Wtf!!!!

[yotaoffrod]

YOU GUYS HAVE TO READ THIS! This is total crap.

http://www.tu.org/site/c.kkLRJ7MSKtH...nformation.htm

[Kurtuleas]

We are on it.


Have been.


Would you be willing to help us in the Grass Roots effort to try to stop it?

If so, e-mail me: kurt@friendsofeldorado.com

[McCracken]

Glad to see you're fired up as much as we are about this. Please tell everyone you know to help support our effort to stop this BS.

[yotaoffrod]

i didnt realize it was this bad. do they not realize that people enjoy more than fishing?

[Crawfords Campground]

That is the mentallity you are up against. The thing is that this newsletter reaches people everywhere. The people feel sorry for the poor little fish that swims in the streams. One thing the letter does not state is that there is "Open Season" on the little guys. The breeding populations are locked in by natural barriers, like waterfalls. The ones up stream of the waterfalls may get a chance to breed before someone pulls them out of the water. Then a flash flood occures and the little guys get swept away down stream and over the waterfalls. Then they can't make it back home. Then they make a nice meal for the next problem with the food chain, "Rainbows".
Have you guys seen the commercial of the Polar Bear floating on the drift ice with the cub. The narrator talks like Sally Fields, wanting you to save the Polar Bear by sending $. My question if the Polar bear is in so much trouble, why did the government issue 25% more permits to hunt them this year.
This issue is not about the Trout...It's about you!

[yotaoffrod]

I just dont understand y they just assume things and dont investigate more.

[Kurtuleas]

Originally Posted by yotaoffrod

I just dont understand y they just assume things and dont investigate more.

Well, for one TU threatened to sue the FS, so the FS is doing this to protect thier ass.

For two, the OHV community has an undeserved bad rep. People need to be educated about our sport. They think we are monster trucks, throwing beer cans out the window, running over trees in the woods and killing bunnies.

For three: The public is being sold on being "Green". Think about how many commericals you see about how companies are going "green". Shit, I just bought a bottle of Windex that has an enviromentally non-threatening label on it.

It's just a gimmick to sell more. Remember fat-free foods? Tehy still made you FAT, and it made them more cash....

[redman_30_06]

Originally Posted by Kurtuleas

Well, for one TU threatened to sue the FS, so the FS is doing this to protect thier ass.

For two, the OHV community has an undeserved bad rep. People need to be educated about our sport. They think we are monster trucks, throwing beer cans out the window, running over trees in the woods and killing bunnies.

For three: The public is being sold on being "Green". Think about how many commericals you see about how companies are going "green". Shit, I just bought a bottle of Windex that has an enviromentally non-threatening label on it.

It's just a gimmick to sell more. Remember fat-free foods? They still made you FAT, and it made them more cash....

I think Kurt hit the nail on the head. Everyone thinks we are just drunk rednecks wanting to make noise and tear stuff up. If anyone thinks that the fisherman are looking out for anyone but there selves, they are sadly mistaken. I have heard fisherman say that they want to get us out of there simply because we make to much noise.

It all boils down to the fact that they have finally found a way to possibly get us out of there, and they are going to ride it to the bitter end.

[yotaoffrod]

Its just down right wrong that they are taking away our hobbie, look out was all the top notch trails are being done away with, and a couple out here on the east coast and soon to be tellico by the way things look. We need to show TU that we arnt a bunch of beer drinking monster truck driving rednecks. Have they never heard of tread lightly?

[yellowxj]

Ok, so for better or worse I sent a email to the forestry service. We can sit here and wring our hands over the fate of these yummy fish or we can voice our concerns.

http://www.tu.org/site/c.kkLRJ7MSKtH...nformation.htm

Dear Forest Service friends,

Trout Unlimited claims the trout population in the Tellico river is going to perish. Is it time to ban fishing on the river to protect the brook trout? Its been helpful to the fish population in other areas. Maybe a one year ban on fishing would help. Please let me know if there's something we can do to help Trout Unlimited and the Forest Service protect the Brook Trout. Thanks,
Travis.

I sent mine in, only took a minute to find a email addy and send a note...who's next.

[Kurtuleas]

Save your letter writing for the public comment period. (Should be in october when the draft comes out)

Any letters sent now will most likely be read, but not responded to when the HAVE to be during the comment period.

The task force will have letter samples and ideas for writitng when that time comes. Hopefully, we will have letter writing workshops also. the PBB letter writing generator will be in full effect also.

[yellowxj]

I'll do both.

[yellowxj]

We'll atleast I'm trying and it got forwarded to a few people.

Dear Travis-
>
> Thanks very much for your note and offer. We did receive this suggestion
> from a number of people who contacted us during our comment period earlier
> in the summer, and are reviewing that approach in our analysis. If you are
> aware of specific situations where a moratorium or ban on brook trout
> fishing has helped the population, please do let me know and I will forward
> that on to our team.
>
> Candace Wyman
> Upper Tellico OHV Project Coordinator
> Tusquitee Ranger District
> 123 Woodland Drive
> Murphy NC 28906
> 828-837-5152 Office
> 828-230-5039 Cell
> 828-837-8510 FAX
> cwyman@fs.fed.us
> ----- Forwarded by Candace Wyman/R8/USDAFS on 09/04/2008 10:14 AM -----
>
> Terry
> Seyden/R8/USDAFS
> To
> 09/04/2008 09:32 Steve Lohr/R8/USDAFS@FSNOTES,
> AM Candace Wyman/R8/USDAFS@FSNOTES,
> Ruth Berner/R8/USDAFS@FSNOTES,
> Sheryl Bryan/R8/USDAFS@FSNOTES
> cc
>
> Subject
> Fw: Trout concerns.
>

So I sent this back to them.

While I dont have numbers for brook trout specifically there are many instances where bans on fishing have improved fish populations. Some links are at the bottom.

http://www.nps.gov/isro/planyourvisi...ok%20Trout.pdf
Here the brook trout are restricted to catch and release only but it is proven that a vast number of fish released by fishermen suffer.
"In addition to the wounds that are caused by the hook, fish released after being caught can suffer from loss of their protective scale coating, dangerous build-up of lactic acid in their muscles, oxygen depletion, and damage to their delicate fins and mouths. Upon being returned to the water, these fish are easy targets for predators and other fishers. Researchers at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation found that as many as 43 percent of fish released after being caught died within six days. "


http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...5/ai_n25372549
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7508216.stm
http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20082406-17549.html

Trout unlimited claim the brook trout population is about to "crash" it would stand to reason that removing the OTHER dangers to the population immediately would be prudent.

[bigjerm]

I think I will follow yellowXJ and send one in too. Don’t worry Kurt, I still do my share of writing during the comment period!

I think that if letters are sent in now, randomly, not during a comment period, they will see the letters as people actually concerned about the fish population and TU being in the wrong. If the letters asking for a ban on trout fishing are sent in during the comment period the letters might be viewed as a desperate attempt from the 4WD community to counter attack TU and not actual concerns for the trout.

[Toddy]

Anybody see where they are closing the river for fishing to kill the Rainbow trout? Said something about it helping the brook trout. Why can they willing kill fish and we can drive accross the river?

Toddy

[McCracken]

because by killing fish you are not disrupting any habitat. driving through streams alters the river bed. Killing rainbows and browns out might improve the chances of survival. Unless of course TU gets there first with their flyrods

[bigjerm]

Originally Posted by McCracken

Unless of course TU gets there first with their flyrods

But they practice catch and release, don't you know?