Arizona Council Trout Unlimited News

The History of Orvis: America’s Iconic Fly-Fishing Brand

Founded in 1856, Orvis is the oldest mail-order retailer in the United States and one of the most respected names in fly fishing and outdoor sporting goods. From its beginnings as a small shop in Manchester, […]

2025 Arizona Game and Fish Commission Awards

This year, Nate Rees, our lead Trout Unlimited staffer in Arizona, received the coveted Conservationist of the Year award. The recognition was very well-deserved. Nate has worked hard not only for TU, but his leadership can be […]

Together, we have accomplished so much in 2023-2024. I am deeply grateful for your commitment and support, which is helping to build a vital future for clean waters, healthy fish, and thriving communities.    

We are inspiring people to be champions for our rivers. We […]

The other day, I met Bob Blankenship and Karen Barnett of the South Coast Chapter of Trout Unlimited in California. I listened as they described their work to recover a more natural Los Angeles River and an alarming vision of recovering steelhead in the river. […]

Friends:

What a great day.

Today, I was with the Governor of Arizona and the Secretary of the Interior to celebrate the delisting of the Apache trout from the Endangered Species Act, not because it went extinct, but because it has been recovered. […]

More than two dozen community groups and advocacy organizations are working to make sure the public knows the true importance of water and community investments that impact it. “Despite the magnitude of recent water infrastructure investments, there’s still a critical awareness gap among the American […]

Big things happen when committed people decide that failure is not an option.

Between my roles at Trout Unlimited and on the board of directors at the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC), I’ve visited Iron Gate Dam countless times over the years. But this […]

Jim’s strategic approach to conservation challenges has resulted in efficient and timely solutions, showcasing his talent for identifying and nurturing conservation leaders. His notable contributions to Trout Unlimited in Arizona include unifying chapters in Phoenix, Tucson, and Payson into a strong, collaborative organization. He has […]

On August 10th of 2023, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposal to remove the Apache Trout from the Endangered Species List.

Partners in Apache Trout conservation met at Ord Creek on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, where conservation of the species […]

Summer and fall are prime times for getting outdoors across the U.S. According to an annual survey produced by the outdoor industry, 55% of Americans age 6 and up participated in some kind of outdoor recreation in 2022, and that number is on the rise.

President Biden designates Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument to protect nearly one million acres of this idyllic landscape from future mining.

For over a decade, TU has been working to protect the greater Grand Canyon region […]

As a child, I cherished spending time outdoors. I fondly remember playing in the water and creating mud holes in my grandmother’s garden. In the summers, my sister and I would visit my grandparents in Alamosa, Colorado, for a couple of weeks. I always looked […]

The National Leadership Council (NLC) of Trout Unlimited is a conduit from national TU staff and Board of Trustees to the Councils and Chapters–establishing and implementing TU’s conservation agenda and building the organizational structure to accomplish these goals. The 36 volunteer NLC Representatives are elected […]

As Americans swelter under historic heat waves and seek refuge from triple-digit temperatures, wildlife is suffering, too. This extreme heat is deadly for people and animals alike.

Last summer, the West Coast endured record-breaking heat that led to heart-wrenching reports of baby hawks throwing […]

UPS has been in the gun world news quite a bit as of late. My colleague Lee Williams over at the Gun Writer Substack, AmmoLand News, and the Second Amendment Foundation Investigative Journalism Project just recently covered that a large number of firearm-related companies have […]

A new study from RBFF & Ipsos shows female anglers are more satisfied with their lives and have greater mental fortitude.

The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) today announced new research that shows fishing provides positive psychological benefits for women. Conducted in partnership […]

New chapter in a longstanding partnership to recover and reconnect trout waters on public lands

A century ago, Gifford Pinchot wrote: “The vast possibilities of our great future will become realities only if we make ourselves, in a sense, responsible for that future.”

Because of the extreme danger lead poses to people and the environment, it’s no longer used in a wide range of products, including gasoline and paint. But this dangerous heavy metal is still found in hunting ammunition and fishing tackle — and that’s a problem.

Whether sweet or tangy, sauced or dry, pulled, sliced, or on the bone, everyone loves barbecue. Barbecue is a product of meat, smoke, time, and history. It is an institution that defines us as a nation. Barbecue is a quintessential piece of American culture, with […]

I consider myself an honest man, and there was a time, not long ago, when I was not too fond of trophy hunting. Yes, I realize I write for Field Ethos, but as I mentioned, I consider myself an honest man, and I want to […]

Joe Biden previously admonished Donald Trump over the wall and his immigration policies.

“Not another foot.”

Those were the words Joe Biden used as a mantra throughout his 2020 presidential campaign regarding the construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall. But on Thursday, the […]

The Apache trout nearly disappeared around the turn of the century, but the USFWS says that it no longer needs federal protection.

The recommendation comes after a 5-year review process involving Arizona Game and Fish, the White Mountain Apache Tribe, Trout Unlimited, and the […]

Compared to much of the West, Rim Country is fortunate to have had relatively high rainfall and snowpack over the years, which has allowed our lakes to stay reasonably full. One lake in particular that is always of concern to Payson residents is C.C. Cragin […]

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen tells Fox News Digital the group’s plans are ‘flatly illegal.l’

The American Prairie (AP), a conservation project in Montana, has quietly scooped up more than 450,000 acres of land with the help of its billionaire donors and the federal […]

The Canadian government wants people’s AR-15s. They want them all.

What’s more, they think they can get them. Their plan includes a “buyback” where they’re going to pay for those guns. On the plus side for their plan, they’re offering more than the paltry […]

Longtime native trout defender Jim Walker, of Scottsdale, has been awarded Trout Unlimited’s highest grassroots honor.

Walker was awarded the Ray Mortensen award, the coldwater conservation organization’s top volunteer honor, along with Marsha Benevengo of New Jersey, at TU’s annual meeting July 20-24 in […]

Today, hunters and anglers are on the front lines of climate change. We are not only seeing significant decreases in snowpack and water levels in formerly perennial streams but are also witnesses to the impacts of weakening monsoon activity and significant increases in wildfire frequency […]

This Memorial Day Weekend, help protect Arizona’s wild spaces by following all fire restrictions. In the image below, you’ll note that much of the state is in Stage 2 Fire Restrictions, and all of the state is in Stage 1. With hot, dry weather and […]

The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday proposed protections for some Bristol Bay drainages, a move that, if finalized, would effectively block attempts to develop an open-pit mine in a southwest Alaska region that sustains the world’s biggest sockeye salmon runs.

The action, announced by […]

Arizona Game and Fish Department hatchery personnel work hard every day responding to the needs of their fish, while striving to raise the healthiest and biggest fish possible for anglers to enjoy catching.

I have had the pleasure over the years to see the […]

Trust for Public Land says move will protect area once eyed for weapons testing.

A private ranch near the Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness is now in public hands, opening up thousands of acres for hunters and hikers.

Just a few years ago, a private […]

Several years ago, Jeep ran a dumb ad on Super Bowl Sunday showing a truck running up the middle of a creek. My then 8-year-old son asked, “Isn’t that bad for the stream?”

Earlier this year, Ford pulled the same stunt. And now, Nissan. […]

Shortly after moving to Payson, while fishing at Green Valley Lake, a guy with a Payson Flycasters Club hat and a Trout Unlimited shirt struck up a conversation with me. Besides inviting me to the next Gila Trout Chapter of Trout Unlimited/Payson Flycasters Club (GTTU/PFC) […]

RESTON, Va. – The National Wildlife Federation honored Brad Powell, board president of the Arizona Wildlife Federation, with its Charlie Shaw Conservation Partnership Award. The award celebrates Powell’s success in growing the Arizona Wildlife Federation’s capacity and influence in the region and his leadership in […]

The Upper East Verde River, which in reality is the size of a small creek, is a beautiful place to fish. It is home to a remnant population of wild rainbow trout from stocking efforts several decades ago, when a hatchery utilized the springs that […]

We once saved natural landmarks for their beauty—now it’s for survival, too.

To float down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon is to meander through geologic time. As you descend, the formations you pass include the Coconino Sandstone, the Redwall Limestone, and the […]

For those anglers targeting Gila Trout in Arizona, the Arizona Game and Fish Department asks that you please take the time to fill out this survey form after each fishing trip targeting Gila Trout. The form collects information on when and where anglers fished for […]

• 2019 was the $2 Million Breakthrough Year! Our FY 2019 Volunteer Member Hours Contributed through the Council and Chapters once again increased by thousands of hours, bringing the 10-year total to well over 100,000 hours, with a 10 Year Total $ […]
  

The 2020 NWTC was cancelled due to COVID-19. In lieu of the conference Arizona Game and Fish Department and the Trout Unlimited Council of Arizona have produced a report that gives a snapshot of native and wild trout populations and habitat across the state. Some […]

You know about the proposed Pebble Mine. Nothing could be more damaging to the productive Bristol Bay ecosystem than this mine. Not only will it destroy over 3,000 acres of wetlands and more than 21 miles of salmon streams at the mine site. Worse yet, […]

• 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 […]