Conservation Corner

Photo by Oregon BLM

Last week, hunters, fishers, hikers, boaters, and all other outdoor recreation enthusiasts celebrated a win in the halls of the United States Congress.  The Natural Resources Management Act was passed by the House of Representatives with a resounding bipartisan vote of 363-62. The bill had already cleared the Senate by an equally large margin and is now expected to be signed into law by President Trump.  It's a landmark win for conservation, and both political parties should be applauded for coming together in support of American outdoorsmen and women. 

Photo by Wyoming BLM

When pieces of legislation go before Congress, there are often add-on amendments and stipulations pertaining to the outdoors, or, in other words, afterthoughts.   Rarely do we see a legislative package of this magnitude go up for a vote and the sole topic is conservation and outdoor recreation.   Our public lands and the animals/fish we target are in constant peril, whether that be from human encroachment or exploitation in the name of profit.  The events of last week show there is hope for future generations to be afforded the same opportunities we have to enjoy all that the rugged American landscape has to offer.

Narrowing down the massive bill into a few more digestible parts, it's easy to see this as a marquee win for the angling community.  Some of the victories include Yellowstone Cutthroat trout fisheries in Wyoming receiving much needed protection from mining claims, almost 100,000 acres in Oregon being set aside to protect spawning summer steelhead, and designating 340,000 acres in the Upper Methow Valley (Washington state) as off limits to large scale mining operations.  These are some of the most beautiful places in the country, and now the fish and animals living in these lands will receive protection for the foreseeable future. 

Conservation work never ends, and the next threat to fish, animals, and the places they call home could be lurking just out of view.  For now, this win is a step in the right direction and should be enjoyed by all! 

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Our support of conservation goes further than just a few blog posts every month.  A portion of each and every guide trip goes to Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and Trout Unlimited.  

Conservation Commitment