Welcome to the latest installment of the Wednesday Wake-Up Call, a roundup of the most pressing conservation issues important to anglers. Working with our friends at Trout Unlimited, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, The Everglades Foundation, Captains for Clean Water, Bullsugar.org, and Conservation Hawks (among others), we’ll make sure you’ve got the information you need to understand the issues and form solid opinions.
If you know of an important issue–whether it’s national or local–that anglers should be paying attention to, comment below, and we’ll check it out!
1. Florida congressional delegation asks Biden for $725 million for Everglades restoration
Florida’s congressional delegation Thursday urged President Biden to include $725 million for Everglades restoration in his upcoming budget request, a “commonsense” ask to help complete a number of water projects in the thirsty ecosystem.
The federal funding would build upon a record-high $250 million in Everglades restoration, made official Dec. 27 in the final approval of the biennial Water Resources Development Act, which prioritizes water projects across the country.
Click here to read more on TCPalm.com
- To understand how important the Everglades is to the economy of South Florida, read The Economic Value of Wetlands by Dr. Andrew Stainback, economist for the Everglades Foundation.
2. $500 Million Campaign Aims to Support Upland Bird Populations
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have announced Call of the Uplands, a comprehensive, national campaign: a $500 million effort to cultivate the next generation of conservationists by providing more than 1.5 million Americans with outdoor experiences and designed to enhance over 9 million acres of upland habitat from the West’s expansive landscapes, to the vast Great Plains, to the quiet southern pine woods. This campaign is our best chance to bring together dedicated citizens, hunter-conservationists, farmers, ranchers, and other partners with a common cause: A promise to conserve our uplands before it’s too late.
Click here to read the full story on gearjunkie.com
3. Make Your Voice Heard to Protect Striped-Bass Stocks
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is considering a new plan to guide striped bass management, and some regulators have suggested redefining what recovery looks like—effectively making their jobs easier at the expense of the striped bass population and long-term fishing opportunities.
The folks at the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership have made it incredibly easy for you to send a message to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, to let them know you care about the future of striped bass and the recreational fishing economy in the Atlantic.
Click here to fill out the form to send a letter on trcp.org.
4. Trout Unlimited Unveils New Digital Magazine
Trout unlimited has launched a digital complement to TROUT magazine, which will offer a mix of content. As editor Kirk Deeter puts it, “ou’re still going to get a killer magazine, but we’re not going to hide strong digital content behind a paywall; we want to connect as many anglers/readers to the “conservation conscience” of TU as we possibly can.”
Click here to visit Trout magazine Online
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