Senator Crapo steps up to protect a key conservation program

By Will Whelan, director of government relations for The Nature Conservancy in Idaho

These days, it seems rare for senators from both parties to unite on any issue. So, we took note last week when Senator Mike Crapo joined 48 of his Senate colleagues to call for the renewal of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, one of our landmark conservation laws.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1964 directs that a portion of the nation’s revenues from outer continental shelf oil and gas leases be used to acquire new public lands and conservation easements in places with extraordinary wildlife, scenic and recreation values. LWCF has protected many of Idaho most prized landscapes, such as the Sawtooth Valley, South Fork of the Snake, Boise Foothills, City of Rocks, Hells Canyon, and Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Rafting the South Fork of the Snake River, one of the landscapes protected by the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Photo by Will Whelan/The Nature Conservancy.

LWCF needs every friend it can get in these challenging political times. Congress has rarely provided the program with the full funding authorized by the 1964 Act, even though it amounts only a small fraction of the nation’s oil and gas revenue. In 2011, an amendment in the House of Representatives to cut all funding for the program lost by just two votes. (Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson helped save the day by rising to debate against the amendment). And, Act’s authorization expires in 2015, which means that efforts to renew LWCF must begin now.

So, it is no small thing that an Idaho senator would join seven of his GOP colleagues to express support for this crucial conservation program. The senators’ letter explains that LWCF – and the economic, health, and environmental benefits it produces – have earned it huge public support:
Support for LWCF comes from interests as diverse as sportsmen’s groups, large landowning companies, the outdoor industry and other businesses, and over 1,000 national, regional, state, and local groups located in every state.

Hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, paddling, biking, snow sports, wildlife viewing and other activities contribute to the economy and the health and well-being of Americans….  [T]hese investments are paid for not with general revenue but by using a small percentage of drilling royalties paid by oil companies.

The senators pledge that they “remain committed this Congress to finding a solution that will permanently fix this promise to the American people.”

The letter is just the latest of expression of Senator Crapo’s long-standing interest in collaborative, on-the-ground conservation efforts.  Four years ago, Senator Crapo championed the Owyhee Initiative, Idaho’s first wilderness bill since 1980, because it had the support of conservation groups (including TNC), local ranchers, the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, and county commissioners.

You can leave a message to thank Senator Crapo for his support of the Land and Water Conservation Fund or express your views by clicking on this link.

A life-changing summer at Silver Creek

By Ham Wallace, 2012 Silver Creek Intern 

Editor's note: Ham became our intern through The Charlie Blumenstein Water and Wildlife Conservation Internship program at Colorado College. The program was established by the Blumenstein family to provide an internship experience that might spark a life-long interest in the environment and conservation in much the same way it did for their late son, Charlie Blumenstein. This is his internship report.

Moon rise over Picabo Hills, View from Silver Creek. Photo by Ham Wallace.

When I look back over this summer, I can’t help but get teary-eyed, as it was something of a fantasy to me. I guess I’ll start as far back as I can go, to when I saw the application posted to the bulletin in the Barnes Science Center lobby. I don’t quite recall what it said–I just know it was the first time I laid eyes on Silver Creek, and that was what it came down to. I took the flyer back to my room, sat at my desk and typed “Silver Creek Preserve” in the search bar, soon to discover my home for twelve weeks during the coming summer. I eventually found the internship description on the Career Center’s webpage. As breathtaking as the images I found were, that was not what set my sights on this particular internship–it was Charlie’s story that did it for me. His connection with this place was so influential that the Blumenstein family, friends, and Colorado College sponsors someone every summer to work there–to go see what Charlie was so passionate about. Let me just say that this summer my eyes were opened, and I can now see a trajectory for the rest of my life. 

I pulled into the French’s little red farmhouse just before midnight on Thursday, May 24. All I knew at that point was where I would be living, working, and that I would be staying in a house with the Preserve Assistant, Sunny. Delirious, not ready for my first day of work the following morning (which I would sleep through anyway, due to a small communication error), I made my way to the front door of the house and knocked. Soon, a smiling face appeared in the window and the door opened–and there stood Sunny, my housemate, coworker, fishing buddy and sidekick for the twelve weeks to come. I could not have made it through the days without Sunny working alongside me. 

Two weeks into the internship a second intern, Veronika, would arrive. She lived with us at 240 Picabo Road for the next ten weeks, and we would all become great friends and co-workers. Veronika, or “V”, as we came to know her, came to work for the Nature Conservancy from Atlanta, Georgia by way of Morris College.

Veronika Horton, Silver Creek intern, with bull trout on South Fork. Photo by Ham Wallace.

There was never a day on the Preserve that I did not learn, and maybe that was my favorite part about the job. There was no “easing into” work, either. From the first day until the last, there were things that needed to be done, and the only ones to do them on most days were Dayna, Sunny, Veronika and I. By the end of the summer I had covered every foot of the trails on the 883 acre Preserve, and seen enough beautiful sights for a lifetime. 

The moment you enter the wetland habitat surrounding Silver Creek, or even the fields lying immediately beyond it, you can feel the presence of life which pulses throughout it. Sights, sounds, smells–all invading your senses, letting you forget that a world even exists outside of Silver Creek. One evening after work I set out to canoe the Creek as I had done many times by that point in the summer–but this time would be different. I had the original plan to stop along the way and toss grasshoppers at the big brown trout that lived at the confluence of Grove and Stalker Creek–an activity that can be quite captivating. It was late summer now, and the herd of fifty or so elk had become a regular occurrence at the confluence. Each evening they came to mingle with one another and drink from the pristine, mineral-rich spring water, their grunting and groaning interjecting among the sounds of feeding trout and bantering coyotes. Captivating–exactly what this scene was; the sun set right before my eyes and my feet remained planted in the muck. I cast pinky-size flies to boiling browns until well after dark. I was not even close to being off the creek at this point, a mere third the way to the take out. 

Photo by Ham Wallace.

When I realized my predicament, I had no choice but to hop in the canoe and finish in the dark. I learned something that night; Silver Creek never sleeps, its personality changes. From hot to cool, from sharp and pungent to sweet and mellow, from energetic to eerie. Trout are still swirling, still feeding–but their intent is different. Among the small browns and rainbows still sipping mayflies and caddis from the surface, the largest trout have begun their nightly ritual.

The big brown leaves the comfort of his deep lie–now predator chasing prey, both slamming against the side of the canoe, making my heart jump. Conversing owls echoing through the willows–I decide that they are talking about me. 

Apart from my housemates and Dayna, the preserve manager, I worked with a number of other amazing people, and worked days on and off the Preserve. Megan and Cameron were two awesome volunteers that came by twice a week to help with water monitoring, a job that needs as many hands as it can get. The volunteers who occupied the cabin on Kilpatrick pond for the summer were some of the nicest people I have ever met–Jerry and Cheryl, Leroy and Ronile, John and Gwen. Blaine County, the US Forest Service and Wood River Land Trust provided their services to help in the never-ending war against noxious weeds on Silver Creek Preserve. I became great friends with the Wood River Land Trust, Americorps and Sawtooth Botanical Garden interns, Chad, Allie, Jesse and Quinn. That crew lived twenty miles north of Picabo, in Hailey. Though I spent most workdays on the Preserve, we would travel to help with the conservation efforts of other organizations a few times each month. Most of these trips involved suiting up in protective gear and spraying dangerous chemicals on noxious weeds–an activity I enjoyed thoroughly.

Spending the summer on Silver Creek allowed me to observe the aquatic entomology of a world-class, spring creek trout fishery–a truly magical opportunity. During the summer months, it seems like the bugs are always hatching, the fish feeding–an aquatic entomologist, fish biologist and fly fisher's dream. The exuberance of the Silver Creek ecosystem I feel can only be compared to that of a tropical rain forest. One requirement of my internship was to complete a long-term project that I would work on during my time in Idaho, and submit at the end of the summer. 

There is an incredibly unique community surrounding Silver Creek. It consists of, but is certainly not limited to: fishermen, hunters, birders and conservationists. Working on the Preserve, you meet people from all walks. Whether they come from halfway around the world, or just past the blinking light, there is a special sense of family among Silver Creek visitors; and though the Preserve is beautiful and unique in every aspect, the aesthetic is not the main allure. It is true passion–to support the preservation of something wild and indescribable. This passion was not only present in The Nature Conservancy, but also the Wood River Land Trust, Blaine County and United States Forest Service. In working with these organizations, I discovered people working to protect nature in ways I had never imagined. Engineers, biologists, philanthropists–all working to better the Silver Creek ecosystem for the future, and I have decided that somehow, I want to be a part of it. This experience, coupled with my love for wildlife, has opened my eyes to a world of conservation work. I can now envision a career in conservation, and cannot think of a better outcome from this internship. 

I would like to thank the Blumenstein family for this opportunity of a lifetime. Never have I undergone such a profound transformation in terms of my future, long-term goals. I would also like to thank Dayna Gross for being an amazing friend and inspiration–your commitment to conservation is astounding, and I will always remember my summer on Silver Creek. 

A special place in the heart of the Wood River Valley

By Toni Hardesty, state director of The Nature Conservancy in Idaho

Since I was a little girl, I always loved coming over Timmerman Hill and getting my first peek at the Wood River Valley. Seeing the valley meant it was either a weekend or we were on vacation; we were headed for some outdoor fun (skiing, camping, fishing, riding horses); and, we would most definitely see pretty places and amazing wildlife. Although much has changed in the Wood River Valley since I visited as a little girl, thanks to many visionary people and organizations, it is still a beautiful valley with practically unlimited outdoor recreation opportunities and still home to an amazing amount of wildlife.

Heart Rock Ranch. Photo by Alex Quintero/The Nature Conservancy.

In fact, at the intersection of Highway 20 and Highway 75 is a special piece of property that provides habitat to a host of birds, fish, and mammals.  It was but a few years ago that this property was planned for significant development. But lucky for us, and the animals that love this area, Shirley and Harry Hagey purchased the property, which they named Heart Rock Ranch. After a lot of hard work and intensive restoration, the ranch is thriving with new stream channels, cool and clean water, native plants, and excellent fish and wildlife habitat.  As if that is not enough, all of the improvements are protected into perpetuity with a conservation agreement between the Hageys and The Conservancy.

Shirley and Harry Hagey. Photo by Alex Quintero/The Nature Conservancy.

I had the pleasure of touring the ranch this past month with other Conservancy staff from the west. Believe me, it takes your breath away. For a glimpse into this amazing conservation effort, click on the following link and see for yourself what an inspirational project this is - see video.

Horrible things can be wonderful

By Susanna Danner, Director of Protection, The Nature Conservancy in Idaho

You know you’re in a healthy forest when you have two horrible species.

When I visited a North Idaho forest recently, I was lucky enough to see one and relieved to not see the other. One can pincushion your skin with hundreds of brittle spines, and the other can eat you.

Scientific names are funny things. Sometimes they describe things perfectly, even if you’re not a Latin expert. Like the barn owl: its scientific name is Tyto alba, literally, ‘white owl.’ Poison ivy is Toxicodendron radicans, or ‘toxic leaves with rooting stems.’ Other times, scientific names can be a bit pejorative. They evoke the feeling that the scientist might have had when he or she named the animal or plant. Such is the case for our “horrible” species on a forest recently acquired by the Conservancy.

This week, the Conservancy purchased the Hall Creek Forest in North Idaho, near Bonners Ferry.  The 317-acre property has some of the best forest habitat we’ve ever seen in the history of our North Idaho program, with huge conifer and hardwood trees, and an extensive forest wetland.

So what about those horrible species?  While splashing through the wetlands on the property, I gave a wide berth to devil’s club (Oplopanax horridus). Devil’s club is a wetland plant with spiky stems and enormous, maple-shaped leaves. The plants are very sensitive to disturbance, so when you see a devil’s club, you know you’re in a healthy, ancient wetland. 

As I walked around the old orchard on Hall Creek Forest, I had to step carefully to avoid the abundant scat from our other horrible species, the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis). I peered at the sloping bank of a stream, where tracks showed that long-clawed feet had scrabbled on the slick mud. While I was doing this, I kept to my North Idaho policy of making lots of noise. Bears have an aversion to surprises, and I have an aversion to mauling.

Grizzly bears prefer large habitat areas without many houses, but productive timber operations don’t faze them much. They forage in a mosaic of forest types, and Hall Creek Forest is ideal habitat for them, with its mix of harvest history, deciduous and coniferous species, and wetlands.

We’ll plan restoration activities for the property and to sell the property restricted by a conservation easement to a private buyer. The property will continue as working private timberland, and it will also continue to support two of our favorite “horrible” species in all of lovely North Idaho.

Apple Tree and Grizzly Scat. Photo © The Nature Conservancy.

Devils Club, one of those 'horrible' plants. Photo © The Nature Conservancy.

TNC Staff walking through Hall Creek Forest. Photo © The Nature Conservancy.

Staff Spotlight: Bob Unnasch

In our 2012 annual report we visit with Idaho's Director of Science Bob Unnasch to chat about his 25-year-anniversary with the Conservancy and what keeps him excited about conservation. Read on for the full interview: 

Bob Unnasch spent much of his childhood outdoors. After feeding him and his brother breakfast, Unnasch’s mother would put the boys outside and say, “Don’t come back until it gets dark.” He quickly developed an all-consuming curiosity about the ways of the natural world. “I spent my childhood roaming around in the woods, becoming comfortable in the natural world, identifying all the birds and collecting snakes and salamanders,” he recalled.  

His interest never waned. Instead it inspired his study of Wildlife Biology and Ecology at Rutgers and then Stony Brook Universities. He wrote his dissertation on seed dispersal and seed predation in shrubland communities. During graduate school he began working part-time for The Nature Conservancy at its David Weld Sanctuary in Long Island, NY. More than a quarter century later, he still works for the Conservancy. 

Photo courtesy Art Talsma/The Nature Conservancy

In 2012, Unnasch celebrated his 25^th year with the organization. After working at the sanctuary for four years he moved to Connecticut to serve as preserve director for the Ordway Preserves, where he lived next door to affluent and famous people including Keith Richards, Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Soon after The Nature Conservancy’s national office recruited him to be the national director of monitoring and research. His responsibilities included leading the grazing management program, which brought him out West to Boise, Idaho. He has served as the director of science for TNC’s Idaho Chapter for four years. 

Tell me the story of how you got started at The Nature Conservancy. 

Twenty nine years ago I was in graduate school and our department was interested in identifying natural areas within the vicinity of the university to facilitate research. All the faculty doing ecological research in exotic locales and students who weren't interested in tropical ecology had no real place to do work. So a group was formed to try to identify places near the university. I was on that committee. As I explored areas around the university I stumbled upon a preserve that was owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy, The David Weld Sanctuary, and I nominated that location as a potential site. The department was very excited about it because it was a private preserve and we didn't have to get permits to undertake research in it. We contacted the Nature Conservancy and they said, "That's great but the university has to provide a caretaker [for the property]." And so I volunteered to take that job as caretaker and that involved moving into a small, one-room cabin, sitting on a bluff overlooking Long Island Sound with a one-mile long beach that was piping plover habitat. It was surrounded by state parks on either side. Despite having no electricity, heat, or telephone we stayed there for four years.

What excites you in your day-to-day work? 

I have always been and remain committed to conservation, old school conservation - the conservation of species and habitat, biodiversity. I remain very excited to coming to my job, especially here in Idaho because what we do is we are still focused on conserving on plants, animals and natural communities. I think that's a valid life mission and that's something I always have and remain very excited about. 

What do you consider your greatest career accomplishment? 

Conservation Action Planning (CAP), which, for a number of years, has evolved. CAP was the first real transparent framework for doing conservation planning. My team and I designed the foundation and initial framework of this conservation action planning process. And CAP has now been implemented by hundreds of organizations in dozens of countries worldwide. 

Photo courtesy Art Talsma/The Nature Conservancy

What do you like to do outdoors besides collect data? 

In the growing season I'm an avid fly fisherman – have been my entire life. I'm also an avid birdwatcher. As a kid, I could lie on my back and see 15 to 20 species of warbler in a single tree. In the winter, I hike, tele-ski, and cross country ski. 

What advice do you have for students interested in pursuing science as a career? 

Anyone that I've ever known who's been successful in the natural sciences has spent enormous amounts of time outdoors understanding the diversity and complexity of the world. Sometimes students decide to study natural sciences because it ‘sounds interesting.’  Those students may feel overwhelmed by the complexity of the subject at the college level. So I always encourage students to find something that naturally interests him/her and figure out what subject encompasses those interests. Try to understand [the subject], try to understand all the interactions within that subject and then develop an emotional commitment to the study of it. That commitment is what will sustain you in your career. 

Can you tell me something that people would be surprised to know about you? 

Not only am your general natural historian but I also do medical research. I have a research appointment at the medical school in geographic medicine in the University of South Florida. 

Silver Creek and the Union Pacific Years

A Former Guide’s Reflections on the Ultimate Trout Stream by Charlie Most

The Nature Conservancy/Ketchum Historical Society

Easing gently into that silky-smooth current was a near mystical experience for me. This was Idaho’s famed Silver Creek, long considered by many to be North America’s finest trout stream.  In my wallet was an Idaho Registered Guide certificate.

It was 1950 and I had just turned 20.

How a kid from Oklahoma came to be in that place at that time was the result of youthful fantasies, a passion for fly-fishing, a carefully written letter, and a rabbit hunt. 

When Averall Harriman, Board Chairman of the giant Union Pacific Railroad, wanted a place to ski, he just built one. Appropriately named Sun Valley, the new Idaho resort opened in 1937 to soon become a favorite of the rich and famous. And the Union Pacific streamliners took them there.

Although known primarily for its wonderful skiing, Sun Valley also offered many summer activities such as golf, tennis, trail riding, shooting, and trout fishing.

The resort lies along Trail Creek above its confluence with Big Wood River. The headwaters of the Big Lost River are just beyond the Pioneer range to the east. These are all fine trout streams, but Silver Creek, 30 miles to the south, was the crown jewel. So the railroad also bought 480 acres along the stream and named it Sun Valley Ranch.

Back in Oklahoma, my youthful fantasies were mostly about hunting and fishing. Reading the outdoor magazines at the local barbershop just fueled my dreams of living exciting adventures. And such magazines had advertisements for an intriguing place called Sun Valley, and a stream with the magical name of Silver Creek.

As my high school days were ending with little hope for college, I wrote a letter to Sun Valley asking for a job. A return wire offered one and a rail pass to get me there.

I was hired as a houseman, a janitor-like job, but then luckily assigned to the night shift in Sun Valley Lodge.  Our crew worked hard and fast from 1 to 6 a.m. getting the place clean and ready for early rising guests.   

The daylight hours could then be spent exploring and fly fishing local streams, but that did not include Silver Creek.   That dream stream was literally beyond my reach.  Sun Valley Ranch was closed to all but guided resort guests, higher level employees, or off duty guides, while private sections of the stream were rife with no-trespassing signs.

For two seasons, I hiked or bummed rides to all the other streams I could reach, while learning all I could about fly fishing for trout.

And, with youthful optimism, I also wanted to be a Sun Valley guide.  Strangely enough, a rabbit hunt opened that door.

Returning on snow-covered Trail Creek Road from an overnight ski trip into Sun Valley’s Pioneer cabin, I saw an apparition in some willow-fringed meadows.   It was a large white rabbit hard to see against the snow.   The next day I was back with a rifle.

The Lodge night mechanic took the two rabbits I shot, and later said they tasted great.  Hunting snowshoe rabbits or hares on skis became a regular pursuit that was soon known around the resort.   So when Sports Director Joe Burgy asked me to take a Lodge guest snowshoe rabbit hunting, I sensed a heaven-sent opportunity.

We skied up Trail Creek to those meadows where I floundered through the brush to flush out several rabbits.  He shot three which I cleaned and left with the Lodge’s head chef.   All he had to do then was call when he wanted his rabbits cooked. 

The man told Burgy about the great time he had and when Joe told me this, I said, “Joe, I’d like to be a guide.”   The hours spent watching Taylor Williams tie flies then paid off.   Burgy asked the head guide what he thought and Williams said “good."

As an apprentice, I helped other guides when they had two or more guests to take out. I went with Taylor Williams only three times, but was out with Don Anderson, Adolph Rubicek, and Dutch Gunderson on a regular basis. Dutch’s nickname came from his skill with a dutch-oven. I would guide until he joined us after burying the oven in hot coals. Those delicious streamside beef pies were an important part of his guided trips, and his “guiding” was much in demand. 

Sun Valley guides would fish only if our “guest” suggested it. Our fly vest pockets were stuffed with full fly boxes, leader materials, and other items for their use, and we had to know where, and hopefully how, they could catch some fish. Our rods were just to demonstrate the cast for a given situation, but many said go ahead and fish.  

Knowing little about Silver Creek, I began fishing there on my own when I wasn’t guiding and if the stream was not too heavily scheduled. Those smooth flows, dense beds of aquatic plants, deceptive depths too often over the wader tops, and rainbow trout wary beyond belief – collectively conspired into an angling experience that could be downright exasperating while still an all absorbing challenge.  This was graduate school!

Silver Creek often has multiple hatches, two or more kinds of mayfly coming off at the same time.  The fish would key on one of those, and deciding which was not easy.  And it wasn’t always the most obvious bug on the water. A fish conditioned to feeding on a smaller insect will often stay with the bug it knows rather than change to one it doesn’t. But then, they could suddenly start taking almost everything that came along.

It could be a real crapshoot, and finding the answer made your whole day.

After the 1950 season I left for college, but returned to Sun Valley and guiding for two more summers. Silver Creek was now one of my streams.

Silver Creek trout were seldom easy but with more experience, I became fairly successful there, even to reaching the point where former guests asked for me.

Early in that second year of guiding, Dutch Gunderson asked me to come with him and a Mr. Hayes to Silver Creek. I wasn’t booked that day and eagerly agreed. 

Mr. Hayes was from New York, in his 80’s, and with the tackle and demeanor suggesting wealth.   Most summer days on Silver Creek are very bright and this one was no exception. While insects often hatch throughout the day, trout spook easier under a mid-day sun. But Mr. Hayes did not want to drive down early, so it was 10 o’clock when we reached the stream. 

While Dutch fired up some charcoal to cook lunch, Mr. Hayes and I walked over to watch the water.  A hatch was on, the trout were feeding, and if we could just cast without spooking them, we might catch a few. 

In those pre-Polaroid sunglass days, a floating fly could disappear into the surface glare, and also be distorted to the fish.  A dark fly was the logical choice, easier to see against the glare, and in that brightness, perhaps acceptable to the fish. My choice was a Black Wulff, and I tied one onto Mr. Hayes’ tippet.It was almost as easy as the proverbial shooting fish in a barrel! My younger eyes saw the strikes and I’d say when. But not seeing the strike, Mr. Hayes broke tippets on so many fish I was getting low on Black Wulffs. But he did catch several large rainbows, and when Dutch joined us, Mr. Hayes was taking a rest on the bank.

On returning to Sun Valley, Mr. Hayes gave Dutch some bills, then turned to me

and said, “the sports desk will have something for you in a few days.”   That fine old gentleman had Abercrombie and Fitch, the great New York sporting goods emporium of those days, send me a Kaybar multi-tooled pocket knife with Fly Fisherman on one side of the yellow handle and my name engraved on the other. 

Greatest tip I ever had and I used that knife for years.

In 1964, the railroad sold its Sun Valley holdings, ending the Union Pacific’s management of Silver Creek.   Today, the Ranch property is the centerpiece of The Nature Conservancy’s Silver Creek Preserve.

I last fished Silver Creek ten years ago.  My wife Pat and I were heading home from attended a meeting in Oregon and pulled the RV into the Hayspur campground in late afternoon. We planned to overnight before heading on east, but I did want to fish Silver Creek the next morning. We drove over, put our donation in the box and walked upstream. Just past the footbridge over Sullivan Lake’s outlet was a long, grassy bank. A pod of trout was feeding steadily just upstream. 

Pat sat down on the grass, so saying “keep the camera handy,” I carefully waded in. The insects floating by were the fairly large Green Drakes and smaller Blue-winged Olive mayflies. I watched for a few minutes and saw the fish were taking the olives.

The size 16 hair-winged fly looked right but like many youthful experiences there, the fly drifted right through that pod as the fish continued taking the naturals. I cast for an hour with no strikes but at least my casting hadn’t put the fish down.

Could those clumps of aquatic plants, some just under the surface, be affecting the seemingly smooth surface currents? If there were such counter currents, the leader might be causing a nearly imperceptible drag on the fly. 

I changed leader tippets to a lighter one that was two feet longer. A tippet too long and light for the fly size would not straighten on the cast, and that’s what I wanted!

When cast, the tippet piled up around the fly but allowed a natural drift as the long tippet slowly straightened out. The fly was almost through the pod before a fish took it. I tightened up, moved the fish towards me so as not to spook the rest, and released a 14-incher. Three more casts and I hooked a 17-inch fish.   Several more casts and a big trout casually took the fly. I yelled, “here’s grandpa,” and after a spirited fight, landed and released a 20-inch rainbow.

Wading over to Pat, I said “now we can leave.”     

In 1972, I flew from my home in Billings, Montana into West Yellowstone to rent a car and drive to a Sun Valley meeting.  It was Sunday and the meeting was to start that evening. Reaching Picabo before noon, I drove up to the Hayspur Campground which was then adjacent to the hatchery diversion ditch from Loving Creek.  Loving Creek is Silver Creek’s largest tributary with its lower reaches now within the Silver Creek Preserve.  Climbing the stile over the brush-covered fence, I saw beautiful water and trout making scattered, lazy rises.

I only caught one fish that day but it was the biggest rainbow trout I’ve ever landed, at least five pounds and perhaps even six. Phenomenal!   It was so big I didn’t dare tell about it at the meeting.

A year later, I repeated that trip. With memories of that huge rainbow, I again drove to Hayspur Campground so I could fish Loving Creek for a while. But on climbing  the fence stile, I was dismayed to see a new house right where I had stood to catch that big trout!

This sort of thing seems to be happening everywhere today and, without Nature Conservancy protection, I can visualize a worst case scenario. Silver Creek would be flowing between expensive homes with manicured lawns down to the water. Those “No Trespassing” signs would just be for float tubers and such since locked gates would keep the rest of us out.

But under ownership of The Nature Conservancy, the stream will stay in its natural state and available for those of us who love the challenge of angling for sophisticated trout. After nearly 60 years of trout fishing in many parts of the United States and Canada, Silver Creek still gets my vote as the ultimate trout stream.

About the author

Charlie Most, with degrees in wildlife biology and in journalism, enjoyed a more than 30-year career as a biologist, public information specialist and public information supervisor with Federal land managing agencies.

He has lectured about or taught fishing at American University in Washington, D.C., Rocky Mountain College in Montana, Chesapeake College in Maryland, and  George Mason University in Virginia.

While serving on the National Conservation Committee of the Boy Scouts of America, Most wrote the earlier Conservation of Natural Resources Merit Badge handbook, the chapter on fishing in the Boy Scout Fieldbook, and developed the Scout’s national Fish-N-Camp program.  He also served as a conservation instructor for four Boy Scout Jamborees.

He has written many free-lance articles about fishing, hunting, natural history, and related subjects, and was an award winning outdoor columnist for two northern Virginia daily newspapers – the Potomac News and the Alexandria Gazette.

Most served three years on the Board of Directors for the Outdoor Writers Association of America, and two terms as president of the regional Mason-Dixon Outdoor Writers Association. 

He and his wife Pat now live in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he wade fishes near  home for things big and mean.  He does try to go west each summer to fish for trout.  

Silver Creek hosts local students in WOW program

Photos courtesy of Dayna Gross/The Nature Conservancy

Seventh graders from the community school visited Silver Creek Preserve this week to learn about restoration projects from preserve manager, Dayna Gross. The students participate in a program by the Wood River Foundation called WOW. Its goals are to: 

• To give students the opportunity to make a choice about where to invest (donate) $25 in our community
• To teach all K–12 students in all schools in Blaine County about generosity, civic engagement and the resulting community benefit through hands-on experience
• To foster collaboration between students, families, schools, nonprofit organizations, and wow-student investors who all have a vested interest in our community.

Restoration projects at Silver Creek Preserve are among local projects that the students can invest in through WOW.  For more on the program visit WOW's website by clicking here. 

Rep. Mike Simpson talks to landowners and conservationists about future of funding for working lands

Landowners and conservation advocates recently toured one of Idaho's conserved farms with Rep. Mike Simpson to discuss the future of funding for working lands with conservation and heritage value.

The talks focused on the success of local projects that received federal funding through Farm Bill easement programs and the Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).  In addition, the group spoke about the importance of long-term tax incentives for working farmers and ranchers to help keep the land in family hands and in production for generations to come.

"I am strong believer in the need to protect and preserve our farm and ranch lands and ensure that rural families are able to pass their operations onto future generations," said Congressman Simpson, chairman for the Subcommittee on Interior and Environment, which has jurisdiction over funding for a number of programs critical to Idaho.  "I believe the public-private partnerships that are helping to protect these lands are important moving forward and I was pleased to hear firsthand from those who have seen these partnerships work effectively." 

The tour featured Barbara Farms & Ernie’s Organics which is owned and operated by Fred & Judy Brossy. The Brossy’s have farmed their ground for more than 20 years.  The Brossy Family agreed with the former landowner and the Natural Resources Conservation Service to put in place a conservation easement that protects prime farm soils, wildlife habitat and water quality in the Little Wood River. In 2007, the Brossy’s placed another easement on a different part of their property. 

Other speakers included Greg Brown, who spoke on the value of LWCF funding to protect lands crucial to the National Park Service at Hagerman Fossil Beds and Minidoka National Monument; Tom McFarland of Salmon about the importance of Farm Bill conservation easements for working landowners; and Greg Burns of Madison County about long-term tax incentives helping family farms.

“I was thrilled to be in the company of so many of Idaho’s conservation leaders and landowners willing to share their successes and challenges,” said Joselin Matkins, executive director of Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust and Chair of the Idaho Coalition of Land Trusts.  “Working together, we are cultivating common ground across political parties and cultural backgrounds to protect the wild spaces and working lands that make Idaho such a wonderful place to live, work, and play.”

Participants included private landowners from Arco, Ashton, Buhl, Kimberly, Salmon and Shoshone.  Representatives from the City of Boise Open Space Program, The Conservation Fund, Idaho Foundation for Parks & Land, Land Trust of the Treasure Valley, Lemhi Regional Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, Pioneers Alliance, Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust, Teton Regional Land Trust and the Wood River Land Trust also participated.

The Idaho Coalition of Land Trusts (ICOLT) is a group of local, regional and national land conservation organizations operating in Idaho that seek to work cooperatively to maintain and increase voluntary incentive-based private land conservation. 

Congressman Simpson is serving his seventh term in the House of Representatives for Idaho’s Second Congressional District. In addition to serving on the Subcommittee on Interior and Environment, he serves on the House Appropriations Committee.

Additional information about ICOLT can be found at http://www.idaholandtrusts.org/. Congressman Simpson’s website is http://simpson.house.gov/ and on Facebook you can search for  “Mike Simpson” or “Mike Simpson for U.S. Congress”. 

Information about tax incentives and Farm Bill easement programs can be found at http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy.  Details about the Land & Water Conservation Fund success stories in Idaho can be found at http://www.lwcfcoalition.org/idaho.html or on Facebook by searching for Idaho Land & Water Conservation Fund.

Contacts: Joselin Matkins, ICOLT Chair, 208/241-4662; Nikki Watts, Rep. Simpson Communications Director, 208/334-1953.

Conservancy donates river parcel for public use

Pahsimeroi River in Upper Salmon Basin. Photo ©Paul Plante. 

The Nature Conservancy recently donated a 1.8-acre parcel along the Lemhi River to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG).  It is located about four miles south east of Salmon along the Lemhi back road.


The parcel will be managed as a public access point to the Lemhi River. This reach of the Lemhi River provides fishing opportunity for anglers to fish for native rainbow and to catch and release cutthroat trout.  

The local community recognizes the value of having public access to the Lemhi River and the Lemhi County Commissioners are supportive of IDFG acquisitions and donations that enhance recreational activities in the county. A parking area, fencing and signs will be installed by spring 2013 to direct the public to the Lemhi River via this parcel and off adjacent private properties.  IDFG reminds the public to be respectful of private properties adjacent to this and all public accesses.

Bringing 'em back - salmon and steelhead recovery project in the Upper Salmon

Photo © Paul Plante

The Nature Conservancy of Idaho and the Page family recently reached an important milestone on a project to help restore flows and improve fisheries in the Upper Salmon basin.

The Conservancy acquired a conservation easement on about 1,670 acres of the Big Creek Ranch owned by the Page family. The agreement will secure in-stream flow to aid in reconnecting Sulphur Creek to the Pahsimeroi River, and improve river and upland habitats. This acquisition is the first of a broader conservation effort in the basin targeted specifically for its collective potential to make an impact on water resources in the area.

The Nature Conservancy worked with partners from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho Department of Water Resources and the Idaho Office of Species Conservation in order to secure funding through the Snake River Basin Adjudication Habitat Trust Fund to acquire the conservation easement.  The Page family contributed a portion of the value of the easement through a bargain sale.

“We specifically looked for projects with water rights that we could leverage to make a conservation impact,” says Tom Page, who completed a similar restoration project in Montana. This legacy project pays tribute to Page’s father, who passed away in 2004. “Thanks to my father’s hard work, his intellect, his timing and his conservation ethic, we have the opportunity to make a lasting difference in country where all the native species are still present,” says Page.

“We applaud private citizens demonstrating leadership and seeking out common-sense solutions to complex species recovery problems,” says Mike Edmondson, Program Manager for the Governor’s Office of Species Conservation.  “What we have here with Tom and Mike Page is a win-win situation: the land stays in private agricultural production, stays on the county tax rolls, and the Pages control their destiny while benefiting ESA-listed salmon, steelhead, and bull trout through flow enhancement and riparian improvement.”

Pahsimeroi River. Photo © Paul Plante.

The Nature Conservancy of Idaho identified the Upper Salmon as one of the chapter’s highest-priority conservation areas in the state. It is an area that is home to a wide array of rare plants, intact ecosystems, and some of our most pristine wildlife habitat. The Conservancy’s goals in this region are: 1) to protect and restore key river/ riparian habitats for fish and wildlife, and 2) to protect and restore the private/ public land matrix that supports wide ranging mammals and plant communities.

In addition to leveraging water rights to reconnect tributaries, the long-term goals of the Page family include restoring Chinook salmon and steelhead in the Pahsimeroi, providing better habitat for bull trout, improving irrigation management and ensuring the opportunity for their children to see giant salmon swimming in a desert stream.

Securing a conservation easement on the property represents the first phase of the larger protection of the Big Creek Ranch. This phase will secure 120 acres of riparian corridor and about 2.5 miles of Sulphur Creek. It will also involve the removal of old feedlots from the banks of Sulphur Creek and migration barriers from irrigation diversions where necessary. Most importantly, it secures permanent water flows for salmon and trout.