Author: Bill Pfeiffer

At Montana Trout Unlimited, we know how important the next generation of river stewards is to the future of conservation and sound angling ethics. That’s why for many years we’ve offered the Youth Fly Fishing and Conservation Camp each summer. We also know that with the reality of COVID-19, many people are home schooling their children and summer plans are uncertain for all of us. That’s why we created a crash-course for parents and kids in stream biology and ecology. Divided into 5 modules focused on different pieces of the river ecology mosaic, we’ve gathered lesson plans, fun handouts and activities you can download to do together, while creating fresh new video content to support your learning progress available on our YouTube page. Many of the materials here were developed by Margaret Sherriffs and Duncan Blair for TU’s Cold Water Conservation Education Guide (2002) and have been used at various youth camps for many years.

We also want you to share your experiences with us and other families. Tag us in your posts on Facebook and Instagram and use the hashtag #mturiverlife. We’ll send the best submissions some cool TU gear for sharing.

Check out our program below! We’ll update the lesson plan as we progress each week. New modules will be posted as we progress, with a live broadcast most weekdays at 11am Mountain Time that will fit into our weekly topic. Tune in to our Facebook and Instagram live and follow along with your family.

 Lesson 1: Trout Biology and Anatomy

Learning Objectives:

• Identify Native and non-native trout species
• Explain trout life history and spawning migrations
• What is a redd?
• Describe mating behavior
• Importance of clean water and oxygen for eggs

Curriculum – Trout Bio Lesson 1 (parents download here)

• Identifying features of bull, cutthroat, rainbow, brown, brook trout, and mountain whitefish – Montana Field Guide
• Bull/brook/brown trout and whitefish – fall spawners
• Cutthroat and rainbow trout – spring spawners
• Redd – nest build by a female trout or salmon
• Trout mating video – WATCH HERE

Activities

• Trout Anatomy – Fill In the Blank
• Trout Species – Color the trout
• Trout anatomy video with Ladd Knotek, MT FWP

Dear MTU Members and Friends,

Like so many of you, I’ve turned to video calls to keep in touch with my family, friends, coworkers, and partners in MTU’s mission.  In addition to sharing COVID-19 news and helpful or funny stories about how we’re all dealing with orders to shelter in place or social distance, the most frequent topic of conversation on these calls is how we are all finding solace in getting outside.  For me, and many of the people I interact with virtually, that means being on or near Montana’s rivers and streams.  Because so many people, like me, are working remotely or, unfortunately are out of work for the moment, I’ve heard the admission, “I snuck out for a few hours and waded one of my favorite stretches of Secret Creek at lunchtime today,” or “My husband, son and I floated and fished the river yesterday and just took a break from thinking about this virus.”

 But these stories about heading outside are about more than just a momentary escape.  What I really hear from people is how being out, being on the water rejuvenates us.  Something about standing thigh-deep in flowing water, being carried by the current, or simply walking alongside the rush of a creek fills us with the energy and positive spirit to return to our worlds of work or to face this crisis anew. 

Yes, at Montana Trout Unlimited we pursue our mission to benefit trout.  We also do so because we know the less singular values of cold, clean, connect and complex water.  We love to fish.  But we also know that healthy wild and native fish represent vital, thriving ecosystems, the kinds of places that heal and inspire people, the kinds of places we turn on carefree weekends or as shelter from crises. 

 Because you are a key part of our success and our community, I wanted to let you know that during this COVID-19 crisis, we will, to the best of our ability continue to work to conserve, protect, and restore these places in Montana.  We are committed to doing so with the utmost caution for the health of our staff, volunteers, and the public.  We are erring on the side of extreme caution.  We are following all local, state and federal guidelines regarding the virus and how to contain its spread.  Our offices are closed and we are working remotely.  We are foregoing all face-to-face meetings and events in favor of virtual gatherings or rainchecks.  We’re Zooming, Slacking, and old-fashion calling on the telephone, as well as exploring create ways to continue our conservation work and to engage our dedicated members and followers. 

 All of these things remind me of the good fortune I have of being surrounded by smart, motivated, fierce and fish-loving folks.  We appreciate your dedication to our mission and our shared love of Montana’s coldwater streams and rivers.  May they continue to inspire you through these times and well into the future. 

Sincerely,

David Brooks
MTU Executive Director

This is a difficult time for all of us, but at least here in Montana, we are fortunate that we can still get out on the water for an escape. While many are choosing to fish alone for their own sanity and solace, there is no question that camaraderie on the river is important for many anglers. Fishing safely together with the reality of COVID-19 means that we need to be a little extra careful. We thought this would be a good time to encourage everyone to abide by some simple rules to make sure you stay safe, and you also keep fly shop employees, fishing guides, shuttle drivers, and our families healthy. A big thank you to Jake Walbridge at Montana Troutfitters and Mike Bias at FOAM for their help in compiling these tips. Stay safe out there and fish on!

• Make a plan for the day’s fishing to minimize time spent together in enclosed vehicles and other spaces.
• Didn’t stock up on disinfectant wipes? Mist 10 paper towels with a bleach solution and keep them in a jar in your vehicle for wiping down handles, steering wheel, gas pumps, etc.
• Make sure each angler in your group is equipped with disinfecting wipes and/or hand sanitizer. Guides should strongly encourage their clients to do the same.
• Use disinfecting wipes regularly and often on all surfaces in the boat, vehicle, and gear. A good rule is at least once before you go out and once you get off the water.
• Meet your fishing buddies or clients at the ramp or your fishing spot to limit time in enclosed vehicles.
• For guided float trips, encourage clients to have their vehicle shuttled as well. Private groups, consider having both vehicles shuttled, too.
• To minimize exposure from close proximity in boats, think about doing a walk/wade trip or limit boat occupants to two anglers only.
• Bring your own gear and avoid sharing supplies between members of your party. Make sure you have your own flies, leaders, tippet, and floatant.
• In colder weather, cover up as best as possible.  Wearing a neck gaiter, gloves, and hat will go a long way to minimize skin-to-skin contact or skin-on-gear contact.
• COVID-19 is spread through aerosolized or air borne exposure. Be conscious of wind direction especially if you have to cough or sneeze. Remember to use your sleeve to cover your mouth and nose when doing so.
• Lubricate knots using the river water or knot lube and avoid licking leaders at this time.
• Bring your own water bottle, drinks, and food. Don’t share lunches or drinks.
• If you are feeling sick, tired, or worn down in any way, stay at home and rest. If your symptoms get worse, contact your health care provider.

Your local fishing spot is a great place to get away from the stress we’re all feeling right now. By following some simple guidelines, we can relax and have a little fun, while keeping our fishing friends happy, healthy, and safe. Tight lines from Montana Trout Unlimited.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 13, 2019

CONTACT:

David Brooks, Montana Trout Unlimited, 406-543-0054, [email protected]

Scott Bosse, American Rivers, 406-570-0455, [email protected]

Montana Department of Environmental Quality permits high risk mine in the Smith River watershed despite flawed environmental analysis

Every year at this time thousands of Montanans and their families are preparing to float on one of the state’s most treasured rivers.  This year, just as those folks are dreaming and planning prospective Smith River trips of a lifetime, Montana’s Department of Environmental Quality (MTDEQ) has risked the health of that fabled river by permitting a foreign company to mine copper in its headwaters.

Despite widespread public opposition from a strong majority of Montanans and well-documented concerns expressed by scientists, landowners, and a coalition of conservation organizations, the MTDEQ has finalized an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Black Butte copper mine in the headwaters of the Smith River.  The final EIS permits the mine, while ignoring more than 12,000 public comments opposing it and a wealth of evidence presented to DEQ showing a high risk of long-term pollution and dewatering of the Smith River and its most important tributary, Sheep Creek.  Citizens and conservation organizations plan to challenge this bad decision, which risks one of Montana’s most treasured rivers.

Smith River landowner Lezlie Pearce-Hopper was taken aback by the DEQ’s decision.  “In my wildest imagination I never conceived a scenario where a mine could or would be built in this pristine place.  My hope was always to leave it better than we found it for future generations.”

 Australian-owned Sandfire Resources (SFR.V) proposes to build the large-scale copper mine adjacent to and underneath a critical tributary of the Smith River.  Sandfire plans to utilize untested technology to permanently store millions of tons of acid-producing mine waste.  Sandfire has also made clear that it intends to expand the mine to create a 50-year mining district, and has already acquired the mineral rights.

“The DEQ’s decision to permit Sandfire’s mine is a direct threat to my business,” stated Brandon Boedecker of PRO Outfitters. “My outfitting operation is dependent on clean water and wild country, and the DEQ apparently thinks that a copper mine is more important than the Smith River and the folks that depend on it. They’re wrong.”

The draft EIS for the mine was released in spring 2018.  The draft EIS lacked critical information, used flawed data, relied on weak methodologies, and failed to acknowledge numerous risks to water quality and quantity that the mine poses to the Smith River watershed, which already suffers from insufficient flows in most years.

A coalition of conservation organizations, including American Rivers, Earthworks, the Montana Environmental Information Center, Montana Trout Unlimited, and Trout Unlimited hired five independent experts to review, evaluate and comment on the draft EIS’s analysis of mine engineering, hydrology, geochemistry, and aquatic biology.  Based on the experts’ findings and conservation organizations’ review of the draft EIS, they strongly urged the DEQ to select the “No Action” alternative, meaning that the department would deny Sandfire a mine permit.

“Today we learned that despite an EIS that was shown to be woefully inadequate, the DEQ gave Sandfire the go-ahead to build its controversial mine, with only minor changes that do little to curtail the substantial risks it poses to water quality, water quantity, and the Smith River’s nationally renowned wild trout fishery,” said David Brooks, executive director of Montana Trout Unlimited.  “In doing so, DEQ discounted the concerns of thousands of Montanans who submitted comments asking the agency to protect the Smith River for future generations.”

Approving the mine plan in the final EIS has kickstarted the next process in the conservation groups’ efforts to protect the Smith River.  “We will move our efforts from the administrative process, which we have fully participated in at every stage, to the legal arena,” confirmed Brooks.  “We are disappointed but not terribly surprised by DEQ’s decision.  We are working with our legal team on several litigation options that we will pursue regarding the many ways this EIS fails to protect the Smith River.”

The conservation groups have 60-90 days to challenge MTDEQ’s final permit decision in State District Court.

Clean water is unquestionably important for people, fish, and wildlife. More often than not, what is bad for fish is bad for our communities.  That is certainly true of the “Dirty Water Rule” released yesterday by the EPA and touted by the Trump Administration.

This new rule removes protections from millions of miles of headwater streams and wetlands nationwide, the very places that provide our drinking water and are the life source for our trout streams. In Montana, most of our streams run full with snowmelt in the spring, diminish throughout the summer and fall, only to run full again the following season. The upper stretches of most of these streams, the headwaters, the wetlands that sustain summer flows, the true origins of all our treasured rivers are now fair game for polluters.  Today’s new rule lifts reasonable regulations on polluters and development of many of the sources of clean water in our state for the first time since the Clean Water Act passed with broad support almost 50 years ago.

“We cannot overstate how far this sets us back when it comes to protecting our water,” said Chris Wood, president and CEO of Trout Unlimited.  Montana Trout Unlimited executive director David Brooks added that “This is the most severe attack ever on clean water and the most successful and scientifically-sound water protection law in the nation.”

Everyone learns at an early age that water runs downhill. When someone pollutes upstream, the poison doesn’t just stay there. It trickles, or in some cases like our own Clark Fork River, floods and impacts downstream communities. Our headwater streams are the source of our water supplies, yet the Environmental Protection Agency is ignoring the best available science and putting both public health and our fisheries at risk. While drafting the new rule, the EPA ignored a report from its own science advisory board that the rule was not grounded in good science. A number of former and current long-serving EPA employees are also filing a complaint that EPA leaders ignored science, dismissed concerns within the agency, and barred employees from opposing or commenting on the process or the outcome. For those of us who believe sound policy should be based in reason, the decision to remove these protections seems rash and arbitrary. (See articles in the NY Times and on TU National’s website.)

Montana TU is dedicated to protecting and conserving our clean water both now and for future generations of fish and anglers and we will continue to stand against efforts to enable polluters. Safeguarding our state’s coldwater resources doesn’t just ensure our trout streams remain healthy, it also preserves public health, natural areas, and Montana’s sporting traditions, heritage and outdoor economy. Today’s decision is a final rule, which means there is no further comment period or public review. The EPA and Trump Administration have brazenly ignored the comments of MTU, conservation groups and outdoor industry businesses here at home and nationwide, as well as the public.  However, Montana TU is continuing to review the final rule and may have no choice but to join other conservation groups, including Trout Unlimited, states, and communities in challenging this harmful rule.