MOLDY CHUM

Help Keep the Umpqua Wild

Support the existing catch and release regulations that protect non-adipose fin-clipped steelhead throughout the Umpqua system by signing this petition .

Buffet again rebuffs advocates against Klamath dams

American Indian tribes and salmon fisherman were rebuffed a second time Saturday in their bid to win support from billionaire Warren Buffett for a proposal to remove four hydroelectric dams from the Klamath River.

Via: The Times-Standard  LINK

A River Runs Against It - America's Evolving View of Dams

Former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt writes about creating a balance between the needs of a river and those who use it.

During the New Deal, President Franklin Roosevelt and his Interior Secretary, Harold Ickes, toured the West dedicating dams before large, enthusiastic crowds. Now, at the end of the century, I am out touring the country with a different message - it is time to un-dedicate some of those dams by removing them and letting the rivers run free. For we now have too many of these dams, some 75,000, the equivalent of one every day since Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. Along the way I am asking questions: Is this dam still serving its purpose? Do the benefits justify the destruction of fish runs and drying up of rivers? Can't we find a better balance between our needs and the needs of the river?

Via: Open Spaces Magazine LINK

The Monte Dolack Resurrection print was commissioned by Idaho Rivers United to show what a free flowing Snake River would look like after breaching the federal dams.

Cutthroat in the Crosshairs

The Quiet Pool has put out a call to action based on news that the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is proposing a coastal cutthroat harvest starting in 2009.

LINK

Federal Judge Tosses California Plan to Export More Delta Water

Federal judge Oliver Wanger today tossed out a controversial water plan that would have allowed more pumping of water from the imperiled California Delta at the expense of five species of protected chinook salmon and steelhead trout.

Via: California Progress Report  LINK

Though the judge's decision might further curb delta exports, a more likely result is operational changes 250 miles to the north at Shasta Dam, experts on both sides said. 

Among the fixes being eyed is construction of the long-debated Peripheral Canal, which would divert water around the delta and onward to Southern California. The proposal has been condemned by environmentalists and others who say it would rob the delta of the water it needs for fish to survive.

Money Quote: This spring's dry weather has already cut state water reserves. The Metropolitan Water District, the state's largest, is calling on residents to step up conservation efforts such as not watering their lawns one day a week.

Via: The LA Times  LINK

As relevant today as when it came out in 1986.

In 1999, Cadillac Desert was placed sixty-first on the Modern Library list of the most notable nonfiction English books of the twentieth century. LINK

 

You're Invited

The Hoh River Trust is throwing it's second annual Hoh Down on Thursday May 8th at Seattle's Burke Museum.

Nature photographer Keith Lazelle will be the evening's special guest. 

This year's event will be fueled by raffle prizes from Sage, Orvis, Patagonia and more.

LINK

Patagonia Completes Funding for Yellowstone Fly Fishing Volunteers Program

Bill Klyn (left) of Patagonia presents Yellowstone Park Foundation Executive Director Paul Zambernardi (right) with a $12,000 check.

Below is a press release that recently appeared on the Yellowstone Park Foundation website. Patagonia is one the few brands in the fly fishing industry who make this level of commitment to fish and habitat protection.

February 26, 2008: The Yellowstone Park Foundation recently received further help from outdoor clothing and gear manufacturer Patagonia to fund the Fly Fishing Volunteers Program in Yellowstone. Patagonia presented the nonprofit Foundation with a check yesterday for $12,000 to complete funding for this program, which will assist Park fisheries biologists with research and conservation efforts through 2009.

Orvis Teton Creek Restoration

It ain't too late - 2008 Wild Steelhead Awards Auction!!!

If you're in the Seattle area and have a thirst for some top-shelf Northwest wine, good eats, auction action, and plenty of wild fish porn get yourself down to the Redmond Town Center Marriott for the 2008 Wild Steelhead Awards Auction TONIGHT! 

Please Join us at our annual fundraiser gala event in beautiful Redmond, Washington. The internationally known designer and photographer Jeff Bright will be presenting a slide show of his latest Steelhead expeditions. Check out his site for some of his published works. After the dinner and slide show we will be awarding out Annual Conservation Award and then the silent auction, raffle and topping the evening of splendor, the coupe de gras - A live auction by Keith Robbins Fundraising Auctioneer.

California Trout Call to Action - Protect Hurdygurdy Creek

Photo: Thomas B. Dunklin

The Smith River, home to the state’s healthiest wild runs of coho and Chinook salmon, steelhead and coastal cutthroat trout, is California’s only major undammed river system.  More than 300 miles of the Smith River are designated National Wild and Scenic Rivers.  Now, we have an opportunity to protect one of the river’s major tributaries, Hurdygurdy Creek.  Please urge Senator Dianne Feinstein to approve $4.5 million to buy critical land and stream habitat nested within the Smith River National Recreation Area.

Take action at California Trout.  LINK

The Smith River Alliance Hurdygurdy Creek project. LINK

Thomas B. Dunklin's photo gallery of the Hurdygurdy watershed.  LINK

Bottom Trawling Devastation Visible from Space

We know that bottom trawling is a destructive fishing technique that is the marine equivalent of strip mining.
What we didn't know was that the sediment plumes stirred up by the practice are visible from space.

Via: Live Science LINK

A Valentines Day Greeting from the Western Rivers Conservancy

From today's in box.

Today, the largest tributary to California's last major undammed river, the Smith River, is forever protected!

Western Rivers Conservancy is excited to announce the completion of a six-year project to buy and conserve the Goose Creek watershed -- 9,500 acres. Today, we conveyed the final portion of the project area to be part of the Smith River National Recreation Area.

This helps ensure that the Smith, California's healthiest river, will run clear and cold forever, just as salmon and steelhead require.

As always, we thank you for your support and wish you a Happy V Day -- "V" in this case being a Victory for California rivers.  LINK

Barbarians at the Gate

While the industry unites around the fight against the Pebble Mine, the barbarians continue to crash the gate.

The fight to preserve Bristol Bay is an important one but let's not lose sight of the continued systematic extermination of salmon and steelhead in other parts of the world. While we all pat ourselves on the back for standing up to Northern Dynasty, the last remaining runs of salmon and steelhead along the Pacific Coast continue to decline to the point of complete collapse. So when you write that check to fight the Pebble Mine, match that donation with a check to another group that is working to save salmon, steelhead and their habitat. Habitat that did not have rock star status when the fish farms were licensed, the dams proposed, and the logging permits issued.

While you were watching the latest film highlighting the plight of Bristol Bay the Bush Forest Service announced a new management plan for the Tongass National Forest.

More than 3 million acres of pristine wilderness in Alaska's Tongass National Forest would be open to logging and road building under a new management plan released Friday by the U.S. Forest Service.

At 17 million acres, roughly the size of West Virginia, the Tongass National Forest in southeastern Alaska is the country's largest national forest and the world's largest intact coastal temperate rain forest. It contains grizzly and black bears, wolves, eagles and five species of wild Alaskan salmon. Via: The LA Times LINK

Joan McCarter at New West on the Tongass plan.

The new management plan for the Tongass will effectively raise no revenue for the U.S. government, as the U.S. taxpayers will have to pay to build the roads the timber companies need to access the forest. In Connelly’s words, “In 2002, the U.S. Forest Service spent $36 million on its Tongass timber sales program, and received back just $1.2 million from timber companies.”  LINK

In Canada another proposed acid leaching copper mine threatens the salmon rich waters of the Yukon. 

Via: Yahoo News LINK

Legislation has been proposed by Joe Lieberman to permanently protect the Arctic National Wildlife refuge.

Ask your senators to co-sponsor S. 2316 that will protect our last great wilderness. LINK

Bonefish and Tarpon Unlimited

Bonefish & Tarpon Unlimited was developed for a simple reason – to support research, education, and conservation of bonefish and tarpon

BTU is made up of recreational anglers, guides, and marine industry leaders dedicated to increasing our knowledge of bonefish and tarpon biology so we may better manage these species and ensure the fisheries for future generations.

LINK

We're going to start our own 501.3.C called Chum Unlimited.

A Convenient Truth

AEG has just announced that Seattle based Propel Biofuels will be powering the Trout Bum's on their next film project.

Via AEG Media LINK

One Percent For The Planet On Line Auction

One Percent for the Planet has fired up an on line auction site that features a number of rare and special items including a guided trip by One Percent co-founder, and 2005 Fly Rod & Reel Angler of the Year, Craig Matthews. One Percent for the Planet is a coalition of businesses who donate 1% of their annual sales to non-profit groups that work on environmental causes. Launched in 2002 by Matthews and Patagonia's Yvon Chouinard, One Percent for the Planet now has 767 members.

You can access the main auction site here  LINK

Enough To Make an Environmentalist's Head Explode

 

California water contractors want to blame the striped bass for the decline of delta smelt, steelhead, king salmon and other fish in the California Delta in order to divert blame from the state and federal export pumps, even though the striped bass successfully coexisted with native species for over 125 years. Via: Sacramento for Democracy LINK

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has killed about 10 double-crested cormorants and plans to kill about 30 more on the Lower Snake River as part of a study to see whether the burgeoning population of the fish-eating birds is hindering attempts to bolster threatened and endangered runs of salmon and steelhead. Via: The Seattle PI  LINK

House Close to Dismantling 1872 Statute on Mining

A follow up on Tuesday''s post concerning efforts to change the Mining Act of 1972.

Via: The NY Times  LINK

Trout Unlimited Tennessee License Plate is ready to order

As of October 9th 158 plates had been sold towards the goal of 1000.  LINK

Bonneville Cutthroat Trout to Be Reconsidered for Endangered Species Status

In response to a lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, and Pacific Rivers Council, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it will again consider the Bonneville cutthroat trout for protection as an endangered species. LINK

Schwarzenegger strengthens trout protection for Golden, Lahontan species

Several California native trout that are classified as species of concern have earned additional protection after California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation on Wednesday. Via: The Tahoe Daily Tribune LINK

Remarks by President Bush on the striped bass and red drum protection order

The Vice President tells me there's a lot of fine fishing here, and I'm looking forward to going out and trying to catch some. I love to fish. And the good news there's a lot of good fishing here is because the Secret Service won't let me go hunting with him. (Laughter.)  LINK

Long Live the Kings

Long Live the Kings (LLTK) is a private, nonprofit organization committed to restoring wild salmon to the waters of the Pacific Northwest.  Submitted via Chum freak Jim Olsen LINK

Mountain Mining Called "Genocide" of Appalachia

The mining industry claims the flattening of West Virginia's mountains gives the area a head start on developing airports, prisons and golf courses. Via: Truthout  LINK

The U.S. EPA estimates that over 700 miles of healthy streams have been completely buried by mountaintop removal and thousands more have been damaged.  Via:Grist LINK

Thank you for your email to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

I followed Chandler's lead at The Underground and sent an e-mail via Cal Trout to the Governator supporting legislation limiting suction dredging on sensitive waterways.

The Governor's office e-mailed me right back.

The Governor appreciates hearing from concerned and involved Californians, as well as from individuals all over the world who have an interest in California.

Governor Schwarzenegger is committed to restoring your confidence in state government. As the Governor has said, with hard work and your help, California will once again be the "Golden Dream by the Sea".

Due to the unprecedented number of emails sent to the Governor, there may be a delay in immediately responding to your email. Please know that the Governor's office is making every effort to respond to your inquiry and will ensure that your voice is heard by the Governor.

To help us respond to you, please include your email address when you communicate with the Governor's Office. Please note that we are unable to accept e-mail attachments because of the risk of Internet viruses. We ask that you please send your attachments via traditional mail to:

Office of the Governor
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814

For more information about Governor Schwarzenegger and the State of California, please visit the California website at www.ca.gov.

Again, thank you for your email. Governor Schwarzenegger is proud to serve you and all Californians.

Take action and you too can get an e-mail from Arnold.

Senator Max Baucus Wants Increased Big horn Flows

Montana Sen. Max Baucus is again pressuring the Bureau of Reclamation to increase flows in the Bighorn River, this time citing the need for more water to ensure successful brown trout spawning after unsuccessfully lobbying to increase flows for spring-spawning rainbow trout.  Via: The Casper Star Tribune  LINK

Baucus is also working on his Bighorn River Protection Act, which would set preferred minimum flows for the Bighorn River at 2,500 cubic feet per second.

New Bush Rule to Expand Mountaintop Coal Mining

While the industry rallies around fighting the Pebble Mine project in Alaska another mining environmental disaster continues unabated in the mountains of Appalachia. Between 1985 and 2001 coal companies have buried 724 miles of streams while the Bush administration turns a blind eye to the Clean Water Act. While the practice has been going on despite existing rules the administration is now proposing new rules that will allow mining companies to expand mountaintop removal while limiting the legal challenges that are the only obstacle to this environmental nightmare. LINK