fly fishing, conservation and politics.
Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Chouinard, appears in a commercial for American Express’ Takepart.com project
“we are part of nature and as we destroy nature we destroy ourselves. It’s a selfish thing to want to protect nature.”
We need more people who think like Yvon Chouinard does.
Watch.
Ryan Roberts, NFHAP Communications Coordinator, sent along the information below on the National Fish Habitat Annual Awards Program.
If you know someone who should be nominated contact your local fish habitat partnership. You can find them here: http://fishhabitat.org/
The submission deadline is January 29, 2010. The awards will be presented at the Jim Range National Casting Call on April 22, 2010.
THE NATIONAL FISH HABITAT ANNUAL AWARDS PROGRAM
Program Overview
The National Fish Habitat Annual Awards honor exceptional individuals or partner entities who have demonstrated a commitment to fish habitat conservation, science, or education. The awards celebrate those who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication, innovation or excellence in aquatic resource conservation. National Fish Habitat Awardees show how individuals can and do make a difference.
Awards will be made annually on the basis of nominations submitted by Fish Habitat Partnerships and the hundreds of organizations and members that make up the Partners Coalition. From the nominations submitted by Partnerships and Coalition, the National Fish Habitat Board will select several of the most meritorious for these nationally recognized awards. Honorable mentions may be made.
Eligibility
The Awards Program is open to all members of the 14 Board-recognized Fish Habitat Partnerships and members of the Partner Coalition. The planning and writing of the nominations are the responsibility of the Partnership staff and partner/coalition organizations.
Award Categories
For Exceptional Vision in support of Fish Habitat Conservation
(In Memory of Jim Range)
Purpose: to bestow a well deserved honor in the name of fish habitat conservation to someone whose career is a reflection of the enlightened and progressive nature of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan. Awarded to an individual, who sees beyond the limits of one state or region, with a focus on a national need and works accordingly and effectively.2
For Extraordinary Action in support of Fish Habitat Conservation
Purpose: to recognize outstanding conservation action(s) that has/have made a true difference in fish habitat conservation. Awarded to an individual or entity, that has implemented an on-the-ground conservation project that has demonstrated positive results in terms of fish habitat quality and/or quantity.
For Scientific Achievement in support of Fish Habitat Conservation
Purpose: To recognize outstanding achievement in the use of science to improve fish habitat conservation by bringing attention to the need for and benefits of fish habitat management. Awarded to an individual or entity, that has developed and/or implemented science-based tools, assessments, or methodologies that assist in the conservation of aquatic habitat.
For Outreach and Educational Achievement in support of Fish Habitat Conservation
Purpose: to recognize outstanding achievement in promoting and encouraging fish habitat conservation and partnerships through outreach and education. Awarded to an individual or entity, that has developed and/or implemented programs or taken other action to increase the public’s understanding and appreciation for fish habitat.
Requirements
1. Nominations in each award category should be submitted by Board-recognized Fish Habitat Partnerships or Partner Coalition members.
2. The nomination must contain a precise statement of the proposed Partnership activity/project/person deserving of the award.
3. It must show evidence of imaginative and thoughtful appraisal of the ways in which the individual / entity contributes towards achieving the goals and objectives of the NFHAP.
Preparation of the Nomination
A. Only one copy of the nomination is required. Nominations should be typed.
B. The nomination must contain the following information:
1. The award category for which the group or person(s) is being nominated.
2. The name of nominated group or person.
3. Your relationship with the person or group you are nominating.
4. If nominating a group, the contact person who represents the group.
5. A brief narrative or abstract of no more than 200 words clearly summarizing the reasons for nominating the individual /group.
You may also provide no more than four pages of supporting information that describes the actions of the nominee that merit the proposed award, and how it is related to the goals and objectives of the NFHAP, or any other information that would assist the judges in determining the merits of this nomination (Please attached these pages to your nomination form).
You should also provide your contact information as the nominator.
C. Nomination forms and supporting material should not exceed five pages.
Submission of the Nomination
Mail or fax one copy of the nomination, postmarked or faxed not later than midnight Friday January 29, 2010 to: Ryan Roberts 444 N. Capital Street, NW (Suite 725) Washington DC, 20001 rroberts@fishwildlife.org Fax: 202-624-7891 Phone: 202-624-5851
-OR-
E-mail Ryan Roberts, NFHAP Communications Coordinator at rroberts@fishwildlife.org no later than midnight Friday January 29, 2010 and attach the file containing the nomination to the E-mail. The file must be created in Microsoft Word©. In the subject line of the e-mail, please type: NFHAP Nomination.
Judging and Announcement of Awards
The nominations will be judged by the National Fish Habitat Board and awards will be presented at the Jim Range National Casting Call event in Washington DC April 22, 2010. Nominations should be prepared with this in mind and should be written for periods not longer than one calendar year. Please refer all further questions via e-mail to Communications Coordinator, Ryan Roberts at rroberts@fishwildlife.org
The Land and Water Conservation Fund provides federal dollars for conserving our national parks, forests, refuges and other public land. Those lands are our national playgrounds and provide outstanding recreational opportunities for all Americans. Outdoor recreation, especially hunting and fishing is an important economic engine.
The American Fly Fishing Trade Association President Gary Berlin’s op/ed says it well…
Many of us will be afield this fall spending time in our favorite hunting and fishing spots. We will be enjoying the tradition of these field sports so important to our lives. But as you head out to the fields, rivers and streams we want to take a moment of your time to let you know about an important tool for conservation of those areas we find near and dear to our hearts.
The United States Congress has a very full plate this fall. Important topics will be debated and may become law. Some of these policy debates present a unique opportunity to secure full and dedicated funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the principal source of federal dollars for protecting land in America’s national parks, forests, and other public landscapes and ensuring recreational opportunities for Americans in every state in the nation.
Since 1977, this fund has been authorized at $900 million per year. Most of the funds come from off-shore oil and gas leases, and are to be used for the purchase, from willing sellers, of land with outstanding natural, recreation, scenic, and other attributes, and for the development of outdoor recreation lands and facilities at the state and local level.
The fund has been chronically underfunded, leaving a huge land protection and outdoor recreation backlog. Without timely and adequate funding, important opportunities to invest in the outdoors could be lost forever.
The beauty of the fund is its unassailable logic –when the federal government gets funds from the sale of resources we all own, it should reinvest some portion of the proceeds from that sale into the dwindling irreplaceable open spaces and recreational opportunities we all need.
The outdoor recreation business is important to local communities surrounding national parks and other public lands. Local economies are made more vibrant and resilient by the natural and cultural amenities and the abundant recreational opportunities provided by parks and public lands. These amenities greatly enhance the quality of life in our communities, help large and small localities attract new residents and businesses and generate tourism-related jobs and revenues.
Hunters and anglers know how important land conservation is to outdoor recreation. Hunting and fishing has become an economic building block in our national economy generating more than 1.6 million jobs and more than $2 billion annually in salaries, wages, and business earnings. In 2006, more than $70 billion was generated in sportsmen-related retail sales. With the “ripple effect”, this translates to more than $190 billion in total economic activity.
People need to know how much we care about this fund and the special places that it protects such as parks, refuges, trails, cultural and historic places, public lands, and other recreation areas in our community.
Gary Berlin
President, American Fly Fishing Trade Association
901 Front Street, Suite B-125
Louisville, CO 80027
303-604-6132
303-604-6162 (fax)
www.affta.com
I took the occasion of a lovely fall day this past Sunday to shoot in the Hunters for the Hungry benefit shoot. I am delighted we are getting some rain here in the Valley, but the break in the weather was
The shoot took place at Flying Rabbit Sporting Clays in Mt. Crawford. It was a fun shoot with 113 shooters competing on the 100-target course.
Congratulations go to Glen Tharp, Russ Ringler, T.R. Whetzel, Jeff Smith and Nathan Mongold. Each one had the high score in their class. Tharp was high scorer overall breaking 94 of 100 targets. The winner in the long bird shoot was Waynesboro’s own Watson Lewis.
Hunters for the Hungry is one of those programs that can really make a difference to people in need. In these times of economic hardship for so many people, the generosity of hunters who share the bounty of their time afield is especially important.
Professional meat processors across the state, including a half a dozen here in the Valley, cut, wrap and freeze the meat for distribution. In 2008 food banks, church groups and the Salvation Army distributed more than 380,000 pounds of low-fat, high-protein meat to folks in need.
Those hunters who contribute some, or all, of the game they harvest are carrying on one of the proudest hunting traditions — sharing in the success of the hunt.
Too often these days hunting is seen as an out-dated pastime. Hunters are an important economic contributor to our local economy. Just as importantly, they are helping provide food that is both local and healthy —something we need to be doing more of.
In talking with the organizers of the event, John Alexander and Rick Hill, owners of Flying Rabbit, and Gary Arrington, special projects coordinator for Hunters for the Hungry, they all spoke of their appreciation for the support from the community, both financially and in the numbers of volunteers that made the event a success.
“The support from the community was 125 percent,” said Hill. Not 100 percent, 125 percent.”
The event attracted more than $10,000 in financial contributions as well as donated products and services. The volunteer support for the event was significant as well.
“We had over thirty volunteers from groups like the National Wild Turkey Federation, Quality Deer Management Association, Buckmasters as well as students from JMU,” said Alexander.
By the way, I shot a 68, respectable for me but not good enough to win a trophy.
The Virginia Council of Trout Unlimited elected new officers this past Saturday at the fall council meeting at Graves Mountain Lodge in Syria.
Outgoing president John Ross presided over the election of Bill Pierce as the new president, James “Chubby” Damron as first vice president, Richard Landreth as vice president for education, Bob Rosenthal as vice president for policy and Jason McGarvey, as vice president for communications.
David Jones, Marcia Woolman and Jay Henderson were elected to the three at-large seats and I was elected as the council’s representative to TU’s National Leadership Council.
The council also congratulated Woolman and Ross for receiving awards at Trout Unlimited’s 50th anniversary banquet in August.
TU’s highest national award for volunteer leadership was awarded to Woolman, she is the first woman to earn the award. Ross was one of seven leaders to receive the organization’s Distinguished Service Award.
Whether you hunt or fish or just enjoy the great outdoors for its on sake, when you support a community event or join a group that is working for the future of the resource you are helping keep the hunting and fishing tradition alive for future generations.
You can read more of my columns at the News Virginian.com.
The National Fish Habitat Action Plan is one of the best efforts to address the challenges of conserving important aquatic habitat.
Protecting, enhancing and restoring aquatic habitat is important because it not only helps protect drinking water supplies that are essential for human health, it is the foundation for water-based recreation.
Those of us who hunt and fish know how important clean water, wetlands and the areas along our favorite rivers and streams are. We know firsthand that healthy aquatic habitat is a key factor in our hunting and fishing success.
Last month, I participated in a conference to review the status of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan. The conference, held in Leesburg, gave federal agency representatives, members of the various fish habitat partnerships and other stakeholders a chance to review what was working, to learn how to improve the effectiveness of the partnerships and to plan for the first major report to Congress.
The NFHAP has some important goals to achieve in the next year, including completing an analysis of the nation’s fish habitats; identifying the priority fish habitats; establishing at least twelve Fish Habitat Partnerships in those priority areas; and preparing a “Status of Fish Habitats in the United States” report.
All this needs to been completed by the end of 2010. The good news is it looks like the NFHAP is on track to complete these tasks.
The National Fish Habitat Action Plan’s mission is “to protect, restore and enhance the nation’s fish and aquatic communities through partnerships that foster fish habitat conservation and improve the quality of life for the American people.”
The NFHAP grew out of an initiative championed by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies in September 2003. They took on the task of developing a national strategy and coordinating existing efforts into a cohesive initiative. The resulting National Fish Habitat Initiative became “a science-based, voluntary and non-regulatory, nationwide strategy.”
The initiative was endorsed by a variety of stakeholders, many State fish and wildlife agency leaders, national conservation organizations and Federal agencies such as the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
In April of 2006 the National Fish Habitat Action Plan was established by agreement with the Departments of Interior and Commerce and Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. A governing board was set up and guidelines for the establishment of recognized partnerships were created. Projects from the various partnerships are reviewed by the NFHAP board who then make funding recommendations to the federal agencies.
Legislation, know as the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act, to codify the NFHAP and authorize project funding – at $75 million annually – was introduced in Congress this spring.
Here in the Valley the Fish Habitat Partnership you are most likely to hear about is the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture. I am pleased to serve as the vice-chairman for the joint venture and am proud of the work that has been accomplished since it began.
Recently, the EBTJV recommended funding for a project here on the North River above Elkhorn Reservoir. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved that funding and the money should be available to the state soon.
Historically, sections of the North River were among the best and largest native brook trout water in Virginia. Back in the 1950s and 60s the North River was “straightened” so floodwaters could be quickly removed from a road that had been built in the flood plain. The U.S. Forest Service has since relocated the road and the channels no longer are needed.
The state, working with the U.S. Forest Service and local conservation groups like Trout Unlimited are restoring sections of the river to the natural pool and riffle configuration and provide summer refuge for the brook trout. When the project is complete, several native brook trout tributaries will also have been connected.
We are fortunate here in the Valley to have an abundance of hunting and fishing opportunities. Because of the hard work of your friends and neighbors who support local hunting, fishing and conservation groups those opportunities will continue to improve.
You can read more of my columns at News Virginian.com
Two good friends, Geoff Ratte and Martin MacDonald, were elected to the American Sportfishing Association’s board of directors. Congratulations gentleman the industry is lucky to have you working on their behalf!
Here is ASA’s Press Release:
American Sportfishing Association Elects Board of Directors Members
Industry leaders will address a wide-range of sportfishing issues
Alexandria, VA – June 29, 2009 – Six members of the American Sportfishing Association’s (ASA) Board of Directors were elected or re-elected to fill three regional seats and three at-large seats. Their terms begin October 1, 2009, and they will serve two-year terms. ASA’s board members may serve three, consecutive two-year terms.
Regional seats went to Martin MacDonald, director of Conservation, Bass Pro Shops, Springfield, Mo., who will serve the South Central Region; Bob Eakes,president, Red Drum Tackle Shops, Buxton, N.C., who will serve the Southeast Region (re-elected); and Dick Pool, president, Pro-Troll Fishing Products,Concord, Calif., who will serve the West Region. Eakes was re-elected for a third, two-year term. MacDonald and Pool will serve a two-year term. Pool has previously served on ASA’s Board of Directors.
At-Large seats went to John Jilling, president, Wright & McGill Company, Denver, Colo. (re-elected); Geoff Ratte, Water Gremlin Company, St. Paul, Minn.; andDave Bulthuis, vice president of Sales, Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, Inc., Daytona Beach, Fla. Jilling and Ratte were re-elected to serve a third and second two-year term respectively. Bulthuis was elected to his first two-year term.
“We’ve got a great mix of talent, experience and perspective with the incoming Board of Directors who will compliment an already impressive group of individuals,” said Mike Nussman, ASA president and CEO. “The members of the American Sportfishing Association will be well-served by these dynamic leaders, industry veterans and steadfast advocates for the sportfishing industry. I look forward to working with everyone and thank them for their time and support.”
Martin MacDonald was elected to his first term on ASA’s board of directors. MacDonald plans to address introducing adults to fishing, general sportfishing education and economic vibrancy in the sportfishing industry. Bob Eakes, who was re-elected to his third, two-year term on the ASA board, plans to use his time on the board to continue to address angler access issues. Dick Pool, an industry veteran, was elected for a two-year term and has previously served six years on ASA’s board. Pool plans to address the association’s role in advocating for fisheries resources and the individual angler. John Jilling, was re-elected to his serve his third, two-year term. Jilling has been with Wright & McGill for 36 years, the last 11 as president. He has also served as ICAST Show Committee chairman. He plans to focus on angler access and recruitment and fisheries resources issues. Geoff Ratte was elected to his second, two-year term. He’s been with Water Gremlin Company for 33 years. For over half that time, Ratte has represented the sportfishing industry’s interests on many ASA committees as well as state and federal industry working groups and committees. He currently has a seat on the Sportfishing and Boating Partnership Council. Dave Bulthuis, elected to his first, two-year term, currently serves as ICAST Show Committee chairman. He plans to dedicate his time on the board to addressing issues that preserve and grow the sport and the industry.
The current members of the Board of Directors are; Jeff Pontius, ZEBCO Brands (Chairman); Jeff Marble, Frabill, Inc. (Vice Chairman); Gregg Wollner, RapalaUSA, (Secretary); Peter Foley, Boone Bait Company, Inc. (Treasurer);Randy Lemcke, Plano Molding Company (Immediate Past Chairman); Thomas Dammrich, National Marine Manufacturers Association; Ed Dinkins, Boy Scouts of America; Bob Eakes, Red Drum Tackle Show, Inc.; John Frampton, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources; John Jilling, Wright & McGill Company; Jay Jolly; Jim Lebson, G. Loomis, Inc.; Chip Powell, Mason Tackle Company; Geoff Ratte, Water Gremlin Company; Bruce Stanton, PRADCO-Fishing; Gary Zurn, Big Rock Sports; Ken Hammond, The Hammond Group (ex-officio); and Darrell Lowrance, (ex-officio).
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The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) is the sportfishing industry’s trade association, committed to looking out for the interests of the entire sportfishing community. We give the industry a unified voice speaking out when emerging laws and policies could significantly affect sportfishing business or sportfishing itself. We invest in long-term ventures to ensure the industry will remain strong and prosperous as well as safeguard and promote the enduring economic and conservation values of sportfishing in America. ASA also represents the interests of America’s 60 million anglers who generate over $45 billion in retail sales with a $125 billion impact on the nation’s economy creating employment for over one million people.
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ASA Communications
American Sportfishing Association
225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 420
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 519-9691 ex. 222