2018 Annual Activities and Accomplishments

  • The 9th Annual Native and Wild Trout Conference was hosted together with AZGFD with a record attendance of 155 registrations representing 57 various agencies and organizations from multiple states.
  • The AZTU Trout-In-the-Classroom project (TIC) (www.aztic.org) continues to expand its presence throughout the state. Greatly facilitated by grants from Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife Conservation (AZSFWC) AZ Conservation Li-cense Plate Fund and others and in cooperation with the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), all chapters have maintained the TIC Program in 34 Classrooms statewide. TIC continues to directly involve over 4,000 New students an-nually who experience the challenges involved in raising fish from eggs through the school year.
  • Several AZTU members received significant recognitions for their leadership efforts: The AZGF Commissioner’s Conservationist of the Year Award for 2018, The Trout Unlimited National Stream Champion Award, and election to the Trout Unlimited National Leadership Council Chairmanship.
  • Tonto National Forest Management Plan: With AZGFD and the Tonto NF Planning Team and their Technical Part-ners Group, campaigned for, helped plan, and sponsored a major Aquatics Resources field trip on Haigler Creek and Can-yon Creek. Stream restoration work recently done there over several years by AZGFD and Natural Channel Design Co provided a variety of restoration tools to demonstrate management and tools for the Planning Team and other Volunteers.
  • TU Volunteers and staff continued to participate on the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) Stakeholders Group and Work Groups, to help launch Water & Aquatics Resources Restoration and Monitoring techniques for the Rim Country EIS; TU staff and volunteers contributed equipment and volunteer hours related to forest restoration valued by USFS at approximately $80,000 during FY 2018. With 4FRI, Actively Campaigned with Arizona Corporation Commis-sion for continuation and expansion of Forest Restoration Biomass based Electrical Power Generation in the State.
  • Lees Ferry – Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program – The Recreational Fishing Representatives spon-sored by AZTU secured extension of the comment period and additional public meetings in the Phoenix area on scoping for an NPS proposed Environment Assessment for managing invasive species, especially Brown Trout, in the Lees Ferry Rainbow Trout Fishery area. These actions and their awareness campaign helped generate more than 400 EA comment submissions. AZTU also advertised the Regional Priority of the Lees Ferry Rainbow Trout Fishery.

 

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