WHAT IS TROUT
UNLIMITED?
Trout Unlimited is a national conservation organization dedicated to
protecting coldwater fisheries and their watersheds.
It is an intelligent, reasonable voice for conserving and managing
fisheries resources, and has been so for 40 years.
T.U. is often the only voice heard on behalf of trout and salmon on
dammed rivers.
TU’s mission is to conserve, protect and restore North America’s
trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds.
We accomplish this mission on local, state and national levels with an
extensive and dedicated volunteer network.
The national office, based just outside of Washington, D.C., employs
professionals who testify before Congress, publish TU’s quarterly magazine,
intervene in federal legal proceedings and work with TU’s grassroots
volunteers to keep them active and involved in conservation issues.
Trout Unlimited was born in 1959, on
the banks of Michigan’s Au Sable River, when a small group of Michigan anglers
banded together to ensure the health of trout, their habitat and the sport of
angling. Just two years later, the
fledgling conservation organization won its first victory: Michigan had replaced
its indiscriminate stocking of catchable-sized trout with stream improvement
programs, fingerling planting and protective fishing regulations designed to
protect the wild, native fish. So
began TU’s connection with the concept of catch-and-release espoused by the
legendary Lee Wulff. “A
good gamefish is too valuable to be caught only once,” --- Lee Wulff,
1938.
The Long Island Chapter of Trout
Unlimited was chartered in 1973. Since
the three major streams on Long Island (Connetquot River, Nissequogue River, and
Carmans River) are under the control of the Parks Commission, there generally is
not a great amount of stream work to be done.
As a result, L.I.T.U., early on, made fund-raising for conservation as a
major focus of the organization. L.I.T.U.
was one of first chapters to participate in Trout Unlimited’s National
Conservation Banquet Program. In
2007, L.I.T.U.’s 34th year, our chapter will sponsor its 26th Annual National
Conservation Banquet. These
banquets have been a major fund-raiser for both the national organization and
the local chapters. Through this
program, L.I.T.U. has been able to donate over $50,000 to the national
organization’s conservation efforts. This
focus on fund-raising does not mean that we have not gotten our feet wet over
the years. L.I.T.U. has helped with
stream cleanup after hurricanes, participated in a Meerfoerellen Brown Trout
stocking project, helped build wing dams, participated in Project Access,
Handicapped Fishing Days, and Casting for Recovery. We have done several
stream cleanups and improvement projects in conjunction with the Audubon
Society on Milburn Creek right here in Nassau County, and is currently involved
in a long-term restoration project on the Carls River.
L.I.T.U. is currently sponsoring "Trout in the Classroom"
projects at 11 Long Island Schools. Every
year L.I.T.U. sends 2 teenagers for one week to the D.E.C. Environmental Camp at
DeBruce, NY. Each winter L.I.T.U.
conducts fly casting clinics at both Caleb Smith State Park Preserve and
Connetquot River State Park Preserve. We
have conducted letter-writing campaigns and donated funds to legal funds and
conservation efforts. About a decade ago, we
worked with the Dept. of Transportation to rethink the way it builds roads.
Giving thought to road run-off and its potential to harm sensitive
streams have been a major concern. The
Oakdale interchange, in front of the Connetquot River State Park Preserve, is a
good example of wise highway construction.
Safety, water recharge basins, parking lots, and the smart handling of
run-off were major features we fought for and won.
Now the upper part of this great river is getting similar protection.
From the beginning, Trout Unlimited has built its reputation as an
organization of conservation-minded anglers who promote quality trout and salmon
fisheries both for their intrinsic value and as reminders of watershed health.
According to a survey conducted by
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1995, there are approximately 10 million
Americans who fish for trout and/or salmon.
But unfortunately there are only about 125,000 members in Trout
Unlimited. This is why T.U.
needs you. For T.U. to get its
message across to the powers-that-be, it needs a much louder voice.
And the only way to turn up the volume is through membership growth.
Politicians will only listen to organizations with large memberships. Join
TU
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