TROUT UNLIMITED INC
1777 NORTH KENT STREET NO 100, ARLINGTON, VA 22209 www.tu.org

---

Organizations Filed Purposes: TO CONSERVE, PROTECT, AND RESTORE NORTH AMERICA'S COLDWATER FISHERIES AND THEIR WATERSHEDS.

PROTECT:IN 2020, TU PROTECTED 78,000 RIVER MILES AND ADDED PROTECTION ON 4,032,150 ACRES. SIGNED IN MARCH 2019, THE JOHN D. DINGELL, JR. CONSERVATION, MANAGEMENT AND RECREATION ACT OF 2019. TU PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN PERMANENTLY REAUTHORIZING THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND, THE FRANK AND JEANNE MOORE WILD STEELHEAD SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREA DESIGNATION, MINERAL WITHDRAWALS IN MONTANA AND WASHINGTON, WILDERNESS IN NEW MEXICO, 250 MILES OF NEW WILD AND SCENIC RIVER DESIGNATION IN OREGON (OREGON WILDLANDS ACT), 76 MILES OF WILD AND SCENIC RIVER DESIGNATION IN CALIFORNIA, AND THE YAKIMA BASIN WATER ENHANCEMENT ACT. THE ACT ALSO INCLUDED DESIGNATION OF THE 30,000-ACRE DEVIL'S STAIRCASE WILDERNESS AREA NORTH OF THE UMPQUA RIVER, EAST OF THE TOWN OF REEDSPORT. INCLUDED WITHIN DEVIL'S STAIRCASE WILDERNESS ARE FRANKLIN AND WASSON CREEKS, WHICH PROVIDE QUALITY SPAWNING AND REARING HABITAT FOR COHO SALMON AND STEELHEAD.WASHINGTON STATE'S RIVERS AND STREAMS ARE MUCH BETTER PROTECTED NOW THAT TU LED A SUCCESSFUL MULTI-YEAR CAMPAIGN TO END DESTRUCTIVE SUCTION-DREDGE RECREATIONAL MINING. PERSISTENT ADVOCACY BY TU STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS GOT THE BILL THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE AND ONTO THE DESK OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE. THE NEW LAW BANS SUCTION DREDGE MINING IN THOUSANDS OF MILES OF CRITICAL HABITAT DESIGNATED UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT FOR THREATENED OR ENDANGERED SALMON, STEELHEAD, AND BULL TROUT. THE LEGISLATION WAS SUPPORTED BY A BROAD COALITION OF MORE THAN 160 BUSINESSES, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, TRIBES AND FAITH-BASED GROUPS.IN OREGON, GOVERNOR BROWN ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER IN JUNE 2019 OFFICIALLY DESIGNATING A 17.5 MILE REACH OF THE NEHALEM RIVER AS A STATE SCENIC WATERWAY (SSW), WHICH RECOGNIZES THE UNIQUE RECREATIONAL, NATURAL, AND SCENIC QUALITIES OF THIS REACH AND PREVENTS DEGRADATION OF THESE VALUES BY DAMS, DREDGING, MINING AND OTHER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT. TU WORKED FOR SEVERAL YEARS TO SUPPORT THE EVALUATION OF THE NEHALEM FOR POSSIBLE SSW DESIGNATION, AND TO ADVANCE THE PROPOSAL FOR THIS DESIGNATION ONCE THE REVIEW BY THE OREGON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT WAS COMPLETED. THE RUBY MOUNTAINS IN NORTHEAST NEVADA, HOME TO LAHONTAN CUTTHROAT TROUT AND THE LARGEST MULE DEER HERD IN THE STATE, ARE THREATENED BY PROPOSED OIL AND GAS LEASING ON THE HUMBOLT-TOIYABE NATIONAL FOREST. RESPONDING TO THIS THREAT, TU HOSTED A SPORTSMEN'S ROUNDTABLE FOR SENATOR CORTEZ MASTO THAT LED TO HER SPONSORSHIP OF THE RUBY MOUNTAINS PROTECTION ACT, WHICH WOULD PERMANENTLY WITHDRAW THE FOREST SERVICE PORTION OF THE RUBY MOUNTAINS FROM FUTURE OIL AND GAS LEASING. A COMPANION BILL WAS INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE AMODEI RESULTING IN BIPARTISAN SUPPORT. LAST, TU SUCCESSFULLY OPPOSED THE PROPOSED LEASING OF 53,000 ACRES IN THE RUBY MOUNTAINS BY ADVOCATING DIRECTLY TO THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE. TU'S WORK IN THIS LANDSCAPE IS SUPPORTED BY A 14-MEMBER SPORTSMEN'S COALITION IN ELKO COUNTY AND IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE TE-MOAK TRIBE OF WESTERN SHOSHONE. TU SUCCESSFULLY THWARTED A PUSH BY THE STATE OF UTAH TO DEVELOP ITS OWN "ROADLESS RULE" INSTEAD OF BEING COVERED BY THE NATIONAL ROADLESS RULE. AFTER UTAH PETITIONED THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO DEVELOP A STATE-SPECIFIC ROADLESS RULE, TU EDUCATED AND ORGANIZED CONSERVATIVE HOOK AND BULLET GROUPS (E.G., SPORTSMEN FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE, ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION, ETC.) IN OPPOSITION TO A STATE RULE. THESE EFFORTS PAID OFF. THE FOREST SERVICE ANNOUNCED IN JULY 2019 THAT THE STATE'S PETITION WILL "REMAIN PENDING WHILE THE STATE AND FOREST SERVICE ADDRESS THE THREAT OF UNWANTED FIRE TO COMMUNITIES AND WATERSHEDS THROUGH SHARED STEWARDSHIP." SOMETIMES THE BEST DEFENSE IS A GOOD OFFENSE, AND WE SUCCESSFULLY DEPLOYED THAT STRATEGY IN SEVERAL WESTERN STATES. WE EDUCATED POLICYMAKERS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC LANDS TO SPORTSMEN AND WOMEN, WHICH FUELED PASSAGE OF "PUBLIC LANDS DAY" BILLS IN WYOMING AND ARIZONA. BOTH STATES HAVE A STRONG PUSH FOR PUBLIC LANDS TRANSFER BY SPECIAL INTERESTS, BUT THESE BILLS IDENTIFY A SPECIFIC DAY EACH YEAR FOR RECOGNIZING AND CELEBRATING THE BENEFITS (E.G., ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT) OF PUBLIC LANDS. IN UTAH, THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE ANTI-PUBLIC LANDS MOVEMENT, WE MOBILIZED SPORTSMEN AND WOMEN TO GARNER SUPPORT FOR AND PASS A RESOLUTION DECLARING "UTAH IS A PUBLIC LANDS STATE AND IS COMMITTED TO PERPETUALLY REMAINING A PUBLIC LANDS STATE."IN A CONTINUING EFFORT TO WEAKEN PROTECTIONS FOR OUR NATION'S HEADWATERS, THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY PROPOSED TO SIGNIFICANTLY NARROW THE SCOPE OF THE CLEAN WATER RULE. THE PROPOSAL WOULD REPLACE A POSITIVE, TU-SUPPORTED 2015 RULE DESIGNED TO CLARIFY THE SCOPE OF CLEAN WATER ACT PROTECTIONS, WHICH INCLUDES PROTECTIONS FOR HEADWATERS, INTERMITTENT AND EPHEMERAL STREAMS, AND WETLANDS. THE NEW PROPOSAL (REPLACEMENT RULE) WOULD SUBSTANTIALLY WEAKEN THE CLEAN WATER ACT, ENDING PROTECTIONS FOR MILLIONS OF MILES OF STREAMS WHICH NOT ONLY PROVIDE IMPORTANT HABITAT FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE, BUT ALSO PROVIDE DRINKING WATER FOR ONE IN THREE AMERICANS. BY ENGAGING OUR GRASSROOTS, TU MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS CONTRIBUTED MORE THAN 4,000 COMMENTS FOR THE OFFICIAL RECORD, INCLUDING 25 COUNCIL AND CHAPTER LETTERS. THE TROUT UNLIMITED SCIENCE TEAM GROUNDED THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION BY PROVIDING CUTTING EDGE DATA, RESOURCES AND MAPPING, SHOWING THE PUBLIC AND ADMINISTRATION INTERMITTENT AND EPHEMERAL STREAMS THAT WOULD LOSE PROTECTION-DATA THE GOVERNMENT CLAIMED IT DID NOT HAVE. THE AGENCY IS CURRENTLY REVIEWING THESE COMMENTS AND IS EXPECTED TO MAKE A FINAL DECISION IN APRIL 2020. THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS HAS FORMALLY RELEASED THE FINAL DRAFT OF ITS PLAN FOR STOPPING ASIAN CARP FROM REACHING THE GREAT LAKES. ASIAN CARP ARE INVASIVE SPECIES CAPABLE OF EATING 40 PERCENT OF THEIR BODY WEIGHT IN PLANKTON A DAY AND COLLAPSING NATIVE FISH COMMUNITIES. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE KEEP THEM FROM MAKING THEIR WAY FROM MISSISSIPPI RIVER BASIN TO THE GREAT LAKES VIA THE CHICAGO WATERWAY SYSTEM, AND WE MUST ACT QUICKLY: IN 2017 A COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN CAUGHT A 28-INCH SILVER CARP IN CHICAGO, JUST NINE MILES FROM LAKE MICHIGAN. TU IS PUSHING STATE AND FEDERAL DECISION-MAKERS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PLAN TO STOP ASIAN CARP AT THE BRANDON ROAD LOCK AND DAM ON THE DES PLAINES RIVER IN JOLIET, ILLINOIS, USING A REDUNDANT SYSTEM OF "COMPLEX NOISE," AN ELECTRICAL FIELD, AND WATER JETS, AND A SYSTEM TO FLUSH EGGS AND LARVAE OUT OF THE LOCKS.IN PENNSYLVANIA, WE HELPED PROTECT MORE THAN 650 STREAM MILES THROUGH OUR COLLABORATION WITH THE STATE'S UNASSESSED WATERS INITIATIVE, WHICH SYSTEMATICALLY DOCUMENTS PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN WILD TROUT POPULATIONS ACROSS THE STATE. WILD TROUT STREAMS ARE GIVEN SPECIAL PROTECTIONS UNDER STATE LAW, AND THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, MORE THAN 7,000 MILES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND LISTED OVER THE PAST DECADE WITH TU'S HELP.

RECONNECT:OPENING HIGH-QUALITY BLOCKED HABITAT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPACTFUL FISH RESTORATION ACTIONS, AND TU IS USING THIS TOOL TO GREAT EFFECT IN CALIFORNIA AND OREGON. IN THE FOOTHILLS OF MT. LASSEN, CALIFORNIA STAFF LAUNCHED A MAJOR SALMON AND STEELHEAD PASSAGE PROJECT THAT WILL OPEN 49 MILES OF HIGH-QUALITY SPAWNING AND REARING HABITAT ON DEER CREEK, AN IMPORTANT SACRAMENTO RIVER TRIBUTARY FOR STEELHEAD AND SPRING-RUN CHINOOK SALMON. IN THE FIRST PHASE, TU PARTNERED WITH THE DEER CREEK IRRIGATION DISTRICT (DCID) TO BUILD UP- AND DOWN-STREAM PASSAGE AT DCIDS DIVERSION DAM. THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE (CDFW) AND THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE PROVIDED $3 MILLION FOR THE PROJECT, WHICH WAS COMPLETED THIS YEAR. FOR THE SECOND PHASE, TU IS WORKING WITH THE LARGEST AND DOWNSTREAM-MOST DIVERTER ON DEER CREEK, THE STANFORD-VINA IRRIGATION COMPANY, TO DESIGN A PROJECT TO RESTORE FULL PASSAGE AT ITS DIVERSION DAM. TU IS ALSO WORKING WITH BOTH DISTRICTS ON FUTURE PROJECTS TO IMPROVE RIVER FLOWS AND WATER SUPPLIES FOR THE DISTRICTS. IN THE TILLAMOOK REGION OF OREGON'S NORTH COAST, OUR SALMON SUPERHWY PROJECT REMOVED 9 UNDERSIZED AND FAILING CULVERTS OPENING 23 MILES OF HABITAT TO SALMON AND STEELHEAD, WHILE ALSO IMPROVING THE REGION'S TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE AND INCREASING FLOOD RESILIENCY. EAST OF THE CASCADES IN THE DESCHUTES RIVER BASIN, TU PLAYED A LEAD ROLE IN A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT CONSTRUCTED FISH PASSAGE FACILITIES AT OPAL SPRINGS DAM OPENING 108 MILES OF HABITAT THAT HAD BEEN BLOCKED SINCE THE 1960S. BY RAISING THE EXISTING DAM'S POOL HEIGHT BY THREE FEET AND INSTALLING A FISH LADDER, THE FINISHED PROJECT ALLOWS FISH TO TRAVEL UP THE CROOKED RIVER, A MAIN TRIBUTARY TO THE DESCHUTES, FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE 1960S. THE PROJECT WILL GENERATE AN ADDITIONAL 1,010,000 KILOWATT HOURS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY PER YEAR. THE ENCAMPMENT RIVER IN WYOMING HAD BEEN DISCONNECTED FOR MORE THAN 90 YEARS UNTIL TU COMPLETED A SERIES OF RECONNECTION PROJECTS CULMINATING WITH THE FINAL PROJECT THAT RECONNECTED THE ENTIRE ENCAMPMENT RIVER TO THE NORTH PLATTE RIVER. NEARLY 100 MILES OF HABITAT BECAME AVAILABLE FOR ALL TYPES OF FISH IN THE WATERSHED. THE PROJECT HAS SPANNED OVER A DECADE AND REQUIRED DOZENS OF PARTNERS, LANDOWNERS, A FILE CABINET WORTH OF AGREEMENTS, AND A GOOD DOSE OF GOOD FORTUNE.ON WISCONSIN'S PESHTIGO RIVER, TU REMOVED MORE FISH PASSAGE BARRIERS AND HAS NOW RECONNECTED OVER 80 MILES OF TRIBUTARIES TO THE MAIN RIVER, SO THAT BROOK TROUT CAN GROW IN THE MAIN RIVER BUT FIND COLD WATER AND CLEAN GRAVEL WHEN THEY NEED TO ESCAPE THE HEAT OR SPAWN. IN THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS, WHERE 80% OF BROOK TROUT HABITAT SOUTH OF ASHEVILLE, N.C. IS FOUND ON NATIONAL FOREST LANDS, TU HAS BUILT A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE THAT HAS LED TO SEVERAL PROJECTS TO RECONNECT FRAGMENTED HABITAT. SMALL HABITAT PATCHES AND GENETIC ISOLATION ARE AMONG THE GREATEST THREATS TO THE PERSISTENCE OF OUR SOUTHERNMOST BROOK TROUT POPULATIONS, AND HABITAT RECONNECTION CAN HELP TO ADDRESS THESE LIMITATIONS.IN THE UPPER DELAWARE, TU WORKED WITH PARTNERS TO IMPROVE WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE RESERVOIRS, SPECIFICALLY TO DEVELOP A PROTOCOL FOR "THERMAL RELEASES" WHEN WATER TEMPERATURES CREEP UP IN THE SUMMER, AND A BETTER POLICY ON SUDDEN CHANGES IN FLOWS (THE SO-CALLED "YO-YO" FLOW PROBLEM). WE ARE ALSO PART OF A STUDY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND TROUT MOVEMENT IN THE BASIN, AND WE ARE REMOVING CULVERTS AND OTHER BARRIERS TO ENABLE FISH TO MOVE BETWEEN THE MAINSTEMS AND TRIBUTARIES, SUCH AS RECONNECTING FROG HOLLOW TO THE WILLOWEMOC.

RESTORE:FOR 12 SHORT YEARS IN THE 1950'S A FLOATING DREDGE WORKED ITS WAY UP IDAHO'S YANKEE FORK VALLEY, EXCAVATING THE VALLEY BOTTOM DOWN TO BEDROCK AND DEPOSITING THE ROCKS AND COBBLE THAT LINED THE BED OF THE RIVER INTO MASSIVE PILES NEXT TO IT. THE RESULT - MORE THAN 60 YEARS LATER - IS A CHANNELIZED STREAM THAT LACKS BOTH HABITAT AND THE NATURAL PROCESSES THAT CREATE AND MAINTAIN IT. IN THE SUMMER OF 2019 WE COMPLETED THE FIRST PHASE OF A LARGE-SCALE EFFORT TO RESTORE THE YANKEE FORK BY REMOVING OVER 100,000 CUBIC YARDS OF DREDGE TAILINGS, AND BY OCTOBER OF THAT YEAR WE HAD COMPLETED PHASE 2 - THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW STEAM CHANNEL WITH HABITAT FEATURES AND A CONNECTED FLOODPLAIN. THE PROJECT WILL INCREASE SPAWNING AND REARING HABITAT FOR SNAKE RIVER STEELHEAD AND CHINOOK SALMON, WHILE ALSO BENEFITTING NATIVE BULL TROUT AND WESTSLOPE CUTTHROAT TROUT.IN MARCH, TU SECURED FUNDING FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR A GROUNDBREAKING, MULTI-BENEFIT WATER RIGHT TRANSACTION ON BATTLE CREEK - A SPRING-FED TRIBUTARY OF THE SACRAMENTO RIVER THAT HOSTS FIVE RUNS OF SALMON AND STEELHEAD. TU WILL HELP THE STATE ACQUIRE A 12 CUBIC FOOT PER SECOND WATER RIGHT FROM A RANCHING FAMILY ON LOWER BATTLE CREEK AND TRANSFER THE WATER DOWNSTREAM TO THE SACRAMENTO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE COMPLEX, WHERE IT WILL BE USED TO CREATE HABITAT FOR WATERFOWL AND OTHER WETLAND SPECIES. ALONG THE WAY, THE WATER WILL ENHANCE FLOWS IN LOWER BATTLE CREEK TO BENEFIT SALMON AND STEELHEAD, AND WILL BE PROTECTED BY A FORMAL INSTREAM FLOW DEDICATION SECURED BY TU'S CALIFORNIA WATER PROJECT.TU'S ABANDONED MINE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM LEVERAGED MORE THAN $13 MILLION OVER A 13-YEAR PERIOD AND HELPED SPUR A 216-MILE INCREASE IN WILD TROUT WATER IN THE WEST BRANCH SUSQUEHANNA BASIN, WHERE STREAMS HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN KILLED BY MINE POLLUTION. TU EXPANDED OUR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORK BEYOND ABANDONED MINE PROJECTS TO OTHER HABITAT IMPROVEMENTS IN PENNSYLVANIA, AND HAS COMPLETED PROJECT DESIGN, PERMITTING, OR CONSTRUCTION OVERSIGHT ON HUNDREDS OF PROJECT SITES. IN 2019 WE LAUNCHED A NEW TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IN NEW ENGLAND. THIS APPROACH ENABLES US TO LEND OUR EXPERTISE TO RESTORATION PROJECTS AND THEN LET PARTNERS HANDLE THE IMPLEMENTATION, THUS COVERING MORE GROUND THAN WE COULD IF WE MANAGED EVERY COMPONENT OF THE PROJECTS OURSELVES. THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM HAS BECOME A VALUABLE COMPLEMENT TO OUR PLACE-BASED CONSERVATION INITIATIVES.ON VERMONT AND NEW YORK'S BATTENKILL RIVER, WE JUST LAUNCHED A NEW HOME RIVERS INITIATIVE, EMBEDDING A PROFESSIONAL STAFF PERSON IN THE WATERSHED TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AND IMPROVE THE FISHERY. IN THE 1990S, ANGLERS NOTICED THE DECLINE IN BROWN TROUT-DECLINES THAT WERE CONFIRMED BY SCIENTIFIC SURVEYS. IMPROVED MANAGEMENT AND THE ADDITION OF WOOD BROUGHT THAT FISHERY BACK FROM THE BRINK OF COLLAPSE. ALTHOUGH ADDING WOOD KICK-STARTED HABITAT IMPROVEMENT, IT'S ONLY PART OF A LONG-TERM RESTORATION STRATEGY. A RECENTLY COMPLETED WATERSHED ASSESSMENT HAS INDICATED THAT WE ALSO NEED TO COMPLETE RIPARIAN PLANTINGS AND IMPROVE HABITAT CONNECTIVITY.THROUGHOUT THE RANGE OF BROOK TROUT WE HAVE WORKED TO ENHANCE STRONGHOLDS THROUGH ADDITION OF LARGE WOOD. RESEARCH BY TU AND THE VERMONT FISH AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT HAS SHOWN AN AVERAGE 150% INCREASE IN BROOK TROUT BIOMASS IN AREAS WHERE WE ADDRESSED THE DEFICIENCY IN LARGE WOODY HABITAT. WE ADDED LARGE WOOD TO DOZENS OF MILES OF STREAMS IN NEW ENGLAND, THE MID-ATLANTIC, AND THE GREAT LAKES BASIN.

---

---

Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (public 990 form dataset) from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202140299349300604_public.xml