Trout Unlimited is a "fringe environmental group"

[FarmerDave]

That reminds me. I noticed that I got my DU renewal notice yesterday.

Not a typo.

 

[RyanR]

For you guys that still think TU is a fringe group or alienates anglers that fish for stocked trout here's a little story of some recent activity by local chapter members. On my way home from work last Friday I took a significant detour just to drive along one of my favorite creeks, Martins Creek. There's an unstocked class A section as well as a long section of stocked water (that meets class A by the way but we're not forcing the issue at all.) Anyway, I rounded a sharp curve in the road and looked over at one of the favorite pull-offs in the stocked stretch and was very upset by what I saw. A significant pile of trash had been dumped, purposely, right along the bank.

I no longer live nearby and I didn't have any stuff with me to pick it up so I e-mailed my fellow chapter members to let them know and see if we could schedule an emergency cleanup (we always have one scheduled for the week after opening day but I didn't think this shoud wait and didn't want anglers to have to see it on opening say, especially kids.) Within 2hrs of emailing these guys on a Sunday, several of them went down and cleaned most of it up. It was a pile of headlights and other automotive debris. Yesterday my 70yr old father took a 5 gallon bucket down there to shovel up a pile of auto glass, he filled it up. He just told me this morning he's headed back down to get what remains. THIS is what TU chapters do on our local streams, we see a problem and we act for the betterment of the trout and all anglers.

Interesting to note that this spot is very popular with many local anglers, at least some of whom I sure drove by it and yet didn't do anything about it. So while there may be many more PA trout stamp buyers out there that aren't TU members, the simple fact is that a small group of trout stamp buyers, TU members, are out there shouldering the load of protecting, restoring and generally giving a darn about there local streams. If it weren't TU (and some other groups) there simply wouldn't be as many places in PA to even fish for stocked trout as we are blessed to have here.

 

[Night_Stalker]

I'm outta here to get some casts in before I go to the Fringe meeting tonight...then lots of schemimg

 

[Maurice]

Night_Stalker wrote:
I'm outta here to get some casts in before I go to the Fringe meeting tonight...then lots of schemimg

Me too...

 

[FarmerDave]

For the record, I don't think DU or TU are fringe groups. I was just trolling. I feel so dirty now. Both are great organizations.;-)

 

[k-bob]

still may be a... fringe of the fringe

 

[mic]

I recently joined tu,an look forward to doing my part in helping to preserve our trout waters.I am also a registerd voter and plan to do my cleaning at the polls too

 

[Chaz]

If not T.U. then Who?

 

[FarmerDave]

Chaz wrote:
If not T.U. then Who?

Was that a joke? (your avatar)

 

[Mike]

Chaz, these days there are plenty of groups that do habitat work on streams other than TU, depending upon the county or drainage basin. All are welcomed in this regard, including TU. For example, check out how much work the Mill Ck watershed association has done in Lancaster Co. They accomplish in one season what it takes years to accomplish by some other groups. Again, any and all work is appreciated. Secondly, check the work done by the Schuylkill Headwaters Association.

 

[pcray1231]

It is kind of interesting that on paflyfish you have these two common types of posts regarding TU:

1) TU is fringe, extremist, bad, I cannot support them, etc.

In this thread I did not see a single one of this type of post. Couple said they were fringe, and by definition, most special interest groups are fringe. We are the enthusiasts, and that makes us fringe! But nobody said they were bad or that they cannot support them.

FWIW, I am a TU member and I do support them. However, I will say that over-time I've begun to believe that my dollar may do more lasting good in the hands of a watershed association or conservancy.

It's not an either/or thing, they're all good organizations. Just a matter of looking for the best bang for your buck.

 

[Mike]

Pcray,
Being a TU member would be a conflict of interest for me, at least in Pa, but I am in a unique circumstance. I used to be a member of the Delaware River Shad Fishermens Association for a number of years, but I could see things changing and dropped out because I thought it would also become a conflict of interest...and it did. So it is not just TU. I never thought about joining BASS, although LMB mgmt is one of my specialties and given my role in coastal striped bass mgmt in recent years I could not join a striper group either. I would be ok with most watershed associations, however, and I have considered donating to some groups whose work I have witnessed. I could not join just any watershed group, but I have been particularly impressed with some. When there could be or is a conflict between a club or organization to which I belong and my employer it is better to not be a member in my view.

 

[FarmerDave]

What about Ducks Unlimited?

DU does a lot of environmental work that benefits both warm and cold water fisheries and yet, there is likely no conflict for you.

You don't hunt waterfowl? Neither do I, at least not yet.

Just sayin.

 

[Mike]

Farmer Dave,
I don't know enough about them to say for sure, but from what I have seen of their work in Lancaster Co, I would tend to agree. I don 't hunt, but I am a birder. The group does great things for riparian habitat and stream banks.

 

[FarmerDave]

It's why I joined DU instead of TU. I have nothing against TU, it's just that DU does more around where I live and they have nicer gifts for joining.;-)

As I said, I haven't hunted water fowl yet, but I do have a nice recipe for Goose pastrami that I got from this site so who knows.

 

[Chaz]

Mike wrote:
Chaz, these days there are plenty of groups that do habitat work on streams other than TU, depending upon the county or drainage basin. All are welcomed in this regard, including TU. For example, check out how much work the Mill Ck watershed association has done in Lancaster Co. They accomplish in one season what it takes years to accomplish by some other groups. Again, any and all work is appreciated. Secondly, check the work done by the Schuylkill Headwaters Association.

Mike, I wasn't saying that TU was the only group out there, but I'm glad you answered because to me there are far to few anglers that are doing their share. Because some have a thing against T.U. it's valuable information for these anglers to know there are alternatives. My question was more rhetorical then anything else. More like, What would you have T.U. do?

 

[RyanR]

Mike, TU often works in partnership with many other organizations, including watershed associations. Often, we share the same goals. I can't tell you how many times TU members have helped out at Watershed Association projects and vice versa.

Recently, the EPA enacted Clean Water Act requirements for the proposed Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, the world's greatest wild salmon fishery. This is a major win (though not a final victory) for protecting this vital fishery from irreparable harm or destruction. I'm proud to say I'm a member of TU, a group that has been at the very forefront of this effort to protect Bristol Bay from harm from this proposed mine. TU has led a charge here for years, a dedicated effort that helped to gain more and more partners and supporters from within the Alaskan community and around the country and world. For me, that is what epitomizes what TU is all about.

 

[outsider]

I met Tom Wolf through business years ago. He will get my vote.