Conservation
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 Titus Piper (fishedaz@earthlink.net) with your name,
address and zip code to receive a volunteer packet from Game
and Fish. For members without email call 622-9597. 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 have 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:
Corey Fisher
Energy Field Coordinator
Trout Unlimited
The chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Nick Rahall, recently drafted a comprehensive energy bill, H.R. 2337. This much-need bill will be considered in Committee next week, yet passage is not guaranteed. Members of that committee need to hear from our local TU Chapters and Councils. Please review and sign on and pass along to Chapters; we need to g et as many TU chapters from states with Reps. on the Committee signed on by the end of this week to make sure that key members of Congress see the letter before they vote.
Click here to open the sign on letter
Apache Trout Recovery Workday
On
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests
The OPTU Sponsored Apache Trout Recovery Workdays have been scheduled and are as follows:
- April 12 (weather permitting)Meeting place TBA -
Gather data from Hannigan Creek, Fish Creek, and KP Creek from Temperature units and replace batteries. If weather is bad we will move this agenda to August 30.
- June 21 Meet at pasture on FR116 near cattle guard 8am -
Gather data from Burro creek, WF Black, Thomson and Stinky. Survey barriers for leaks. Replace batteries
- July 19 Meet at pasture on FR116 near cattle guard 8am -
Gather data from WF LCR, EF LCR, and SF LCR. Survey barriers for leaks. Replace batteries.
- August 30 Meeting place TBA. -
Gather data from Hayground and Home Creek. Replace Batteries. If time permitting place new units in Blue Drainage for Gila Trout.
- September 20 Meeting place TBA -
Place units in Gila trout area in Blue Drainage. Gather data from Lanphier Creek, replace batteries.
Please mark your calendars. Updates will be posted here regarding
the upcoming workday dates.
Thanks for all your help with the Apache Trout Recovery efforts
in 2007 and looking forward to your participation in 2008.
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