Trout Unlimited Inc

Volunteer operations and chapter support:in addition to planning cx3 annual meeting this year, tu's volunteer operations planned and executed three regional rendezvous, which were very successful with more than 500 grassroots members and partners attending one of the three events. These events bring the most active and passionate volunteers together with our expert staff and partners to learn best practices, share innovations, network, and grow our "one tu" culture.the three-year partnership with tractor supply company on the plant for our future campaign has created the capacity to grow and improve the marketing and awareness of tu's grassroots tree planting efforts and has opened new doors for the organization. The arbor day foundation has connected with our engagement staff several times in the last quarter seeking to connect project sites for tree plantings with interested donors. These brokered planting grants not only help provide "match" for some of our national projects, but also allow for as much as 20 percent of the funding to be used for staffing and facilitation of the planting projects. We are establishing an effort to identify and target additional corporate and foundation funders for this work - especially for programs that engage underserved communities.we brought together multiple 5 rivers college club leaders from across the country on the wind river indian reservation in wyoming for the costa ambassador summit. During the summit, the students learned about the history of the reservation and the 2.2 million acres of land managed by shoshone and arapaho tribal fish and game. They also learned about indifly's work on the reservation and their mission to use fly fishing as a tool to create sustainable economic opportunities for tribal members. Throughout the week, the students camped, fished, discussed their struggles and triumphs with their 5 rivers clubs, and bonded over their shared love of fly fishing and tu. On their last day on the reservation, the students hosted a learn to fly fish clinic for tribal youth and helped dozens of kids catch their first trout on the fly.the 10th annual tu teen leadership summit was held at georgetown lake, montana. This event brings together 25 teen leaders from across the country, many of whom are graduates from one of tu's summer fly fishing camps and academies. All summits feature trout-centric, hands-on volunteer project. This year, the teens worked with tu staffer, tess scanlon, and the us forest service to construct beaver dam analogs on a native cutthroat stream. Check out the tu teens instagram: @tuteens.

Membership development:the nlc workgroups continue to make progress toward completing their quantifiable goals which support the tu strategic plan. Tu continues to evolve its membership messaging to focus on collaboration and engagement.

Communications:tu's priority waters communications campaign launched in mid-january following completion of a new website (https://prioritywaters.tu.org) that includes state-by-state rundown of priority waters work, a section about how we work and why it matters, and maps. This new website is integrated with tu.org and is an update for our standing conservation content. A multimedia effort involving social media, blogs, press, emails, ads, and films is promoting the message that tu is working at scale across the nation, and working in places you live, love and fish. The first of a series of priority waters films launches in february: "a beautiful mess" highlights our work in tennessee's cherokee national forest. Forthcoming installments are set in arizona (apache trout), california (golden trout), the olympic peninsula (salmon and steelhead), and wyoming and utah (cutthroat trout). This is an all-hands-on-deck evergreen campaign, and we have been encouraging staff, volunteers and leaders to help us spread the word using a tu priority waters toolkit.

Government affairs:the tu government affairs department has been implementing our new and expanded approach to protection and advocacy across all aspects of tu and externally to federal agencies and congress.highlights include:- tu simultaneously testifying in congress in both the senate and house hearings on significant conservation and policy issues.- holding a key meeting with the us forest service that could expand our keystone agreement by $50-70m over an additional 10 years.- exploring the development of a tu tribal partnership center for advocacy.- propelling tu's good samaritan mine cleanup bill, which has 26 senate co-sponsors and the unique status as the only bipartisan conservation bill in congress.- taking a new leadership role in advocating for protections for coldwater fisheries in the arctic.- taking a comprehensive approach to the lower snake dam removal issue as the administration reached an agreement with the tribes and plaintiffs.