Frye Creek Gila Trout Stocking

Flying fish in the forest
Entities team up to copter in endangered Gila trout to Arizona stream

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/fishing/news/story?id=4663995

Conservation

Trout Unlimited, AZ State Council

Comment on Uranium Mining near Grand Canyon NP

BLM DEIS released, comment period now open
BLM has released the Draft EIS which contains 4 options regarding a moratorium on uranium mining near Grand Canyon National Park, Option B is the preferred Option which provides for a 20 year mora torium on nearly 1 million acres of federal land adjacent to GCNP. Anglers and conservationists must have their voices heard on this important issue.! Our water resources, wildlife and fisheries are too important to risk. Comment Now!
More Details

U.S. Bans Mining Claims Near Grand Canyon - January 9th 2012

AZTU Position Statement
Besides being a critical water resource for inhabitants of the desert southwest, the Colorado River is home to a unique fishery that con tains many native species including some which are threatened and endangered. Additionally 15 miles of the upper river below Glen Can yon Dam is a world renowned trout fishing destination. It is impera tive that sound science and management practices be fully examined prior to any uranium mining operations. The scars left behind by uranium mining will not heal in a hundred lifetimes, and the risk to the Colorado River is significant. As a result, Arizona Trout Unlimited opposes new uranium mining operations in and adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park without the due diligence that a 20 year mora torium on uranium mining provides.

Ways to Comment
Email: NAZproposedwithdrawal@azblm.org

Grassroots Activist Network

At the center of TU's efforts to raise the profile of coldwater conservation is the Grassroots Activist Network - TU members who have volunteered to contact their members of Congress, Governors, members of state legislatures and natural resource agencies on issues of importance to trout and salmon. Grassroots Activists receive brief summaries or Action Alerts of issues pending before government decision-makers that could harm or help coldwater fisheries, and guidance on how to be an effective voice for trout and salmon.
As we work to protect fish and their waters, we need your support and involvement to carry the conservationist message. To join the Grassroots Activist Network, please send an email containing your mailing address to grassrootsactivist@tu.org

Volunteering - AZ Game & Fish Sport Fishing Program

Email Joe Fagan (JFaganFishEd@gmail.com) with your name, address and zip code to receive a volunteer packet from Game and Fish. For members without email call 730-6398. After completing the packet, go to G&F to get fingerprinted, then send the packet to Phoenix. After a background check you will receive a calendar of events.

Other Conservation Opportunities

Dear OPTU Members,
My name is Erica Sontz, and I am a graduate student at the University of Arizona in the Fisheries Science program. I am also the treasurer of the student chapter of AFS/TU. I realize that our chapter hasn't been very active, but we've just recruited some undergraduate students and we hope to start doing some regular projects in the coming semesters. In the meantime, the undergraduates are about ready to head home for the summer, but the graduate students are still hard at work.
My project involves developing a captive breeding and culture program for two native Arizona fishes of concern: the roundtail chub (Gila robusta) and headwater chub (G. nigra). The roundtail chub is still considered a sportfish species in Arizona, though with the recent listing of the headwater chub as a candidate species, that could change in the future (due to difficulties in telling one from the other). I will be spawning adult broodstock and running some experimental trials over the summer to test different conditions under which to rear these fish in a hatchery setting. The results of my experiments will be used by state (AZGFD) and federal (USFWS, USBR, USBLM)
I am in need of volunteers to help me during the summer months. My research lab is located on the University of Arizona campus, and my propagation lab (which houses the adult broodstock) is located on the West Campus Ag Farm. I can accommodate any kind of time commitment and schedule (from just an hour or two a week to as much as someone wants to offer). In addition, my major advisor has some other native endangered fish species housed in his labs, including the Gila chub (G. intermedia), Yaqui chub (G. purpurea) and Mohave tui chub (Siphateles bicolor mohavensis). We also have a post-doctoral student working on some projects that involve invasive crayfish, with opportunities to go out into the field to sample crayfish populations in a variety of locations (including the White Mtns, so fly fishing on these trips may be an option).
If any OPTU members are interested in native fish husbandry/hatchery techniques, learning about captive breeding program development and evaluation, or working with invasive species, please contact me. If several people are interested in doing a group volunteer effort, maybe combined with a lie and tie at the lab during the volunteer shift, we would be happy to break out a coffee pot and some snacks to accommodate.
My contact information:
Erica Sontz sontz@email.arizona.edu

Conservation - Action Items

A Note From: