Saturday March 23, 2013

The fly fishing community in western Maryland rallied around Beaver Creek, the state's only limestone stream, when young-of-the-year wild brown trout were unexpectedly spotted in its waters in 1999. The formation of a watershed association, and the efforts of its volunteers, have resulted in the restoration of almost a mile of self-sustaining wild trout habitat. But there is more work and management to be done. [LEARN MORE]

Saturday March 30, 2013

A wildfire in August 2012 destroyed more than 315,000 acres of northern California’s Lassen County, including some of the best deer habitat in the state. The Mule Deer Foundation stepped in almost immediately, donating 11,600 pounds of seed to replant critical ground cover for sage grouse and chukars and replenish a food source for mule deer and pronghorns. [LEARN MORE]

Saturday April 13, 2013

North-central Arizona contains a checkerboard of National Forest and BLM lands leased for ranching, and in some places these sections are bordered by barbed wire fencing installed as early as 1890. Though originally intended to contain livestock, barbed wire fencing can entangle and kill mule deer and pronghorns, especially fawns, trying to pass underneath, when searching for forage and escaping from predators. [LEARN MORE]

Saturday April 27, 2013

The Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation (WWIAF) is a non-profit organization that creates opportunities for Purple Heart recipients to hunt, fish, and enjoy the outdoors. Camp Hackett is a 410-acre property in northern Wisconsin managed by the WWIAF and home to healthy populations of whitetail deer, ruffed grouse, and other game and fish species. Last year, six Purple Heart recipients joined volunteers in improving this habitat and reconnecting with the land. [LEARN MORE]

Saturday May 4, 2013

In December 2012, Five Valleys Land Trust—a Missoula-based nonprofit organization that has helped to protect more than 65,000 acres in western Montana since 1972—successfully acquired 205 acres of ranch land where Rock Creek, one of the state’s renowned blue-ribbon trout streams, flows into the Clark Fork River. This parcel, which was originally slated for a 36-home subdivision, will now be permanently protected, and the confluence of these two streams will be opened to the public for fishing for the very first time. [LEARN MORE]

Saturday May 11, 2013

In October 2012, the Jersey shore suffered the most severe winds and wave surge from Hurricane Sandy, a storm of unprecedented intensity for the Northeast’s coastal and metropolitan areas. Besides the damage to area homes and businesses, the dunes of Island Beach State Park, a 10-mile-long barrier island and haven for anglers and kayakers, took a beating when the island was breached in six places. Months after the storm, every change of tide still brings more trash and debris onshore, and cleanup is critical. [LEARN MORE]

Saturday May 18, 2013

The beautiful trout streams in south-central Idaho’s Wood River Valley are popular with fishermen, but challenges exist. The Big Wood River is heavily used, and the habitat needs management and care. Several Silver Creek tributaries require habitat restoration and channel alteration to help mitigate some of the hazards that local irrigation poses to these waters. Trout Unlimited has already reconstructed sections of the streams and helped ensure that anglers have access to the waters in this agriculture-heavy region. But there is more work to do. [LEARN MORE]

Saturday June 1, 2013

After a local landowner donated 300 feet of riverfront to the Friends of the Upper Delaware River, the organization has worked to improve the habitat and create a new point of access for trout fishermen, birdwatchers, and the community. With donated machinery and volunteer work crews, they’ve already installed a gravel parking area and have plans for a handicap-accessible viewing platform, which meets the donor’s only request—to share the beauty of this property with the public. [LEARN MORE]

Saturday June 8, 2013

The Little Miami River spans four counties and 105 miles, dropping into a limestone gorge and running through a national park before emptying into the mighty Ohio River. This National Wild and Scenic River is home to saugeye, catfish, and smallmouth bass, and it stands as an example of how a damaged river can recover with attention from anglers and the surrounding community—50-percent of its banks have been returned to forestland over the past 45 years. [LEARN MORE]

Saturday June 15, 2013

In Missouri, where 93 percent of all land is private, 19 swaths of public hunting land are protected by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) as Quail Emphasis Areas—but establishing new quail habitat is still a challenge. These small gamebirds need connectivity between land types and gravitate toward areas where forest meets fields or wetlands. This is where our volunteer Heroes come in. [LEARN MORE]