U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Winter 2008 Eddies Reflections on Fisheries Conservation Departments Headwaters 3 American Fishes 10 Watermarks 4 Meanders 30 Eddies Pioneers 8 Vol. 1, No. 4 Headwaters Publisher Features Gary Frazer, Assistant Director U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service No Trout Left A Whole Different Partnerships get it done for Fisheries Conservation Fisheries and Habitat Conservation Behind–12 Animal–22 By Gary Frazer Mike Stempel Ben Ikenson Editor management agencies. Similarly, activities in uplands Craig Springer far removed from any pool-riffle-run complex influence stream fish habitats, so partnerships with landowners, Contributing writers A Scout’s Mission to Pharmaceuticals regulators, and construction agencies accomplish long- Lee Allen Marilyn O’Leary term conservation. That notion is articulated in the story Angela Carrillo Scott Robinson Save the Mojave Tui for Fish–24 Dave Erdahl Ashley Spratt Craig Springer “Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership” by Scott Chub–14 Robinson and Marilyn O’Leary. They discuss coordinated Doug Grassian E. Peter Steenstra Bob Mazzuca Ben Ikenson Mark Steingraeber fisheries conservation over a 14-state area. Joyce Johnson Mike Stempel Abigail Lynch Judy Toppins Sport Fish Restoration United Front Against “Many hands make light work,” wrote English scribe Madeleine Lyttle Jenny Walker Program–16 Invasives–26 John Heywood in 1546. Light work comes from good Mark Madison Stephanie West Joyce Johnson Ashley Spratt Bob Mazzuca Mary Jane Williamson partnerships. During my time in Missouri, we created Howard Frank Mosher what I considered a genuinely good partnership with USFWS the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Natural Editorial Advisors The Southeast S.H.A.R.E. Partnership Resources Conservation Service, local Soil and Water Darren Benjamin, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The greatest conservation successes weren’t the Richard Christian, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Aquatic Resource in Downeast Maine–28 Conservation Districts, and landowners. We shared a Stuart Leon, Ph.D., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partnership–20 E. Peter Steenstra result of singular Herculean heavy-lifting, but rather commitment to restoring high-quality Ozark streams and Ryck Lydecker, Boat Owners Association of the United States Scott Robinson and of partnerships – federal and state fish and wildlife healthy populations of fish found only in the Ozarks, like Hal Schramm, Ph.D., U.S. Geological Survey Marilyn O’Leary agencies, Indian tribes, anglers, conservation groups, the federally listed Niangua darter. We demonstrated a Michael Smith, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (retired) the business community – all working in a common willingness to accommodate each other’s interests and we Denise Wagner, Wonders of Wildlife Museum cause of conservation. History is laden with examples. achieved what we each could call success. Assistant Regional Directors – Fisheries Dan Diggs, Pacific Region The essential nature of fisheries conservation is one The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recognizes that John Engbring, California and Nevada Region of partnership. Partnerships are relationships among partnerships are essential to fisheries conservation, and Jaime Geiger, Ph.D., Northeast Region parties having shared rights and responsibilities. we have purposefully institutionalized partnering in Linda Kelsey, Southeast Region Fisheries conservation inherently involves shared the agency. Witness our support for the National Fish Mike Oetker, Southwest Region LaVerne Smith, Alaska Region rights and responsibilities, and you will read about that Habitat Action Plan, the National Fish Passage Program Mike Stempel, Mountain-Prairie Region throughout this winter issue of Eddies. (see Eddies, summer 2008), and our Partners for Fish Mike Weimer, Great Lakes–Big Rivers Region and Wildlife and Coastal programs. Read in this issue A great deal of modern fisheries conservation is funded about the remarkable work of our Aquatic Animal Drug Contact by the landmark partnership among the boating and Approval Partnership in “Pharmaceuticals for Fish.” The For subscription information visit our web site, fishing industry, the state fish and game agencies, and www.fws.gov/eddies, email [email protected], back cover shows the breadth of partnerships in using call 505 248-6867, or write to: the federal government, that produced the Sport Fish new drugs for fish. Craig Springer Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. Anglers and USFWS Fisheries RM 9100D RBFF the money they spend on their sport of choice drive Heywood’s proverb may be centuries behind us, but it is 500 Gold Ave. SW Fishing continues to be a favorite pastime. Thirteen the cycle of success that is the Sport Fish Restoration still spot-on. We are most effective when our conservation Albuquerque, NM 87103 percent of the U.S. population, age 16 and older program. Joyce Johnson writes about this inheritance spends 17 percent of their time fishing. See page 16. mission is delivered by people with both passion for fish Design left to anglers in these pages. and their habitats, and an ability to parlay that passion by Blue Heron Communications partnering with others. Mike Stempel deliberates in his story “No Trout On the Cover U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Winter 2008 The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Left Behind” about a cutthroat trout he cares about. Our mission statement says it clearly, “. working with Fly fishing still life of E d d i e s Reflections on Fisheries Conservation Stempel ponders how a recent landscape-scale others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife and ‘The Captain’ salmon is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, fly with brass scale partnership, the Western Native Trout Initiative, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the and thermometer. wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit means hope for native coldwater denizens from American people.” Excise taxes on tackle of the American people. Alaska to New Mexico, especially ‘his’ Colorado River fund conservation. cutthroat trout. CONSERVING Photo by Keith Douglas Fish populations often reach beyond the boundaries Gary Frazer is the Assistant Director for Fisheries and Habitat of any individual agency’s purview, so effective Conservation in Washington, DC. management requires partnerships among U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 2 Eddies Winter 2008 Vol. 1, No. 4 Reflections on Fisheries Conservation RunningWatermarks Head Text Running Head Text Connecting trout with habitat American Sportfishing Association turns 75 Partners for conservation landowner, Trout Unlimited, Vermont In 2008, the American Sportfishing retail stores, state fish and wildlife The Chaseburg Rod and Gun Club Department of Environmental Association (ASA) celebrated 75 agencies, conservation organizations, held its annual community event Conservation, and the Vermont Fish years of serving the sportfishing federal land and water management in September, inviting kids and and Wildlife Department to remove industry. The trade association agencies, angler advocacy groups and families to Genoa National Fish the obsolescent dam near Northfield. was created in 1933 to oversee the media. Hatchery, WI, to come out and With the dam gone now, brook trout industry. Since then the association learn to shoot clay pigeons, load and brown trout have another two has evolved from Through advocacy, ASA and shoot a muzzle loader, throw and a half miles of connected habitat. representing the and its foundations – an axe at a target, and get involved The 1930’s-era dam, situated at interests of just tackle FishAmerica and Future in hunting and fishing. Over 30 the top of an impressive series of manufacturers to Fisherman – safeguard the kids and 20 adults participated in bedrock cascades, was never used for championing the entire economic and conservation educational sessions provided by the a commercial venture. But the new sportfishing community. values of sportfishing, Wisconsin Department of Natural habitat will apparently be used: trout keep the nation’s fisheries Resources, and the Rod and Gun leapt into the cascades, maneuvering As the nation’s and waterways healthy Club. Partnering up for events like through the construction site the recreational fishing and introduce new anglers this allows everyone to reach a wide day after the project was completed trade association, ASA to one of America’s most crowd with varying interests, and in September. The National Fish supports the interests popular outdoor activities. Madeleine Lyttle/USFWS Madeleine introduce to them fish management Passage Program and the Partners of businesses, agencies practices, hunting and fishing ethics, Brook trout and brown trout swim over this Cox Brook cascade, now that a ASA also represents the dam is gone. for Fish and Wildlife Program paid and organizations and and the conservation work of the the cost of removal. The Vermont is the resource for nation’s 40 million anglers National Fish Hatchery System. F Vermont’s Dog River has long the tributary Cox Brook. The Fish and Wildlife Department will protecting the sportfishing industry. who generate more than $45 billion in Jenny Walker been recognized as an outstanding U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s annually monitor the fishery.F retail sales with a $25 billion impact trout stream. And now the fishing Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Madeleine Lyttle ASA’s members include sportfishing on the nation’s economy creating stands to get better,