January at TVTU!

Here we go!  The new year is upon us and we're looking for a good one! We hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable time during the holidays this year and that TVTU can be a part of your 2015. Good luck with all your resolutions!

Kicking off the year here is what TVTU has in store for the month.............

In a recent leader update from National, a notice was given for a report on 10 Special Places - we include it here for your reading; obviously, geared to the Eastern portion of the nation do not feel polarized! The information represents a need for awareness and education and applies to some of the same issues we are seeing in the west.....

 

Every place where we fish or hunt, where we take our families to get outdoors, and where we seek solitude and escape from our daily lives is special.

 

When Trout Unlimited began looking at the risks that rapidly expanding shale gas drilling operations in the East could pose to public lands, we knew we had to bring attention to these special places. Thanks to the help of many local TU volunteers working hand-in-hand with TU staff, we're pleased to present the Ten Special Places report, a TU initiative that tells the story of some of these great public places and why and how they should be protected.

 

For the 8.8 million hunters and anglers who fish and hunt in the Central Appalachian region, industrial-scale energy development encroaching on public lands is a big deal. In its Ten Special Places report, TU takes a deeper look into these public places, outlining the potential risks posed by gas drilling operations and providing recommendations to promote responsible energy development.  Already there have been wins, such as the announcement earlier this autumn that no additional lands of the George Washington National Forest would be leased for oil and gas development.

 

Thanks to volunteers such as you, TU is able to be an active participant in this and so many other important issues. Join us by learning more today.

 

Sincerely, 

Mark Taylor
Trout Unlimited
Eastern Communications Director

 

Mark can be reached through the CONTACTS PAGE of tu.org.

What'd I Miss - December Edition

The December meeting was a nice way to round out the year for TVTU – a fairly decent number of members were able to take a break from the pre-holiday bustle and come enjoy a beverage with Marc Williamson while he spoke about his experiences on the Crooked River.

Before Marc took center stage to address the 29 attendees Erle – esteemed chapter President – made a few announcements to our group [which included 5 new members and 2 visitors]:

• Oregon Council recently sent out a mailer to all Oregon TU members in an effort to increase visibility of TU efforts throughout the state

Happy Holidays!

We would like to thank all the great members of the Tualatin Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited for their support and participation throughout the year - we wish you all the very best in this Holiday season and hope that you have a very safe and fulfilling time with family, friends and fishes!

We hope to see you in the New Year - perhaps helping with our Christmas for Coho tree collection [January 3/10/17]!! Please don't forget our coho friends......

Turn your christmas tree into fish habitat with Tualatin Valley Trout Unlimited

2018 DATES are HERE!

NOTICE!!

DATES FOR 2015/2016 ARE

JANUARY 2nd and 9th!!

ODFW New Director Survey

What qualities do Oregonians [who chose to comment...] want in their new ODFW Director?

Read the list from their recent survey.....conservation minded leads the way...but with 66 pages of free comments there are various thoughts indeed. Enjoy!

ODFW Survey RESULTS

P.S. ODFW extended the application deadline...in case anyone wants to apply!

How to Boost Salmon Populations

Tom forwarded a Op-Ed piece that a friend of his wrote - Liz Hamilton. A continuation of his educational forays while tending to Oregon State Council duties.....

Guest: How to boost salmon populations

We need to support expanding spill and managing the hydro-system more like a natural river for salmon to survive and recover, write guest columnists Liz Hamilton and Joseph Bogaard.

Seattle Times, November 6
By Liz Hamilton and Joseph Bogaard

Special to The Times
  
FEISTY and quotable former Oregon Gov. Tom McCall once said that if salmon and steelhead are running, “God knows that all is well in His world. ... The health of the environment is good if the salmon and steelhead are around. It is that simple.”

The late governor was right, of course. Salmon and steelhead are excellent barometers.....

Seattle Times Op-Ed

Tom Testifies......

on behalf of clean water and air for Oregon salmonids.

From Tom on his November efforts in Salem:

Greetings,

First, on November 5 , The Oregon Department of Forestry Board was taking testimony on the state Forest Alternative Manage Plan. I testified for the Land Allocation proposal, with specifics consisting of asking for at least 30% of state forests protected as conservation areas (and hopefully a larger percentage), large no cut buffers not only for larger perennial streams but also for smaller and non-perennial streams, and to include providing more recreational areas in state forests.
The Board adopted the land allocation (70-30) alternative with the specificity to be adopted later. Note I will be working with ODF staff to make sure that there is adequate and substantial no cut buffers, large conservation areas and adequate recreational areas. The final recommendations will be worked on by ODF staff and approved by BOF in about a few months.

ODF Alternative Management

Second, on November 6, I testified before DEQ commission on their Clean Fuels program, where they will be looking at proposing new rules in January. I testified in support of stronger rules within this program to limit carbon emissions and thus limit climate change/global warming. I sited studies which show that if unstopped, carbon emissions will cause wild native salmonids to lose over 50% of their habitat due to excessively high water temperatures. I also sited studies about the importance of fishing to Oregon's economy - especially in rural parts of the state and how the demise of wild trout and salmon will have an adverse impact on those rural town economies.

The DEQ commission will make a decision in January 2015.

Tom

DEQ Clean Air PROPOSED rules

Oregon Election Results and Oregon TU

As Willie Nelson's song says...On the Road Again, Can't Wait to get on the Road Again....we re-enter the Highway on Tom's Tour.

After a settling period and just before everyone goes gob-jawed over the upcoming Holiday rat-race, Tom reviews the political rat-race from last month and offers a bit of insight from his many years of faithful Oregon service - Hail to Tom!

Thoughts on 2015.....

Tom - Your Tour Guide and Educator...

Anytime we can talk dam removal - we like to.....especially those that serve greater as impediments than their original purposes.

With Tom continuing as our guide we present to our membership another article relating to watershed recovery post-dam removal......