The
TROUT TALE
The official newsletter of the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited Volume 2, Issue 2
Winter 2014
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: A fond farewell from former WYTU Chairman Mike Jensen.....Page 2
Hazlewood appointed as Interim Chair of WYTU Wyoming Trout Unlimited (WYTU) Vice Chairman Calvin Hazlewood has been appointed as interim chairman of WYTU. The appointment became official on November 30 after the WYTU executive committee voted on the matter during their monthly meeting on Nov. 25. Hazlewood’s appointment comes after former WYTU chair Mike Jensen resigned his position due to his recent career move to Calvin New Mexico to Hazlewood publish four newspapers for Stevenson Newspapers. Hazlewood served as vice chairman for WYTU and also currently serves as president of the Seedskadee TU Chapter in Green River/Rock Springs. “Without question, Calvin is the right person to step into this position. He will take this outstanding organization to the next level,” said Jensen. A special election will be held at the council’s spring meeting in May to officially fill the chairman position as well as Hazlewood’s vacant vice chair position, and other positions if need be.
Reflecting on the past... and the future
By STEVEN BRUTGER Wyoming Energy Coordinator Sportsmen’s Conservation Project
I
ce is starting to form on many rivers and most of the big game seasons are closed. It’s time to tie flies, sip whisky by the fire and maybe chase a few birds if you are so inclined. The beginning of winter is also a good time to take stock on the year, look at what we have accomplished and take note of where we are headed. For the Sportsmen’s Conservation Project it has been a busy, A gorgeous Wyom ing cutthroat trout . successful year, but much remains to be WYTU PHOTO/Ste ven Brutger done. Southwest Wyoming’s Little Mountain area remains one of Trout Unlimited’s (TU) highest priorities in the state. This year, in addition to habitat improvements on Red Creek and reconnecting several miles of spawning habitat on Gooseberry Creek, we moved closer to the creation of a long-term management plan for the area that will help protect these places for generations to come. The Bureau of Land Management is updating their management plan for the next 20 years and we have been working closely with them, and other stakeholders, to ensure that it protects this unique area and the investment that TU has put into restoring native trout habitat. We have also been successful in preventing trans-basin diversions, like the Million Pipeline, from moving forward. The Green River supports a sustainable economy that includes agriculture, recreation, and world-class fisheries, which would be jeopardized by shipping water from the Green to be used for watering lawns in Colorado. To help be part of the solution, TU has just completed a report, called “Filling the Gap,” that provides a series of recommendations for how communities can manage their water supplies more efficiently, decreasing the need for projects like the one Mr. Million proposed. To protect our rivers and their resources, we will continue working to develop solutions
update
See REFLECTIONS, page 3