1000 Miles Campaign

This will be a little bit off the standard format for the ACF Feed…more conservation based than pure nature and fly porn.

 

To get the whole story requires that we start back at the IFTD show in Reno.  I was not able to attend this year but there were a fair number of non-traditional media present…aka bloggers.  While out at IFTD, and hopefully with some delicious Fat Tire  in hand, there was some discussion around how to have easier interaction with each other as a group.  This interaction would include everything from writing tips and IT fixes to conservation items and other social issues.  Essentially…how can we help each other with the day to day stuff and, more importantly, how can we leverage our audiences in a more efficient manner when a worthy item needs to get out there. 

To that end Andrew Bennett, from Deneki Outdoors, took the first step when he returned by creating a closed group on Facebook as a sort of gathering place for these discussions to take place.  There have been quite a few discussions, some more spirited than others, but the most recent idea that came out was very interesting to me.  Chris Hunt, TU National Communications Director, asked about interest in doing some virtual ‘brown bag’ style conference calls.  The idea being that on these calls we have people pertinent to an issue call in and give us their perspective then allow us to ask some questions. 

The response was very positive to that idea so today I participated in the first of what I hope is many such calls.  Chris was able to set up today’s call around the ‘1000 Miles Campaign’, which is a joint project of Orvis and TU.  To discuss the campaign we featured ‘guest speakers’ Dave Perkins, Vice Chairman at Orvis, and TU VP for Eastern Conservation Elizabeth Maclin.  In addition to our speakers there were a dozen or so other blogger present.  I was unable to keep up with all the names, but included were Jason from Fontinalis Rising, Koz from True North Trout, Matt from Fishing Poet, Christine from Fly Fish Chick...a pretty diverse group for sure.

The basic goal of the 1000 Miles Campaign is over the next decade to open up 1000 miles of new coldwater habitat to trout and salmon across the country that is currently threatened by faulty culverts and other man-made barriers.  The campaign’s goals include not only increasing overall trout habitat from coast to coast, but improving fishing opportunity resulting from stream improvements. 

“Culverts are significant impediments to fish passage and survival – just as significant as a major dam – but the solution is dramatically simpler, costs less, and the overall benefits to many watersheds is profound,” said Dave Perkins, Vice Chairman of Orvis. “By removing these impediments, we not only add vital habitat for fish, but we also open many miles of fishable waters for anglers.  We’re proud to partner with TU in this effort to engage the fly-fishing community in support of this often overlooked opportunity to dramatically improve fish habitat across the country.”

Here are the sites currently selected for work:

·         Murphy Brook, a tributary to the Connecticut River in New Hampshire

·         Tabor  Brook, a tributary to the Connecticut River in New Hampshire

·         Kinne Brook, a tributary to the Westfield River in Massachusetts

·         Coyner Springs, a tributary to the South River near Waynesboro, Va.

·         Crazy Creek, a tributary to the Crooked River in the Upper Deschutes River drainage in Oregon

·         Aldrich Brook, a tributary to Azizschos Lake and the Magalloway River in Maine

·         Yellow Creek, a tributary to the Bear River in southwest Wyoming

·         Big Slough Creek, a Driftless Areas stream in Jackson County, Wisconsin

·         Mabel Creek, a coastal cutthroat trout stream in Oregon.

“Opening up 1,000 miles of new habitat for trout and salmon over the next 10 years is an ambitious goal, but we think we can do it,” said Elizabeth Maclin, TU’s vice president for eastern conservation. “We’re lucky to have dedicated partners like the people at Orvis—they’ve always been very supportive of the work we do, and their commitment to this project means the world to us.”

If you would like to learn more head over to the ‘1000 Miles Campaign’ site. 

I think that this is a great project, but as with all projects it takes money to pull it off.  It is easy to make a donation and Orvis has pledged matching funds!  Hopefully some of you will join me in giving a donation for this project.  If you would like to support the ‘1000 Miles Campaign’ then simply head over to the Orvis-TU fund page and they make the rest easy for you.

Thanks for listening to the soapbox.  Next post is back to the usual….flies, flies, and more flies!

-mike schmidt

www.anglerschoiceflies.com