTEMBER 19!