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ConservationFFF's Response to Hatcheries' FundingApril 1, 2011 Members of the Southern Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers: By now most of you are keenly aware of the travesty which the Federal Government's proposal under the new Budget Cuts will affect our Trout in the areas of our Council! From the first day of the announcement which was sent out on the internet, members of the Friends of the Norfork and I have been on a campaign to assist in the fight for our fisheries. Thru the efforts lead by members and officers of the Southern Council of the FFF and others, many actions have been taken. Our committee has been working behind the scenes to attempt to implore the various members of the Committees of the Federal Government as well as the individual Congressional Members from the effected States, to work on our behalf and save the Hatcheries! Most individuals are not aware of the work which has taken place behind the scenes by your National Federation of Fly Fishers, as well as the Southern Council and its Officers. As the National Governmental Affairs Chairman of the F.F.F. my job is to combat any issue which may affect the waters and the hatcheries which support them. I have a special stake in this operation given the fact I have also been the Vice President of Development of the Southern Council for the past three years! The work was taken on not only by me but another member of the National Committee, Rob Uselton who is also with the Southern Council Executive Committee. The very day this hit the media we moved into action. Various members in many states worked with Rob and I on the best manner in which to combat the Federal Government Budget Cuts. We are urging your support in writing your Congressmen and Senators, speaking your mind in writing. Please know one thing, the act of sending out "Internet Petitions" are for the most part....ignored when it comes to this kind of action. The only thing they pay attention to is one-on-one phone calls, hard-paper letters, and personal visits! When we talk about letters, make them printed on a computer but please above all else, sign them with a blue pen so it does not look like it is off a copier! What has been stated in the past, the so-called "trickle-down effect", will be devastating! Not only to the immediate physical objects such as abandoned buildings which we will have, but the people with whom this will not only touch, but beat the heck out of their lives. This takes the livelihood away from the people who have given their lives to all the rivers bring to the communities. Not only will the hatcheries be impacted, but thousands of people will be affected. These people are our neighbors, friends and family. The rivers and lakes provide tangible livings to the people, companies and towns they come in contact with! The people who are the Fly Fishing Guides, Fly Tying material producers, Boat House owners, small stores, grocery stores, gas stations, boat builders and many thousands more! Yes, we are in an economic depression, no matter what the Federal Government calls it they are not the people trying to make a living from the waters of our great country. With this added to their misery, it could be what pushes them over the edge to losing their houses, possessions and most of all....their families. They need to keep their dignity, jobs and knowledge that what they do affects thousands of others! PLEASE join in with the few who have stood against the many! Join with us in doing everything in your power to contact your Congressmen and Senators. Help us keep the Federal Government and the Proposed Budget Cuts from devastating of our Hatcheries and thus the people of our great States! If you have a problem locating YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS remember, they always have their names, address and phone numbers pasted all over the internet. They always are begging us for our vote, our money and our understanding on what our country needs - in their opinion, now is the time we tell the what we believe our country needs them to do! Rise up and take a stand for the Hatcheries and the people who make up the various departments. Help the real people who make a difference in the people, cities and towns of our States. Thank you for your time and may God Bless America! Wm. Howard Malpass SOC Conservation ReportBy Paul Goodwin, SOC VP of Conservation SOC conservation project fundingThe SOC board of directors has budgeted $2,500 for conservation project funding in 2011. Guidelines for SOC conservation grant requests are as follows:
All SOC clubs are encouraged to individually or collectively apply. The FFF has also budgeted a nominal $1,500 per council towards conservation projects. The new Conservation Small Grants program is directed at the Councils. Briefly, FFF's National office will make available to each of the 15 councils a conservation grant of $1,500. Application for the conservation project funding will utilize FFF's current , available on the FFF web site. Each application will pass through the FFF Conservation Committee for approval. The Council or Club will be required to match with funds or labor. The FFF will pay half up front, other half at completion, with a 24 month completion requirement. Any Council applying for a conservation grant must have a VP of Conservation. SOC could theoretically grant or endorse up to $4,000 in funding, however, there is no guarantee of receiving this total. Please use the SOC Conservation Project Funding Request, available on the SOC web site. Partnerships with other clubs or organizations (for funding, labor and in-kind contributions) are strongly encouraged. SOC/FFF would also like to receive recognition in local media for its participation in the project. Be sure to consider a media plan as part of your project's plan. Grantees are expected to report on the outcome of their project. Ideally, a narrative of the project, its completion and pertinent photos will be supplied to SOC for publication in the Long Casts. FORM: SOC CONSERVATION PROJECT FUNDING REQUEST [ MS Word | PDF ] What is the Future of National Fish Hatcheries?The future may or may not be what flyfishers and the residents in the Southern Council have come to expect. Budget cuts are looming over many areas of the 2012 National Budget. On Febraury 14th, President Obama will be recommending his budget including cuts for the Department of Interior - US Fish and Wildlife Service among others. It has been said "This is not a bad idea. However one of the suggested cuts is for 7 million dollars from the Department of the Interior and we are also told that the Dept of the Interior plans to help meet those cuts by reducing the fish hatcheries in the Southeast Region. This would in effect close down the Greers Ferry Hatchery and perhaps the Norfork and others." Sounds harsh doesn't it. As flyfishers, we contribute to the economic stability within the Southern Council boundaries which may actually be greater than the operation of the National Fish hatcheries in our boundaries. Yet we cannot afford to lose one hatchery. It is time to let our collective voice be made known. How can this be done? Each letter, phone call or email message directed to a United States Senator or Representatives will do its part. Let each one know you and your organized friends do not want to lose any hatchery and its benefit to the residents in the Southern Council. Who are the US Senators and Representatives living in the Southern Council?In order to contact these US Senators or Representatives, review the following documents. Please note that not all listed Senators or Representatives may be within the actual boundaries of the Southern Council but are from the states that comprise the Southern Council. Become familar with your own state's districts in order to determine who is your representative in the Senate or House.
To write an online message to your US Representatives directly, visit https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml. Now do your part and contact your elected representative or senator. Larry Murphy Wolf River Conservancy Receives Conservation GrantWe appreciate the support of the Federation of Fly fishers, and the Mid South Fly Fishers, for helping us to reforest fields on property that we have protected, forever, along the Wolf River. Additional notes: $600 was givin to MSFF. Thanks again! Arkansas, Kansas and Tennessee Residents Contact Your Senators! RE: Senate Bill 881 and House Bill 2099"An emerging threat to the nation’s largest national forest – the Tongass NF in Southeast Alaska – which could have significant impacts on fish and game, and opportunities for fishing and hunting in the region." says Scott Hed, Director, Sportsmen's Alliance for Alaska. Scott is asking those from Arkansas, Kansas and Tennessee to write a letter to their Senators, who are on the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee about pending legislation which may be coming up for debate in the coming weeks. Download Scott Hed's PDF letter to discover the remaining details of his urgent request if you live in AR, KS or TN. Larry Murphy Lower Mountain Fork River Foundations says "Thanks!"To: Federation of Fly Fisher – Southern Council Re: Re-regulation dam clean out, Lower Mountain Fork River To All Members, As project manager, I would like to take a moment and thank you for your generous donation to get the low flow pipes cleaned out at the re-regulation dam on the Lower Mountain Fork River. As many of you may know and seems obvious, one of the major problems that plague southern trout fisheries is warm water. This is as true on our river as it is anywhere else. Over the years, these major problems have been identified and actually led to the formation of the Lower Mountain Fork River Foundation to help the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation fund and correct these areas of concern as well as to provide funding for general restoration of, and improvements on the river. Zone III, the stretch of the LMFR below the re-regulation dam, is some of the best naturally occurring trout habitat on the river. In fact, the Oklahoma State record brown trout was caught in the section a few years ago. However, it has been plagued by the inability of cold water to get past this dam during the summer months. It has been this way since the inception of the fishery. With the cooperation of the United States Corp. of Engineers, the ODWC, the Oklahoma Board of Tourism, Southwestern Power Administration, and with donations from groups like yours, we have been able to come up with a viable plan, and all necessary funding, to remedy this problem once and for all. If the final few pieces of the puzzle fall into place, we will see this project completed during the fall months of this year. Once again, for all the people who call the LMFR their home waters or who come and fish occasionally and for the future fisherman who will come to this great fishery, I want to thank you for your support in a project that is so important to sustaining and improving year-round trout habitat on the Lower Mountain Fork River. Best Wishes and Tight Lines, Dr. Patrick Waters Conservation ConcernsBy Paul Goodwin, SOC VP of Conservation SOC Endorses LMFR Foundation Funding RequestFFF Southern Council has endorsed FFF national conservation funding of a request from the Lower Mountain Fork River Foundation. LMFR Foundation submitted a plan to restore functioning to the low-flow discharge pipes in the re-regulation dam eight miles below Broken Bow Reservoir in Beaver's Bend State Park. Beaver's Bend State Park is located in extreme south eastern Oklahoma. The re-regulation dam was built to mitigate damage from high river flows caused by power generation. The low-flow pipes are supposed to allow a gradual release of water behind the re-regulation dam, but these pipes have become clogged by debris. As a result, higher temperature water is retained behind the dam and flows over the dam spillway. This limits trout-friendly habitat below the dam. The project will utilize funding from a variety of sources, including matching funds from the Federal Sport Fish Restoration Fund and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Once completed, the project hopes to create viable year-round trout habitat, stabilize river flow and decrease average water temperature below the re-regulation dam. This in turn, should help to relieve ever-increasing fishing pressure on the upstream areas of the Lower Mountain Fork River. FFF SOC will also consider funding this project at the January 2010 SOC board meeting. Return to Crane CreekSOC provided conservation funds to Southwest Missouri Fly Fishers in 2008 to remediate erosion by planting 36 three-gallon trees along Crane Creek. Since that time, there have been three major floods whose waters rose above the trees, their support posts and protective fencing. The most recent flood scoured soil from around the root balls and severely bent many of the sapling trees. SMFF members added six-foot T posts to support the trees, replaced scoured out soil and re-mulched. This serves as a good example of the kind of on-going monitoring that is often necessary in order to ensure a positive return on the initial investment of labor and funding for a particular conservation project.
Issues of national concernFFF is monitoring two important pieces of federal conservation legislation. HR 2565 is called the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act. The National Fish Habitat Conservation Act was introduced to conserve the United States fish and aquatic communities through partnerships that foster fish habitat conservation and improve the quality of life for the people of the United States, and for other purposes. The 2009 House version, mirrors the 2008 version of the bill that was introduced by Congressman Kind and co-sponsored by now-retired Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD-1st). Find out more at this link http://fishhabitat.org/. HR 2055 is called the Pacific Salmon Stronghold Conservation Act. The North American Salmon Stronghold Partnership complements salmon recovery activities by supporting proactive, collaborative conservation projects, and focusing resources on a network of our most abundant, productive and diverse salmon river ecosystems--America's wild salmon strongholds. Find out more at this link http://www.wildsalmoncenter.org/programs/north_america/strongholds.php. "Minimum Flow" Crosses First HurdleMembers urged to write Congressional Delegation regarding required funding. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers just completed a huge step toward making into reality the "Minimum Flow" projects on the North Fork and White River tailwaters. By signing the "Record of Decision" on Friday, January 16, the Corps officially opened the doorway to the two projects. "This is a big development for the quality of these waters," said Steve Wilson, a Friends board member, and an expert on Arkansas fisheries (Wilson retired from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission). Mike Biggs, project manager at the Corps of Engineers' Little Rock district, listed to the RiverReport last September the remaining steps for the completion of the project:
The biggest of these hurdles appears to be funding for the Empire Electric buyout (which in the Environmental Impact Study was set at $35 million). This funding will require Congressional authorization. (See sidebar for tool.) "We applaud Congressman Berry for publicly stating his commitment to this project," said Wilson. "His leadership in keeping the momentum will be crucial." The following information summarizes benefits predicted by the Corps' Environmental Impact Study (for a more detailed analysis, see September's RiverReport page 3; for the complete and final EIS document, click here). The EIS projects increased natural production of trout food, and improved water temperatures for trout. Write Congress Now !Download and edit a sample letter to our congressional delegation (MS Word). The sample contains only a starting point for your letter. It also includes mailing addresses and fax numbers for Congressman Berry, Senator Pryor and Senator Lincoln. For effectiveness, these letters should be either mailed or faxed (email not recommended for this effort); Impact Study: Key FindingsWhite River Quality:
Norfork River Quality:
Wading Conditions
Infrastructure
Benefits-to-Costs Ratios:
Source: Friends of the North Fork and White Rivers Report on the Status of 2008 SOC Conservation Grants
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