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Rough RiderReader<br />
Photo by dusansmetana.com<br />
A Q U A R T E R L Y R E P O R T F O R O U R I N N E R C I R C L E F A L L 2 0 0 8<br />
W W W. T R C P. O R G
Message from the Chairman<br />
Featured Rough Rider<br />
The TRCP’s Rough Riders are a select group of passionate individuals determined to demand proper stewardship of<br />
our natural resources, who have invested in this vision for the future with financial contributions of $500 or more.<br />
In Ways Beneficial<br />
While the outcome of the November elections is an unknown, change is a certainty. No matter who or what<br />
party carries the day on Nov. 4, there will be profound implications for the future of hunting, fishing and<br />
conservation in this country.<br />
plane, just the four of us with a raft and a canoe and no guide,<br />
and were picked up five days later. It was amazing. We floated<br />
by moose, were chased by bears, caught trout and salmon and,<br />
when we got tired of eating fish, shot ducks. I will never forget<br />
that trip.<br />
Photo by dusansmetana.com<br />
TRCP BOARD OF DIRECTORS<br />
JAMES D. RANGE - CHAIRMAN<br />
BAKER, DONELSON, BEARMAN,<br />
CALDWELL AND BERKOWITZ<br />
R. THOMAS BUFFENBARGER<br />
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF<br />
MACHINISTS AND AEROSPACE WORKERS<br />
CHARLES H. COLLINS<br />
THE FORESTLAND GROUP<br />
SID EVANS<br />
GARDEN & GUN MAGAZINE<br />
CHARLES GAUVIN<br />
TROUT UNLIMITED<br />
MATT HOGAN<br />
ASSOCIATION OF FISH AND<br />
WILDLIFE AGENCIES<br />
BILL HITE<br />
UNITED ASSOCIATION OF<br />
PLUMBERS AND PIPEFITTERS<br />
JAMES T. MARTIN<br />
BERKLEY CONSERVATION INSTITUTE<br />
CHRISTOPHER MERRITT<br />
BERETTA USA<br />
J. MICHAEL NUSSMAN<br />
AMERICAN SPORTFISHING ASSOCIATION<br />
DAVID D. PERKINS<br />
THE ORVIS COMPANY<br />
MARC A. PIERCE<br />
BIG SKY CARVERS<br />
CHARLES S. POTTER JR.<br />
MAX MCGRAW WILDLIFE FOUNDATION<br />
DONALD L. ROLLINS<br />
CITIZEN CONSERVATIONIST<br />
JOHN M. “MICK” SEIDL<br />
CITIZEN CONSERVATIONIST<br />
DR. ROLLIN D. SPARROWE<br />
CITIZEN CONSERVATIONIST<br />
HOWARD VINCENT<br />
PHEASANTS FOREVER<br />
DR. ALAN WENTZ<br />
DUCKS UNLIMITED<br />
DR. STEVEN A. WILLIAMS<br />
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE<br />
P.O. BOX 14420<br />
WASHINGTON, DC 20044<br />
202-654-4600<br />
877-770-8722<br />
WWW.TRCP.ORG<br />
Consider the recent fracas that followed the Farm Bill. Upon getting through the multi-year slog that produced<br />
a sturdy if not fantastic <strong>Conservation</strong> Title, the most effective program in it, the <strong>Conservation</strong> Reserve<br />
Program, faced another imminent threat. Using the recent catastrophic flooding in the Midwest as cover,<br />
opponents of CRP ramped up pressure on the Department of Agriculture to allow landowners to remove lands<br />
from the program without penalty, essentially breaking their contracts without recompense. Such a move would<br />
have caused game bird populations to plummet and water pollution from sedimentation to increase. Damaging<br />
enough to fish and wildlife, further cuts to CRP also would cause ripples throughout the American economy, to<br />
which hunting and angling are major contributors.<br />
Fortunately, we were able to help repel this threat, doing so by combining the collective muscle of our partner<br />
organizations and persistent contact by hunters and anglers activated by our messaging.<br />
TRCP Farm Bill initiative manager Geoff Mullins recently mentioned to me, “As soon as we put one threat to<br />
agricultural conservation to bed, another rears its ugly head.” His words were unfortunately right on.<br />
Witness Open Fields. After we fought tooth-and-nail for five years to get the Open Fields hunter access bill<br />
passed into law, another feat finally accomplished in the Farm Bill, there is an effort under way to leave it<br />
unfunded. An amended budget under consideration would zero out the program, essentially killing the effort<br />
to promote voluntary public sporting access on private land just moments after it had finally been given life.<br />
Again the TRCP sprang into action, orchestrating sign-on letters from our partners and mobilizing our grassroots<br />
ranks. We hope to make it clearly apparent to Congress, which has final say over the appropriation of the<br />
necessary funds, just how damaging to America’s sporting tradition it would be to fail to fund Open Fields.<br />
It is instances like these that remind me of the TRCP’s relevance. With our standing and proven-effective<br />
channels for consensus-building through which to quickly organize, the community of American conservationists<br />
has been able to address these latest threats. And we all know that these won’t be the last times bad policy is<br />
proposed at the intersection of conservation and agriculture, nor is it the only policy sphere where bad decisions<br />
threaten our wildlife heritage. We’re seeing plenty of them as we work in the areas of public lands energy development<br />
policy, wetlands protection and oceans stewardship.<br />
We also know that in response to most threats there are opportunities to improve, refocus, reshape or sometimes<br />
even expand programs in ways beneficial to our fish and wildlife resources.<br />
Finding them takes financial resources. That’s why every donation to the TRCP is an important one, and why<br />
we thank you in advance for your contribution.<br />
Sincerely,<br />
James D. Range<br />
Chairman<br />
2<br />
NAME: DAVE PERKINS<br />
LOCATION: MANCHESTER, VT<br />
OCCUPATION: VICE CHAIRMAN, RETAIL &<br />
SPORTING TRADITIONS FOR THE<br />
ORVIS COMPANY<br />
When and how did you become interested in<br />
the outdoors<br />
My family has always hunted and fished. In fact, most of our<br />
family outings were focused on outdoor pursuits. This all stemmed<br />
from my grandmother who was a great fly fisher and wing shot.<br />
From a very early age, I hunted and fished as part of our regular<br />
family time together. I got my first bamboo rod and my first<br />
shotgun when I was nine years old.<br />
What is your most memorable experience afield<br />
In 1969, when I was 13 years old, I did a 5-day float trip with<br />
my father and two brothers on the Agulapak River in southwest<br />
Alaska. It was early days for Alaska’s tourist industry and things<br />
were still pretty basic. We were dropped off on the river by a float<br />
3<br />
What do you think are our most pressing conservation<br />
issues today<br />
The loss of wildlife habitat and open lands for wildlife.<br />
What is your approach to facing conservation<br />
challenges<br />
To get involved and support organizations that are making a<br />
difference in conserving the landscape.<br />
How did you become involved with the TRCP<br />
I was introduced to the TRCP by its chairman of the board,<br />
Jim Range, whom I met while we were serving together on the<br />
board of the American Fly Fishing Trade Association.<br />
Why are you involved with the TRCP<br />
I started tracking what the TRCP was doing and realized<br />
that it was doing something different than other conservation<br />
organizations I had worked with before. With its focus on<br />
federal policies, it was working in a larger landscape than many<br />
other organizations. I realized that the federal government<br />
plays an important role in conserving our wild lands, because it<br />
holds more land and has more money (our money) than anyone<br />
else, so it can have a much greater impact on conservation issues<br />
and habitat protection. I felt that I could have a greater impact<br />
personally on the issues that I care about by being involved with<br />
the TRCP.<br />
Orvis remains a family company. What is that like<br />
Because the family has control of the business, it allows the<br />
company to do the right thing. Rather than make decisions for<br />
short-term or immediate financial gain, we can invest in the<br />
long-term for a healthy future. That is why we decided to give a<br />
percentage of our profits to conservation, which is the right thing<br />
to do from both a business and personal perspective, and also to<br />
assure a healthy future for our kids and the wildlife.<br />
What is your favorite rod of all time<br />
I always like the newest Orvis rod. Right now, I am using a<br />
new rod that was just developed by Orvis – a Helios rod. And<br />
particularly like the 8’3’ for the 4wt.
Washington Watch<br />
By Tom Franklin, TRCP Senior Vice President<br />
Spotlight: TurnerFoundation<br />
An old Capitol Hill saw<br />
says that controversial<br />
legislation doesn’t pass in a<br />
presidential election year. <strong>2008</strong><br />
is an exception, at least for one<br />
key bill, but others likely will<br />
await action from a new Congress<br />
and president.<br />
One of the more contentious<br />
farm bills in memory limped to<br />
passage under a “Groundhog Day” scenario in which controversy<br />
over funding and a paperwork error caused the legislation to be<br />
passed twice and vetoed twice. When the last veto was finally<br />
overridden, a collective sigh of relief was heard throughout the<br />
D.C. conservation community.<br />
The good news is that the “Food, <strong>Conservation</strong> and Energy Act<br />
of <strong>2008</strong>” extends many successful farm conservation programs,<br />
albeit at somewhat lower funding levels. One huge victory was<br />
the addition of “Open Fields,” a TRCP signature proposal. It<br />
provides $50 million to landowners who offer hunting access<br />
through state programs. The <strong>Conservation</strong> Reserve Program<br />
(CRP), the most effective private lands conservation program<br />
for wildlife in history, will continue at a reduced level. The<br />
Wetlands Reserve Program, Grasslands Reserve Program and<br />
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program all were extended for four<br />
more years. Tax incentives for conservation easements will<br />
continue for two more years. A major disappointment was the<br />
weakening of the Sodsaver provision that would protect rare native<br />
prairie by removing federal incentives to plow them.<br />
Now that this year’s farm bill is on the books, the attention of the<br />
TRCP has shifted to implementing the authorized conservation<br />
practices. The TRCP and its partners sprung into action when<br />
CRP came under attack in July. Fortunately, the U.S. Department<br />
of Agriculture decided against allowing land owners to<br />
break their CRP contracts without having to pay their CRP<br />
money back. Had the decision gone the other way, it would have<br />
destroyed the gains to fish and wildlife habitat paid for by U.S.<br />
taxpayer dollars through CRP. While this debacle was averted,<br />
there will be more challenges to come.<br />
4<br />
Looming on the horizon is the pressing need to work with the<br />
new president and Congress on key issues. As we do, there is no<br />
doubt that pressures on our fish and wildlife resources will continue<br />
to intensify as our nation’s leaders strive to meet the needs<br />
and desires of a growing population. Our ongoing challenge at<br />
the TRCP will be to garner the resources necessary to guarantee<br />
that the needs of wildlife, hunters and anglers are included in the<br />
national policy as the new president and Congress engage in the<br />
2009 conservation debate.<br />
T.R.ivia<br />
<strong>Theodore</strong> <strong>Roosevelt</strong> lived in the brownstone where he<br />
was born until he was 14 years old. In 1916, the<br />
house was torn down to make room for a commercial<br />
building. After T.R.’s death in 1919, a group of<br />
citizens raised money to purchase the site, tear down<br />
the commercial building and rebuild the <strong>Roosevelt</strong><br />
brownstone as a memorial to our 26th president.<br />
<br />
NAME: KATIE ECKMAN<br />
LOCATION: ATLANTA, GA<br />
OCCUPATION: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,<br />
TURNER FOUNDATION<br />
Could you tell us a bit about the Turner Foundation<br />
The Turner Foundation is a private family foundation started by<br />
Ted Turner in 1990. The foundation is overseen by Mr. Turner<br />
and his five adult children. Our mission is to prevent damage<br />
to the natural systems - air, water and land - on which all life<br />
depends. Among other things, the Turner Foundation is currently<br />
supporting efforts to protect wildlife and wild places, mitigate<br />
climate change and ensure clean air and water.<br />
How did you become involved with the TRCP<br />
The Turner Foundation was involved in early discussions<br />
regarding the need for a coordinated effort to better engage and<br />
activate hunters and anglers in natural resource decision making.<br />
In partnership with the Pew Charitable Trusts, we committed<br />
significant funding up-front to meet this need with a new organization<br />
called the <strong>Theodore</strong> <strong>Roosevelt</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong> Partnership.<br />
I presented this opportunity to our board, and they were excited to<br />
get involved.<br />
Why are you involved with the TRCP<br />
Many members of the Turner family are committed sportsmen and<br />
-women with an appreciation for conservation. Their “land ethic”<br />
was ingrained at an early age. They recognize the incredible legacy<br />
of environmental protection spearheaded by hunters and anglers<br />
and the significant opportunity to affect change if this constituency’s<br />
passion can be turned into action. Our grant to the TRCP is<br />
the keystone of our support to conservation organizations.<br />
5<br />
Do you enjoy outdoor pursuits If so, what in particular<br />
I do. I really love fly fishing. My mom got me interested in the sport<br />
several years ago, and I am thrilled to see more and more women<br />
taking it up. I helped start a group of female fly fishing funder colleagues,<br />
which I have gotten a kick out of. I also enjoy bird hunting.<br />
What do you think are our most pressing conservation<br />
issues today<br />
Climate change. While some continue to debate whether climate<br />
change is real and question the severity of potential impacts, sportsmen<br />
cannot stick their heads in the sand. From changes in migration<br />
patterns and forage availability to increased water temperatures,<br />
sportsmen are likely to see and feel the impacts first from our<br />
duck blinds, our tree stands or our favorite trout stream. We all<br />
need to make a personal commitment to mitigating climate change<br />
– but in addition, I think the voice of sportsmen will be critical as<br />
wildlife and habitat managers wrestle with appropriate adaptation<br />
strategies and the lack of funding for their implementation.<br />
I also feel the disconnect between people and nature is a real threat.<br />
How can we expect people to stand up for the environment if they<br />
have never experienced and developed an appreciation for the<br />
outdoors I just finished reading Richard Louv’s Last Child in the<br />
Woods. As the mother of a two-year-old, Louv’s book hit home<br />
and has made me think more about where our future stewards will<br />
come from if this disconnect continues.<br />
What is your approach to facing conservation challenges<br />
Outlive your opponents.<br />
More realistically, recognizing and valuing the human dimension.<br />
For many, conservation is not a moral imperative. You’ve got to be<br />
a salesman and figure out what is in this for everyone. Make what<br />
you are doing make sense. When the economics are in your favor, use<br />
them.<br />
What hopes do you have for the TRCP<br />
I hope the organization continues outreach to the millions of<br />
“unaffiliated” hunters and anglers in this country. The potential to<br />
engage them is great if we can figure out how to do it. The TRCP’s<br />
partnership with the unions is brilliant. I also hope the TRCP<br />
continues to use many different strategies for having its voice heard<br />
– whether that means filing suit to stop oil and gas drilling in sensitive<br />
habitats, using the press to communicate widely your issues or<br />
working to find consensus within the conservation community and<br />
with our elected officials.
Meet the Staff<br />
NAME: WILLIAM H. GEER<br />
JOB TITLE: POLICY INITIATIVES MANAGER<br />
HOMETOWN: SALINAS, CALIF.<br />
CURRENT TOWN: LOLO, MONT.<br />
HOBBIES: HUNTING, FISHING, CAMPING<br />
What did you do prior to working for the TRCP<br />
I spent 32 years in professional wildlife management and conservation<br />
before coming to the TRCP.<br />
How did you discover the TRCP<br />
I used to be the director of field operations for the TRCP’s predecessor,<br />
<strong>Theodore</strong> <strong>Roosevelt</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong> Alliance.<br />
When and how did you become interested in outdoor<br />
pursuits<br />
I locked into the outdoors and fishing when I first became a scout<br />
in 1956 and began hunting in 1959 with my uncle and cousins.<br />
I have been at it ever since.<br />
Why do you work for the TRCP<br />
At this point in my professional life, I want to galvanize sportsmen<br />
and -women to speak up in the democratic defense of fish<br />
and wildlife conservation and the perpetuation of hunting and<br />
fishing for the ordinary person.<br />
What is the most difficult part of your job<br />
Frequent travel and very long work days.<br />
What is the best part of your job<br />
Working very closely and creatively with perhaps some of the best<br />
and most enthusiastic conservation-minded staff and sportsmen<br />
I have ever met, on a daily basis. The association with such<br />
people is inspiring and uplifting, even on the dark days when<br />
other things seem to falter. Building new and effective outreach<br />
products and networks brings about refreshing creativity rather<br />
than bureaucracy. Besides, working daily in the spirit of our finest<br />
conservation president, <strong>Theodore</strong> <strong>Roosevelt</strong>, is an honor.<br />
What goals do you have for yourself and the TRCP in<br />
the next year<br />
I want to engage sportsmen in the defense of fish and wildlife and<br />
hunting and fishing in the face of acceleration Western oil and gas<br />
extraction and in proposals for climate change legislation.<br />
What would you do if you didn’t work in conservation<br />
Look for a job in fish and wildlife conservation. No kidding; it<br />
is where I have spent my adult career for the past 35 years and I<br />
cannot conceive of a better way to spend my life.<br />
Can you tell us about your mapping project, how it<br />
works and how it came to be<br />
In assessing how development, such as oil and gas extraction and<br />
residential home-building, affects fish and wildlife and hunting<br />
and fishing, Steve Belinda (another TRCP initiative manager)<br />
and I realized we were dealing with not enough information.<br />
We have good biological information that tells us where fish and<br />
wildlife are likely to be and how they might respond to habitat<br />
changes incident to development, but we did not know the places<br />
sportsmen and -women have come to depend on for their best<br />
hunting and fishing opportunities. Frankly, the interests of the<br />
conservation and sporting community have not been well represented<br />
in the development process because we have often focused<br />
6<br />
What is the TRCP Working On<br />
Responsible Energy Development on Public Lands<br />
Strengthening Wetlands Protections<br />
Mitigating the Impacts of Climate Change<br />
Reforming the 1872 Mining Law<br />
Elevating Sportsmen’s Voices in the Roadless Debate<br />
Conserving Marine Fisheries<br />
mostly on the animals. Hunters and anglers represent a large<br />
national voting block, and they ought to be consulted and listened<br />
to when it comes to threats to hunting and fishing.<br />
The TRCP came up with the idea of asking hunters and anglers<br />
to draw the boundaries of their “bread and butter” areas on GIS<br />
maps provided by Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife &<br />
Parks. These are the places they will fight to the end to keep intact<br />
in the face of development, because they provide their best hunting<br />
and fishing experiences. The new GIS map layer complements<br />
critical habitat maps with the favored hunting and fishing<br />
areas identified by organized sportsmen<br />
throughout Montana. This new information<br />
shows politicians and decision-makers<br />
the hunting and fishing access opportunities<br />
sportsmen value most and want retained in<br />
the face of development.<br />
T.R. HUNTED MORE THAN HE FISHED.<br />
HAD HE THE BULLY BUGGER, THINGS MIGHT<br />
HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT.<br />
In honor of the T.R. Sesquicentennial, the TRCP introduces<br />
the Bully Bugger, a limited-edition fly from master tyer Craig<br />
Mathews. The long-time proprietor of Blue Ribbon Flies in<br />
West Yellowstone, Mont., Mathews is a frequent contributor to<br />
conservation initiatives. To cite only the most recent example,<br />
Mathews worked determinedly with the TRCP partners at the<br />
Trust for Public Land in a successful effort to preserve angler<br />
access at the famed Three Dollar Bridge on the Madison<br />
River. Now he’s teaming with the TRCP to help guarantee all<br />
Americans a place to hunt and fish. By making a donation of<br />
$150, you will receive one of only 150 Bully Buggers ever to<br />
be produced. Mounted for posterity in a handmade shadowbox<br />
atop an image of <strong>Theodore</strong> <strong>Roosevelt</strong>, the Bully Bugger is a<br />
surefire conversation starter and a fitting tribute to the Father of<br />
American <strong>Conservation</strong>. Learn more at www.trcp.org.<br />
7<br />
T.R. SESQUICENTENNIAL 1858 - <strong>2008</strong><br />
ONE HUNDRED FIFTY YEARS <br />
TRCP<br />
Sportsmen identify their “bread and butter” areas at the<br />
Federation of Fly Fishers Conclave in Whitefish, Mont.
T.R. SESQUICENTENNIAL 1858 - <strong>2008</strong><br />
ONE HUNDRED FIFTY YEARS <br />
Portfolio<br />
– photography of Dušan Smetana<br />
O Carpathian Mountains, where he spent his boyhood following in the<br />
utdoor photographer Duśan Smetana was raised in a small village in the<br />
footsteps of his father in a quest for trout, red deer and wild boar. He studied<br />
both forestry and photography in Presov, Slovakia. Mesmerized by stories of<br />
cowboys and Indians in the American Wild West, he eventually escaped the<br />
Communist regime of his homeland.<br />
Today, Dusan’s work is widely used by a host of editorial and corporate clients.<br />
He makes his home in Montana with his wife, two little kids and a loft full of<br />
homing pigeons (and loves it).<br />
The TRCP has had the privilege of working with Smetana on multiple<br />
occasions over the last few years, most notably on the <strong>2008</strong> and 2009 TRCP<br />
calendars. His striking images have raised the quality of many of our communications materials, from annual<br />
reports to the TRCP Web site. Above all we are very fortunate to have formed a friendship with Dusan Smetana,<br />
whose quick eye is matched only by his quick smile.<br />
In honor of <strong>Theodore</strong> <strong>Roosevelt</strong>’s 150th birthday,<br />
this year’s calendar is called “Teddy’s Vision, Our<br />
Mission.” Get your copy at www.trcp.org.<br />
For more information about this photographer, please visit<br />
www.dusansmetana.com.<br />
<br />
8 9<br />
TRCP
Outtakes from the Open<br />
By Ken Barrett, Host, TRCP’s Life in the Open<br />
Chasing Chesapeake Stripers<br />
with TRCP Staff<br />
TRCP staff members gathered in May at the International<br />
Association of Machinists and Aerospace Worker’s Winpisinger<br />
Center in Maryland, on the shores of Chesapeake Bay, for our<br />
annual staff meeting. I knew the striper fishing would be hot<br />
on the Chesapeake, and sensing the chance to kill two birds<br />
with one stone, I got on the phone with TRCP Communication<br />
Director Tim Zink and asked if he thought a striper show<br />
featuring some of our staff members might make a good story for<br />
TRCP’s Life in the Open. “Sure,” he replied. Without further<br />
ado, I began planning a show and devising a story.<br />
Before I go any further let me say, though I always have a storyline<br />
in mind before departing to tape a show,<br />
rarely if ever does the hunting or fishing go as<br />
I have envisioned it beforehand. So, like all<br />
hunters and anglers, I adapt to the circumstances,<br />
play the cards that are dealt and modify<br />
my story accordingly. But, every once in<br />
a great while my preconceived storyline and<br />
the actual hunting and/or fishing adventure<br />
mesh perfectly, and that’s exactly what happened<br />
during the taping of the striper show<br />
with my fellow TRCP staff members.<br />
Mo and Bubba discuss the finer points of brushing the hair on a lure while Randy films.<br />
environment. Kate Cywinski would be on the women’s team to address USA and union interests.<br />
Britta Blodgett, the TRCP’s luckiest angler, and Mo Bates, the Partnership’s major domo<br />
and head wrangler, would round out the ladies’ team. Geoff Mullins and I were the other two<br />
boys’ team members. Geoff is plain good at everything he puts his hand to and proved to be<br />
a quick read in his acting debut. If luck held and my storyline proceeded as I envisioned, I’d<br />
catch the littlest striper, proving to one and all, that hosts are not always the best anglers.<br />
A Hollywood script writer could not have been happier with the results. The girls won the<br />
contest; Britta caught the whopper, followed by Kate and Mo, whose fish were bigger than<br />
any the boys landed. Tom and Kate covered the issues perfectly. I caught the littlest fish;<br />
Tom and I pouted while the women did a victory dance for the camera. Stacey and his son<br />
Allen, a.k.a. Bubba, also an iron worker, were wonderful hosts, and Bubba was terrific on<br />
camera. I left Maryland with a heck of a good show in the “can,” but you are going to have<br />
to take my word for it until the fall of 2009 when it will air on VERSUS. Making a show<br />
is just like hunting and fishing; it is always better to be lucky than good, and we certainly<br />
got lucky on the Chesapeake.<br />
TRCP’s Life in the Open travels the world searching for sporting adventures, while<br />
exploring today’s pressing conservation issues. Both LITO and TRCP’s Escape to the<br />
Wild air on the VERSUS network. Rough Riders can receive complimentary copies of<br />
the show by contacting Britta Blodgett at bblodgett@trcp.org or 202.654.4613.<br />
Kate Cywinski matches muscle with a monster.<br />
My storyline began with the unearthing<br />
of a three-year-old email from Stacey<br />
Witherow, a union ironworker that runs<br />
a charter boat out of Chesapeake Beach,<br />
Md., inviting me to fish for stripers and tape a show on his<br />
boat, the Mary Ellen. I called him and, much to my delight, the<br />
invitation was still good. So now, I had a nice union member<br />
angle to start the story with. Next, I needed an idea that would<br />
allow me to feature a maximum number of TRCP staff members.<br />
I wanted viewers to see that our staffers love to participate<br />
in the kinds of outdoor activities they work on behalf of each<br />
and every day. That’s when I came up with the idea of a fishing<br />
contest, the men versus the women. If all went well, I wanted<br />
the women to win, which, of course, they were sure would be the<br />
case regardless of my plans. Tom Franklin, TRCP senior vice<br />
president and certified wildlife biologist, would be on the men’s<br />
team, so we would have our most knowledgeable Chesapeake<br />
spokesman to address issues related to the bay and the marine<br />
Geoff Mullins hooks into a cow.<br />
The boys team working hard.<br />
The TRCP staffers show off their catch before disembarking the Mary Ellen at the end of the day.<br />
10 11
Behind the scenes...<br />
The less glamorous side of television: TRCP’s<br />
Life in the Open host Ken Barrett does the dirty<br />
work at the dock.<br />
Sweet and Sour Striper<br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
• 1/2 cup olive oil<br />
• about 10 large or 15 medium shallots -<br />
trim, leave root end intact, and quarter lengthwise<br />
• 1 1/2 cups dry red wine<br />
• 1 cup white balsamic vinegar<br />
• 2/3 cup water<br />
• 1/3 cup sugar<br />
• 1/4 cup golden raisins<br />
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt<br />
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper<br />
• 1 bay leaf<br />
• 8 (6- to 7-oz) pieces striped bass fillet (1/2 inch thick), skinned<br />
• Chopped fennel fronds for garnish<br />
PREPARATION<br />
1. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12- to 13-inch heavy skillet over moderately high<br />
heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté shallots, stirring occasionally,<br />
until browned and tender, roughly 8 minutes.<br />
2. Remove shallots from heat and add wine, vinegar, water, sugar, raisins,<br />
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and bay leaf, then simmer,<br />
stirring occasionally, until shallots are very tender and liquid is thick and<br />
syrupy, roughly 40 to 45 minutes. (If the liquid is reduced before the<br />
shallots are tender, add a bit of water and continue to simmer.)*<br />
3. Pat the fish dry, then sprinkle with remaining salt and 1/4 teaspoon<br />
pepper. Fold fillets in half, skinned side in.<br />
4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high<br />
heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté 4 folded fillets, turning over<br />
once, until deep golden, about 4 to 6 minutes total. Put cooked fish (still<br />
folded) on top of sauce in heavy skillet. Wipe out nonstick skillet and<br />
sauté remaining fillets in remaining oil in same manner, transferring to<br />
sauce. Cook, partially covered, over moderate heat until fish is just cooked<br />
through, 2 to 3 minutes.<br />
5. Garnish with fennel fronds.<br />
*The sauce can be made one day ahead and cooled completely, then chilled<br />
and covered. Reheat over moderate heat before cooking fish.<br />
We need you ...<br />
and your friends.<br />
T.R.’s conservation legacy and the example he set have given<br />
Americans the hunting and fishing opportunities that lie at the<br />
heart of our national outdoor heritage. You can set an example<br />
by continuing your support for the TRCP and asking your<br />
friends to become Rough Riders, too. For more information,<br />
please contact Cary Ridder, director of development, at<br />
202.654.4624 or cridder@trcp.org.<br />
Visit www.trcp.org to join the TRCP today.<br />
<strong>Theodore</strong> <strong>Roosevelt</strong> <strong>Conservation</strong> Partnership • P.O. Box 14420 • Washington, DC 20044 • 877-770-8722 • www.trcp.org