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The announcement was made on Gary and Ellen Lohr’s Valley Pike Farm overlooking the Valley in Broadway as part of the implementation of the Obama administration’s “Strategy for Protecting and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay Watershed” released last May.

Ann Mills, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, made the announcement.

“Making these announcements from a local farm is more than a symbolic gesture,” Mills said. “Nearly 75 percent of the land in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed is in private farms and forests. The showcase watersheds strengthen USDA’s commitment to funding priority conservation practices in places that will do the most good for water quality in the Bay and its tributaries.”

In May 2009, President Obama signed The Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration Executive Order declaring the Chesapeake Bay a national treasure and requiring a coordinated strategy for restoration and protection.

The executive order directed federal agencies to “define environmental goals for the Chesapeake Bay and describe milestones for making progress toward attainment of these goals.” The strategy focuses on achieving four essential priorities for a healthy Chesapeake ecosystem — restore clean water, recover habitat, sustain fish and wildlife and conserve land and increase public access.

One of the goals in the strategy that caught my attention and led to my attending the announcement on the Lohr’s farm was to, “Sustain healthy populations of fish and wildlife, which contribute to a resilient ecosystem and vibrant economy”.

One of the outcomes for that goal was “restoring naturally reproducing brook trout populations in headwater streams … by 2025.” Because of my involvement with the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture I was thrilled to see brook trout recovery efforts as a key outcome for Cheasapeake Bay Watershed efforts.

Eighteen months ago I wrote about the efforts of the EBTJV and the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, noted the work at Smith Creek and what it means to the Valley. At the time I wrote “Working cooperatively with ten diverse partners, the project is helping restore riparian habitat at the headwaters of Smith Creek. This project connects to Mountain Run in the George Washington National Forest as well, providing additional spawning habitat for those Brook Trout.”

Smith Creek also gained national attention in 2007 as one the first of the NFHAP “10 Waters to Watch”.

Now Smith Creek will be getting additional attention and funding and can serve as a model for other efforts across the state and country. Of course having Smith Creek as a Showcase Watershed adds additional incentive for implementing the National Fish Habitat Action Plan.

The NFHAP can build upon the successes of Smith Creek and the two other Showcase Watersheds, the 23,000-acre Upper Chester River Watershed in Maryland and the 34,000-acre Conewago Creek Watershed in Pennsylvania and leverage those models into additional aquatic habitat conservation across the country.

Now is the time for Federal agencies with responsibility managing aquatic habitat to increase their efforts to implement the National Fish Habitat Action Plan. Coordination among those agencies will promote stewardship and improve the health of our Nation’s aquatic habitat.

Perhaps it is time for an Executive Order to implement the NFHAP.

If the administration leads the way then maybe Congress will get the message and pass the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act.

It should come as no surprise and serve as a point of pride that conservation efforts here in the Valley get national recognition. There is a long and treasured tradition of stewardship and respect for the land and the natural resource bounty it provides.

That tradition and the connection to the land were never more evident than on the Lohr’s farm last week.

You can read more of my columns at the News Virginian.com.

The second week, we had the pleasure of spending 5 days with Craig Copeland and Charlotte Jenkins of Industry and Investment New South Wales. They took my wife and I on a tour of some of the fish habitat projects they have been working on. It was a great opportunity to see how our Australian colleagues are dealing with the challenges of dwindling fish habitat. We went to sites in the Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central West, Hunter Valley and wound up at Lake Macquarie for the forum.

I also had a chance to be part of a panel discussion with some notable Australian recreational fishing pros and give a presentation on fish habitat activity in the U.S., especially the National Fish Habitat Action Plan and the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture.

i sound smarter with a beer in front of me....

I even managed to get a little press coverage of my visit:  US expert says conservation is give and take.

It was a wonderful opportunity to see Australia both on our own and with some liked minded conservationists and to trade ideas and stories about two things I really enjoy, fishing and conservation.

The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation was started in 1989. The foundation created a link between the sportsmen’s community and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus. The Caucus had been started earlier that year by a small group of liked-minded legislators who wanted to protect and promote the outdoor traditions of hunting, trapping and fishing in the U.S. Congress.

“This year’s banquet is sort of the culmination of a year-long celebration of our 20th Anniversary,” said CSF President Jeff Crane. “We were able to recognize and thank everyone who has contributed to the 20-year success of the organization including current and former Caucus members and all those who have contributed to our cause.”

The lunch was a small gathering of past members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus and Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. Many of the past board members and the five of us who had run the foundation all were there. It was a great chance for all of us to swap hunting, fishing and legislative stories.

The two original co-chairs of the caucus, Congressmen Dick Schulze and Lindsay Thomas both made it back for the lunch and banquet. Schulze has served on the foundation’s board of directors and Thomas currently sits of the board.

“This was a very special event and I am honored to have been invited back to witness the tremendous growth of this caucus and foundation since we founded it in 1989,” said Schultze.

“It was wonderful to be able to visit with and recognize publicly my founding Caucus leadership colleagues,” said Thomas.

Today there are 200 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and 52 Senators in the caucus, making it one of the largest in Congress. Twenty-one of the original caucus members are still in Congress.

The Valley’s own representative Bob Goodlatte is a member and has been since he was elected to Congress. There are five additional members from the Virginia congressional delegation — unfortunately neither of our senators is a member of the caucus.

I enjoyed my time at the foundation and have been especially excited to see them take the success of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus model and expand on it in the states.

In 2004, the foundation replicated its model of raising awareness of sportsmen’s issues by creating the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses. There are 38 states with bi-partisan caucuses, including Virginia.

The Virginia Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus was formed in 2004. It is currently co-chaired by the Valley’s own Senator Emmet Hanger and gubernatorial candidate Senator R. Creigh Deeds.

According to the Caucus’ Web site, “The caucus has been very successful since its inception, working towards the passage of the ‘No Net Loss’ legislation in 2007 and the creation Virginia’s Migratory Waterfowl Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp) program in 2005.”

The latest development in expanding the caucus model has been the formation of a bipartisan caucus of governors. The Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus was launched at the National Governor’s Association Annual Meeting in this summer. The goal is to increase communication and information exchange between states to promote and protect hunting and fishing.

America’s nearly 40 million hunters and anglers contribute more than $70 billion annually to the U.S. economy. The economic contribution that hunting and fishing makes in Virginia is significant. Sportsmen contribute over a billion dollars and account for more than 20,000 jobs each year.

Having a voice in our nation’s capital is great, having one in the state capitol is even better.

You can read more of my columns at the News Virginian.com.

The shoot took place at Flying Rabbit Sporting Clays in Mt. Crawford. It was a fun shoot with 113 shooters competing on the 100-target course.

Congratulations go to Glen Tharp, Russ Ringler, T.R. Whetzel, Jeff Smith and Nathan Mongold. Each one had the high score in their class. Tharp was high scorer overall breaking 94 of 100 targets. The winner in the long bird shoot was Waynesboro’s own Watson Lewis.

Hunters for the Hungry is one of those programs that can really make a difference to people in need. In these times of economic hardship for so many people, the generosity of hunters who share the bounty of their time afield is especially important.

Professional meat processors across the state, including a half a dozen here in the Valley, cut, wrap and freeze the meat for distribution. In 2008 food banks, church groups and the Salvation Army distributed more than 380,000 pounds of low-fat, high-protein meat to folks in need.

Those hunters who contribute some, or all, of the game they harvest are carrying on one of the proudest hunting traditions — sharing in the success of the hunt.

Too often these days hunting is seen as an out-dated pastime. Hunters are an important economic contributor to our local economy. Just as importantly, they are helping provide food that is both local and healthy —something we need to be doing more of.

In talking with the organizers of the event, John Alexander and Rick Hill, owners of Flying Rabbit, and Gary Arrington, special projects coordinator for Hunters for the Hungry, they all spoke of their appreciation for the support from the community, both financially and in the numbers of volunteers that made the event a success.

“The support from the community was 125 percent,” said Hill. Not 100 percent, 125 percent.”

The event attracted more than $10,000 in financial contributions as well as donated products and services. The volunteer support for the event was significant as well.

“We had over thirty volunteers from groups like the National Wild Turkey Federation, Quality Deer Management Association, Buckmasters as well as students from JMU,” said Alexander.

By the way, I shot a 68, respectable for me but not good enough to win a trophy.

The Virginia Council of Trout Unlimited elected new officers this past Saturday at the fall council meeting at Graves Mountain Lodge in Syria.

Outgoing president John Ross presided over the election of Bill Pierce as the new president, James “Chubby” Damron as first vice president, Richard Landreth as vice president for education, Bob Rosenthal as vice president for policy and Jason McGarvey, as vice president for communications.

David Jones, Marcia Woolman and Jay Henderson were elected to the three at-large seats and I was elected as the council’s representative to TU’s National Leadership Council.

The council also congratulated Woolman and Ross for receiving awards at Trout Unlimited’s 50th anniversary banquet in August.

TU’s highest national award for volunteer leadership was awarded to Woolman, she is the first woman to earn the award. Ross was one of seven leaders to receive the organization’s Distinguished Service Award.

Whether you hunt or fish or just enjoy the great outdoors for its on sake, when you support a community event or join a group that is working for the future of the resource you are helping keep the hunting and fishing tradition alive for future generations.

You can read more of my columns at the News Virginian.com.

Some of the winners show off da hardware!

yours truly 'bout to put the hurt on some clays

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan is one of the best efforts to address the challenges of conserving important aquatic habitat.

Protecting, enhancing and restoring aquatic habitat is important because it not only helps protect drinking water supplies that are essential for human health, it is the foundation for water-based recreation.

Those of us who hunt and fish know how important clean water, wetlands and the areas along our favorite rivers and streams are. We know firsthand that healthy aquatic habitat is a key factor in our hunting and fishing success.

Last month, I participated in a conference to review the status of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan. The conference, held in Leesburg, gave federal agency representatives, members of the various fish habitat partnerships and other stakeholders a chance to review what was working, to learn how to improve the effectiveness of the partnerships and to plan for the first major report to Congress.

The NFHAP has some important goals to achieve in the next year, including completing an analysis of the nation’s fish habitats; identifying the priority fish habitats; establishing at least twelve Fish Habitat Partnerships in those priority areas; and preparing a “Status of Fish Habitats in the United States” report.

All this needs to been completed by the end of 2010. The good news is it looks like the NFHAP is on track to complete these tasks.

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan’s mission is “to protect, restore and enhance the nation’s fish and aquatic communities through partnerships that foster fish habitat conservation and improve the quality of life for the American people.”

The NFHAP grew out of an initiative championed by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies in September 2003. They took on the task of developing a national strategy and coordinating existing efforts into a cohesive initiative. The resulting National Fish Habitat Initiative became “a science-based, voluntary and non-regulatory, nationwide strategy.”

The initiative was endorsed by a variety of stakeholders, many State fish and wildlife agency leaders, national conservation organizations and Federal agencies such as the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.

In April of 2006 the National Fish Habitat Action Plan was established by agreement with the Departments of Interior and Commerce and Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. A governing board was set up and guidelines for the establishment of recognized partnerships were created. Projects from the various partnerships are reviewed by the NFHAP board who then make funding recommendations to the federal agencies.

Legislation, know as the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act, to codify the NFHAP and authorize project funding – at $75 million annually – was introduced in Congress this spring.

Here in the Valley the Fish Habitat Partnership you are most likely to hear about is the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture. I am pleased to serve as the vice-chairman for the joint venture and am proud of the work that has been accomplished since it began.

Recently, the EBTJV recommended funding for a project here on the North River above Elkhorn Reservoir. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved that funding and the money should be available to the state soon.

Historically, sections of the North River were among the best and largest native brook trout water in Virginia. Back in the 1950s and 60s the North River was “straightened” so floodwaters could be quickly removed from a road that had been built in the flood plain. The U.S. Forest Service has since relocated the road and the channels no longer are needed.

The state, working with the U.S. Forest Service and local conservation groups like Trout Unlimited are restoring sections of the river to the natural pool and riffle configuration and provide summer refuge for the brook trout. When the project is complete, several native brook trout tributaries will also have been connected.

We are fortunate here in the Valley to have an abundance of hunting and fishing opportunities. Because of the hard work of your friends and neighbors who support local hunting, fishing and conservation groups those opportunities will continue to improve.

You can read more of my columns at News Virginian.com

Here is ASA’s Press Release:

American Sportfishing Association Elects Board of Directors Members

Industry leaders will address a wide-range of sportfishing issues

Alexandria, VA – June 29, 2009 - Six members of the American Sportfishing Association’s (ASA) Board of Directors were elected or re-elected to fill three regional seats and three at-large seats. Their terms begin October 1, 2009, and they will serve two-year terms. ASA’s board members may serve three, consecutive two-year terms.

Regional seats went to Martin MacDonald, director of Conservation, Bass Pro Shops, Springfield, Mo., who will serve the South Central Region; Bob Eakes,president, Red Drum Tackle Shops, Buxton, N.C., who will serve the Southeast Region (re-elected); and Dick Pool, president, Pro-Troll Fishing Products,Concord, Calif., who will serve the West Region. Eakes was re-elected for a third, two-year term. MacDonald and Pool will serve a two-year term. Pool has previously served on ASA’s Board of Directors.

At-Large seats went to John Jilling, president, Wright & McGill Company, Denver, Colo. (re-elected); Geoff Ratte, Water Gremlin Company, St. Paul, Minn.; andDave Bulthuis, vice president of Sales, Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, Inc., Daytona Beach, Fla. Jilling and Ratte were re-elected to serve a third and second two-year term respectively. Bulthuis was elected to his first two-year term.

“We’ve got a great mix of talent, experience and perspective with the incoming Board of Directors who will compliment an already impressive group of individuals,” said Mike Nussman, ASA president and CEO. “The members of the American Sportfishing Association will be well-served by these dynamic leaders, industry veterans and steadfast advocates for the sportfishing industry. I look forward to working with everyone and thank them for their time and support.”

Martin MacDonald was elected to his first term on ASA’s board of directors. MacDonald plans to address introducing adults to fishing, general sportfishing education and economic vibrancy in the sportfishing industry. Bob Eakes, who was re-elected to his third, two-year term on the ASA board, plans to use his time on the board to continue to address angler access issues. Dick Pool, an industry veteran, was elected for a two-year term and has previously served six years on ASA’s board. Pool plans to address the association’s role in advocating for fisheries resources and the individual angler. John Jilling, was re-elected to his serve his third, two-year term. Jilling has been with Wright & McGill for 36 years, the last 11 as president. He has also served as ICAST Show Committee chairman. He plans to focus on angler access and recruitment and fisheries resources issues. Geoff Ratte was elected to his second, two-year term. He’s been with Water Gremlin Company for 33 years. For over half that time, Ratte has represented the sportfishing industry’s interests on many ASA committees as well as state and federal industry working groups and committees. He currently has a seat on the Sportfishing and Boating Partnership Council. Dave Bulthuis, elected to his first, two-year term, currently serves as ICAST Show Committee chairman. He plans to dedicate his time on the board to addressing issues that preserve and grow the sport and the industry.

The current members of the Board of Directors are; Jeff Pontius, ZEBCO Brands (Chairman); Jeff Marble, Frabill, Inc. (Vice Chairman); Gregg Wollner, RapalaUSA, (Secretary); Peter Foley, Boone Bait Company, Inc. (Treasurer);Randy Lemcke, Plano Molding Company (Immediate Past Chairman); Thomas Dammrich, National Marine Manufacturers Association; Ed Dinkins, Boy Scouts of America; Bob Eakes, Red Drum Tackle Show, Inc.; John Frampton, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources; John Jilling, Wright & McGill Company; Jay Jolly; Jim Lebson, G. Loomis, Inc.; Chip Powell, Mason Tackle Company; Geoff Ratte, Water Gremlin Company; Bruce Stanton, PRADCO-Fishing; Gary Zurn, Big Rock Sports; Ken Hammond, The Hammond Group (ex-officio); and Darrell Lowrance, (ex-officio).

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The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) is the sportfishing industry’s trade association, committed to looking out for the interests of the entire sportfishing community. We give the industry a unified voice speaking out when emerging laws and policies could significantly affect sportfishing business or sportfishing itself. We invest in long-term ventures to ensure the industry will remain strong and prosperous as well as safeguard and promote the enduring economic and conservation values of sportfishing in America. ASA also represents the interests of America’s 60 million anglers who generate over $45 billion in retail sales with a $125 billion impact on the nation’s economy creating employment for over one million people.

–

ASA Communications

American Sportfishing Association

225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 420

Alexandria, VA 22314

(703) 519-9691 ex. 222

asacomm@asafishing.org

Here is the Press Release:

For Immediate Release        FS No. 0905                          Contact: 202 205-1134

USDA FOREST SERVICE ENCOURAGES KIDS TO GET OUTDOORS
Sponsors National Get Outdoors Day- June 13

Washington D.C.–June 10, 2009–In an effort to reconnect kids with nature and attract new diverse communities to outdoor activities, the USDA Forest Service has partnered with state, local and federal land management agencies to celebrate National Get Outdoors Day (‘GO Day’) on June 13.  More than 80 locations nationwide are providing a variety of free recreational events designed to introduce children and new segments of the American public to the great outdoors while fostering a deeper appreciation for natural resources.

“We want every child in America to have the opportunity to experience the great outdoors, whether it is in a remote mountain wilderness or a city park,” said Forest Service Chief Abigail Kimbell.  ”Our hope is to instill a curiosity about nature in children which will lead to a deeper appreciation of the environment and our precious natural resources.”

National Get Outdoors Day is co-sponsored by the Forest Service and the American Recreation Coalition.  The annual event has been designated to better engage urban and multicultural youth in nature-based activities and to attract first time visitors to public lands.

Planned events for GO Day range from the large, interactive visual projects such as the Wyland Foundation murals and artscapes about water and forests on the Capital Mall, to a multi-partner living classroom event at Kingman Island in Washington, D.C.  Across the country, forests, parks and recreation areas have free activities planned for outdoor family fun.

Aligned partners for the event include:

• Wyland Foundation – founded by world renowned artist Wyland, the foundation uses art and science to teach young people about our forests and ocean. A kick-off event titled – FOCUS (Forests, Ocean, Climate – and US) – is a nationwide campaign in partnership with the Forest Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Wyland Foundation that will take place on June 11, 2009 on the National Mall at the USDA People’s Garden and Whitten Parking Lot.  USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and Forest Service Chief Abigail Kimbell will participate in the event.

• Scholastic, Inc. – a leader in education, Scholastic has created a microsite on their social network where tweens will find a safe place to learn about GO Day and its related activities and goals.

A special addition this year is to feature exciting recreation opportunities called EChO Events.  These events will be a follow up to the GO Day events and will take place before the end of summer 2009 at state parks, national forests, national parks, wildlife refuges and more.  Activities include:  mountain biking, fly fishing, hikes with rangers to see wildlife, kayaking, rafting and more.

A listing of all national site locations is attached. More information on National Get Outdoors Day and Kids in the Woods can be found at: http://www.nationalgetoutdoorsday.org and www.fs.fed.us/kidsclimatechange.

The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.  The agency manages 193 million acres of public land and is the largest forestry research organization in the world.

##

This new initiative, know as the 21st Century Youth Conservation Corps, was included in the president’s 2010 budget request for the Department of the Interior.

On June 3, more than 140 groups, including many prominent hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation organizations, co-signed a letter to Congress urging them to support full funding for this initiative. The letter points out that the initiative “will bolster environmental education, recreation and service programs throughout the Department, and engage thousands of youth in the outdoors.”

On Monday, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to the president, were on the National Mall in Washington to talk about the program. At the event, Salazar signed a Secretarial Order establishing an Office of Youth in Natural Resources at the Department of the Interior.

“President Obama and I believe that during tough economic times, a new national youth program is needed to provide jobs, outdoor experiences and career opportunities for young people — especially women, minorities, tribal and other underserved youth,” Salazar said.

This type of funding is long overdue. Education, especially when it connects young people with the outdoors, is a wonderful investment. It is the young people who will be the next stewards of out great natural resources heritage.

One of the challenges those of us who love the outdoors face is connecting, or in some cases, reconnecting our kids to the outdoors. Funding like this can go a long way to help support existing programs like Trout in the Classroom or the Archery in the Schools Program or high school fishing teams like the one at Orange County High School. It also means there will be resources for the states and local communities to start new programs.

Here in the Valley we are fortunate to have an abundance of outdoor opportunities and a rich heritage of hunting, fishing and conservation. But even the Valley is not immune from the distractions of modern society. Our young people need both guidance and opportunity to learn about and contribute to our rich natural resource heritage.

Unfortunately, fewer and fewer young people are being exposed to traditional outdoor recreation. They are out of touch with nature. They are missing the connection to hunting, fishing and the food on the table. They don’t learn about the connection of fish and wildlife habitat, natural resources conservation and economic activity.

We are facing an emerging “conservation gap”. As the population becomes more urbanized, the ties to nature and the value and need to conserve our fish and wildlife habitat is broken. The loss of this connection to our outdoor heritage poses a growing threat to conservation of that fish and wildlife habitat.

We must engage this and future generations in fish and wildlife related recreation and conservation. And, we have to do it on their terms and in a way that is relevant to them.

If Congress approves the funding, $40 million will be used to supplement existing programs at the Department of Interior. This will create greater opportunities to engage young people across all of the Department’s natural resources agencies.

The best part of this initiative is the new $30 million in funding for grants to state and tribal programs for hunting and fishing education and outreach. Special attention will paid to urban and minority youth programs.

The importance of reaching urban and minority youth cannot be over-stated. The model for wildlife conservation in this country is successful because it engaged hunters and anglers in conserving our natural resources. If that connection is lost because we fail to reach growing segment of our population then those of us that enjoy the great outdoors may lose the chance to pass it on to future generations.

You can read more of my columns at News Virginian.com

The event is put on by Living Classrooms of the National Capital Region in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The event takes place at National Harbor on the Potomac River in Maryland.

More than 300 students came out for a morning of fishing and education. The event helps raise money for Living Classrooms’ academic and workforce development programs. Last year the event raised over $40,000. Living Classroom uses a “hands-on” approach to education and job training. They use urban, natural and maritime resources as “living classrooms”.

Selected students had a chance to fish “tournament style” with volunteer bass “pros” from the local area. These anglers are organized by Captain Steve Chaonas of National Bass Guide Service. Chaconas, a former radio and TV talk show host, has been fishing on the Potomac for nearly forty years. He and his fellow “pros” make sure the kids learn while they are on the water.

Fishing from volunteer guide Peter Yanni’s boat, students Brennen Mayer and Kevin Brown boated the winning catch. Their five “keepers” total more than fifteen pounds with one “lunker” weighing five pounds and five ounces. Winmar Construction sponsored this winning team.

Students who did not go out to fish with the pros moved in groups to fifteen educational stations set up along the East Pier at National Harbor. They also had a chance to get out on the water on Living Classrooms’ ship, the Half Shell. The Half Shell, a Chesapeake Buyboat, is one of several “floating classrooms” that Living Classrooms conduct their shipboard education programs on.

The event much like the, Jim Range National Casting Call, helps highlight the Potomac River as an important economic, educational and community resource. The Potomac River is considered one of the top ten rivers in the country for largemouth bass fishing.

The Potomac is also home to both migratory fish like the stripped bass, American and Hickory shad and herring as well as freshwater fish like bass and sunfish.

If this event was any indication than I can personally attest to the excellent fishing. Twenty-plus boats went out Wednesday morning and by 11:30 a.m. everyone had returned with fish. Most boats returned with fish tipping the scales over three pounds.

Recreational Fishing is an important contributor to our national economy. In Virginia alone it accounts for more than $800 million in retail sales and 15,000 jobs each year. When anglers also make an important contribution by introducing fishing and conservation to young people who might not otherwise have a chance to participate in the sport then you have a real winning combination.

Last Thursday, representatives from the five federal agencies responsible for most of the federal investment in fishing and aquatic habitat provided a group of us an informal briefing on the funding they had proposed for fish and aquatic habitat programs.

Across the board, there was more funding proposed for the various fisheries programs than I have seen in a long time. There is also money included for more youth education including grants for programs to “educate and energize young hunters and anglers.”

Those investments are what will keep the wonderful outdoor recreation we have here possible.

You can read more of my columns at News Virginian.com