Conservation News

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Action Alert - You can still save this California stream!
submitted by Marcus McDonough

Earlier this week, we sent you a message about an eminent vote that will determine the fate of this stream and other rivers and creeks.

Friends of the River staff were knocking on DC office doors educating many Congressional Represenatives about the importance of safeguarding our California rivers. From those visits we learned...the FINAL vote will happen this Wednesday...and it will be very close!
It is not too late for you to help save California rivers. Please call your Representative on Tuesday to ensure that 105 miles of rivers are protected for future generations.
Go to https://secure2.convio.net/fotr/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=182 to learn more and take action now!

Dear Santa Cruz Fly Fishermen Club Members,
We need you to take action now to make sure that the US House of Representatives passes historic wilderness and wild rivers legislation.
On Jan. 15, the Senate passed S.22, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act which will designate over two million acres of wilderness in nine states, create a new 26 million acre National Landscape Conservation System, protect over a thousand miles of free-flowing rivers, and establish four new national conservation areas. The bill would also protect more than 750,000 acres of wilderness and 105 miles of wild and scenic rivers in California including wilderness additions and wild rivers in the Eastern Sierra, the mountains and deserts of Riverside County and Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park. The bill also contains other important land and water provisions that will benefit communities throughout California.
Now the measure heads to the House of Representatives where we are expecting a vote within weeks, maybe days! The vote will be close. And, if the House makes any changes to the legislation, the bill would be sent back to the Senate where it could be stalled for months if not longer.
We can't let that happen and your Representative in Congress could be a key vote.
Phone calls are the single most effective way to influence legislators. So please call your Representative right now at (202) 224-3121 (the Capitol Hill switchboard will direct you to your Representative) and let them know how important this is to you.
If you can't call, please e-mail using the editable letter below, or even better, do both.
Send a letter to the following decision maker(s): Your Congressperson
Below is the sample letter:

Subject: Omnibus Public Land Management Act
Dear (decision maker name inserted here),
I urge you to support the Omnibus Public Land Management Act, an historic opportunity to protect some important and spectacular California rivers and landscapes.
The Act is supported by many California anglers because the California bills contained in the omnibus package will permanently protect important fisheries habitat and water resources including the headwaters of the Upper Owens River in the Eastern Sierra and Piru Creek in the Angeles National Forest.
The California wilderness and will river bills in the package are also broadly supported locally because they improve the local economy and quality of life.
Please support the measure and oppose any amendments. This is an historic opportunity for AmericaÕs public lands and will benefit future generations of anglers and outdoor enthusiasts.P> Sincerely,

(Your name inserted here)

Now that President Obama IS our current president, sidestepping important environmental issues and disregarding sound scientific evidence and even moral obligations will be something of the past. But even though President Obama does have a great track record of environmental stewardship it doesn't mean we can now kick back and relax. Now is the time we have been pressing for. We must act, act, act! Now is the time when petitions matter, when letters to the editor or Congressmen impact the now. When volunteering at local events contribute to the greater whole, so that the decision makers who are in position see that we mean business when it comes to protecting and caring for our Earth.
On a more personal level, I as well had the fire rekindled recently. I am subbing in for a good friend, Hannah Schoenthal-Muse, at Friends of the River while she goes on maternity leave. Hannah is the Central Coast Rivers Organizer with FOR. FOR is working close with Ventana Wilderness Alliance in protecting and designating rivers along the central coast as Wild and Scenic. This designation requires federal managers to actively preserve the free flowing nature of the rivers and their unique qualities for future generations. I will be keeping the club posted with any recent results, victories, and news regarding the watershed draining the Santa Lucia Mountains.
That being said, like always many action alerts will be available on the clubs webpage from many organizations that need support. They range from petition signings, to letters to the editor, to letters to California Representatives, to local events. So keep an eye out, as these will be posted when made available.
On February 14th, the 23rd annual Migration Festival will be held at Natural Bridges State Park, Seacliff, New Brighton, and Henry Cowell Redwoods State Parks. These state parks offer a safe path and essential habitat for migrating animals, ranging from Monarch Butterflies to enormous Grey Whales. Come by between the hours of 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM to any of the four State parks and enjoy a day of relaxation and reconnection.

I'm writing this piece to call attention to an article in the Winter 2009 issue of Trout magazine, published by Trout Unlimited (TU). Many of you are probably members of TU, and some have read the article entitled "Felt-Soled Waders and Invasives", but if not (to either), please read on.

Article Summary:
The article begins by paying homage to the felt-soled wading boot as the tried-and-true boot for safe wading in slippery streams since...well, forever. They are grippy and long-lasting, and have been a fisherman's best friend.

Unfortunately, they are not a fish's best friend. In recent years there has been concern about transmission of invasive species from one waterway to another via the felt. Felt traps lots of little particles. These can include spores that cause whirling disease, diatoms that cause "rock snot", NZMS (the New Zealand Mud Snail), hydrilla, zebra mussels and a host of other 'nasties'.
The problem has been that while there was concern, there has not been sufficient hard data to establish transmission rates, and determine the scope of the problem, until now. New studies show that the problem is more significant that previously thought.
The issue is important enough that TU has called upon American manufacturers to cease production of felt-soled boots by 2011. Some manufacturers have already headed the call, and Simms has promised to halt production by 2010.
It is not only America that is involved in this effort. New Zealand has banned felt-soled boots over much of the country. Other countries are likely to follow suit. So if you are lucky enough to travel the world with a fly rod, it would be best not to assume you can bring felt-soled boots.

Solutions:
So, what to do, what to do? Hard rubber boots are long-lasting and not very grippy. Soft rubber boots wear down. The good news is that new wading boot technology has arrived, and will likely be improving over the next couple of years. Simms has teamed with Vibram to create a new grippy rubber technology. Patagonia and L.L. Bean are also participating. Manufacturers are developing boots that not only substitute new sticky-rubber soles, but are built from the ground up to eliminate harboring of particles in eyelets and other places, so that you can wash them clean with a good blast of the hose. Look for lines like CleanStream, RiverKeeper, etc. Reports from product testers indicate that they are just as stable as felt, and should last.
So what if you don't plan on immediately dumping your felt-soled boots in the garbage can and marching to the store? The answer is that you can disinfect the felt-soled boots. There are various ways to do this. The non-chemical methods are to use heat, cold, or dryness. Soak them in hot water (140 degrees) for 40 minutes or in 104 degree water for a couple of hours (with a drop of dish soap). Or you can freeze them for 4 hours. Or just get them completely dry and they'll be fine. That takes days at room temperature though -- just because the surface feels dry the next day doesn't mean it is underneath. There are chemical options as well, but I won't cover them. We obviously don't want to substitute a chemical threat for a biological threat.
In summary, I must say that I found it sobering to think that I could be standing there carefully releasing my catch, while my boots were silently decimating the stream where it lives. While we tend to focus on purchases to help us catch more fish, we all realize that we have to protect them in order to catch them. For me, new boots have moved upwards on my wish list, and meanwhile I'll be disinfecting.

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