This from Fishing Jones: Trout Unlimited is bowing out of the river rights, streamside access debate, according to a recent article in NewWest magazine. I was pissed when I first read this, because the privatization of our country's wilderness and river resources is one of the scariest issues facing hunters and anglers today. As more people become remote workers and/or retire out West on East Coast salaries, this is only going to get worse -- the McMansion crowd will soon be carving up your favorite rivers and moutain ranges. For something really scary, read about how fast the population is exploding in Oregon and what's happening with land use on the LandCrazed Blog.
I'm not upset about Trout Unlimited backing away from this debate because it's not a conservation issue. TU needs to support fisheries science and conservation. TU is not a fishing club. Also, I'd rather the organization spend its resources convincing idiot landowners to leave the riparian habitat on the stream banks than get into a pissing match over whether or not a bubba can stand on a riverbank and scratch his ass on some New Jersey retiree's McRanch.
If you're interested in Oregon river rights, check out Common Waters of Oregon. Sign up, donate, volunteer.
McKenzie River Trout Unlimited fly fishing trip
On a lighter note, TU Chapter 678 had a fly fishing outing on the McKenzie River last weekend. You can check out the photos and details on the TU 678 Blog.
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