Back The Brookies

[JOHNKIES]

This is from Virginia, but a good summary on what Back The Brookies is all about, how it works to find good working partnerships, and how positive media relationships can help improve trout water. ---JCK---

http://www.roanoke.com/outdoors/billcochran%5C25927.html

[hook]

I'm the Georgia TU Back the Brookie (BTB) Chair. The program is getting underway in Georgia. I'll be speaking about BTB at the July 26th Upper Chattahooche TU (UCCTU) meeting in Alpharetta. You are welcome to attend and learn about this new TU program. Read further for location and time.

Please visit the SE Regional TU BTB website www.brookie.org for more info.

If you would like to receive email updates in the future about GA BTB, please PM me with your name and email address. If you would like to volunteer to help with GA BTB projects, please PM me your name and contact info.

This is an announcement that I wrote for the UCCTU newsletter. It contains details about the meeting...

Brook trout are known as aquatic “canaries in the coal mine”; …if brook trout begin to disappear from our waters, it may indicate our streams and rivers are in trouble. Unhealthy streams are a problem for people, who depend on water for health, recreation and ecoomic benefits.

Southern Appalachian Brook Trout are genetically different from other brook trout. As the only native salmonid in the southern Appalachians, Southern Appalachian Brook Trout have economic, ecological and recreational importance. Because they are a unique component of the region’s wild trout resources, maintaining and enhancing Southern Appalachian Brook Trout populations are primary management concerns.

In Georgia, almost 140 miles of stream support wild brook trout. Twenty four Southern Appalachian Brook Trout populations inhabit thirty six miles of these streams. Good news - all of Georgia’s known Southern Appalachian Brook Trout populations occur on public lands!

Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia have joined together in a multistate conservation campaign designed to conserve, protect and restore brook trout, and the waters in which they live. The program consists of four elements:
• Advocacy – Working for long-term solutions to serious problems.
• Conservation – Focusing on watersheds and native fish populations.
• Education – Threats to Coldwater are Sociological in Nature. Solutions are Based in People.
• Strengthening – increasing the visibility of TU and our membership.

Concern for brookies is not limited the Southeast. TU has partnered with the National Fish Habitat Initiative through the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture to protect, restore and enhance aquatic habitat throughout the range of the brook trout from Maine to Georgia! The joint venture is a historic partnership between federal and state agencies, regional and local governments, businesses, conservation organizations, academia and citizens.

Join us on Tuesday, July 26th for our Chapter meeting starting 6:30 PM at the Alehouse; 10750 Davis Dr.; Alpharetta, GA 30004; Mansell Rd. near GA 400; 678-277-2581. Special Back the Brookie items will be raffled!
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A map to the meeting can be found at www.ucctu.org.

Regards,

Hook
(Kevin McGrath)