Welcome to the latest edition of the Wednesday Wake-Up Call, a roundup of the most pressing conservation issues important to anglers. Working with our friends at Unlimited trout, Backcountry hunters and anglersThe Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, The Everglades Foundation, Clean water captains, VoteWater.orgAnd Conservation Falcon (among other things) we make sure you have the information you need to understand the issues and form an informed opinion.
1. New organization formed in response to collapse of Montana trout population
In response to the decline in the Jefferson Basin wild trout population, a coalition of fly fishing companies, outfitters and guides, lodges, anglers and stakeholders has formed and launched Save wild trout to address this environmental and economic emergency.
“The state’s inaction and lack of urgency has left us local entrepreneurs and affected community members desperate for answers. That’s why we formed Save Wild Trout to bring together private resources and expertise to find science-based solutions for restoring our fisheries. said Wade Fellin, co-owner of Big Hole Lodge. “This is a moment when all hands are on deck for the popular and world-renowned wild trout fisheries of southwest Montana, and we cannot hold our breath and hope that someone will intervene while population numbers and our businesses suffer.” working with federal, state and local government agencies and the local, national and international fly fishing community is a complementary way that allows Save Wild Trout to work outside the confines of bureaucracy.”
After a group of concerned guides, outfitters, fly fishing companies and lodges announced a… letter to Governor Gianforte requesting emergency assistance on May 30, 2023 and did not receive a timely response Answer With an action plan, the group decided to fill the gap created by a lack of leadership and attention to the crisis. (The governor has since responded. See below – ed.)
Save Wild Trout will convene an independent, multidisciplinary panel of experts to investigate the collapse in Southwest Montana’s trout population, determine causes and propose solutions, including discrete legislative, regulatory and/or policy reforms. Experts will commission a report presenting findings and recommendations for restoring and conserving wild trout fisheries in southwest Montana, which will then form the basis for targeted coalition advocacy.
In addition, Save Wild Trout will:
- Conserve wild trout habitat and advocate for the protection of wild trout by advocating actions that reduce pollution, improve water quality, and protect the riparian land.
- Educate the public about the importance of wild trout and the threats they face. The organization will create educational materials, host events and work to raise awareness of the challenges and conservation of wild trout.
- Advocate for policies to support wild trout populations and work with policymakers and decision makers to enforce, develop and implement laws and regulations that protect wild trout habitat and promote sustainable fishing practices.
- Develop models, understanding, expertise, guidelines and resources for nationwide replication.
This partner have already joined Save Wild Trout, others can register via the website.
To learn more, visit www.savewildtrout.org
Similar posts:
- Click here to read Governor Gianforte’s response to the May 30 request for help.
- Urgent catch limits have been put in place for the Big Hole, Beaverhead and Ruby Riversat kbzk.com
2. Seagrass restoration in the Indian River Lagoon in Florida
Since 2009, the Indian River Lagoon on Florida’s east coast has lost approximately 58% of its seagrass stocks, which provide the basic habitat for the 150-mile estuary of national importance. Without this vital seagrass, the cherished lagoon faces a difficult future, but restoring the grass is far more complicated than just replanting. That’s where the Florida Oceanographic Society’s FOSTER program comes in.
FOSTER (Florida Oceanographic Seagrass Training, Education and Restoration) aims to “train volunteers to assist with seagrass monitoring and restoration while educating the public on seagrass-related issues.” Through the program, FOS is researching new and innovative ways to restore vital seagrass habitats while raising public awareness of the fragile nature of the effort. Seagrass in the lagoon is always susceptible to damage from Lake Okeechobee runoff, algal blooms and poor water quality. For this reason, FOS is working hard to identify the most effective and sustainable seagrass restoration strategies while emphasizing and advocating the need to address the water quality issues that threaten seagrass and other habitats in the first place.
By reducing Lake Okeechobee runoff through measures like Everglades clean-up and improving water quality statewide through new laws, we can ease pressure on seagrass. YOU can help! Learn more about the issues, involve others and be a VOICE for our waters!
Click here to learn more at floridaocean.org
Similar posts:
- 2023 Clean Water Bill and Everglades State Funding Approvedat Captainsforcleanwater.org
- DeSantis wants to suspend fertilizer bans. Advocates fear it will make water problems worseon Yahoo News
- Lake Okeechobee is almost entirely covered in seaweed, causing summer worrieson wptv.com
- Lee Department of Health warns of multiple blue-green algae blooms in Caloosahatcheeat fox4now.com
3. Pebble Mine Company pays shareholders who claim they have been defrauded
The company behind the controversial Pebble Mine in Southwest Alaska has agreed to the payment nearly $6.4 million to a group of shareholders who claim they were misled by company leaders.
Vancouver-based Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. has entered into a settlement with the named plaintiffs, according to documents filed with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York last week. . . .
It was about revelations in recorded conversations released in 2020 that became known as pebble bands. In those conversations, recorded by an undercover environmental organization, Northern Dynasty chief executive officer Ron Thiessen and then-CEO of Pebble Limited Partnership Tom Collier described a strategy for getting a relatively small mine plan through the permitting process and to pursue it further is a tremendous expansion. In addition, the two men pointed to political connections that they said would facilitate approval.