LARGER-THAN-LIFE and impassioned to fight for his beliefs, Teddy Roosevelt balanced a political life—bumping elbows with elitists in Washington and around the globe—and the life of a dedicated conservationist, leaving his mark on the Serengeti, Yellowstone National Park, and endless wild places in-between. The 26th President’s conservation agenda was well before his time. But a hundred years after his last day in office, the organization bearing his name, the Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) has picked up the big stick and is organizing for the future of conservation in a world more dynamic than Roosevelt ever imagined.

Oil and gas development in wildlife corridors, coal bed methane sapping water from rivers and springs, energy transmission lines killing birds and impacting migratory patterns, roads and urban expansion into habitat, wind and wave energy, liquefied natural gas, gas terminals, desalinization plants, oil exploration, aquaculture, shipping and commercial fishing, and the list goes on and on. These issues and our desire to recreate are not going away—they are part of the progress of human life on this planet. However, the TRCP is stepping up to the plate, preparing for a long battle of ideologies and policies. As an organization founded on preserving habitat and the traditions of angling and hunting, the TRCP believes we can have development and sustainable energy without sacrificing fishing and hunting opportunities.

Of immediate interest to anglers is the TRCP Marine Fisheries Initiative. For nearly half a century the federal government has managed our marine fisheries for commercial development and profit. This creates a boom-and-bust cycle for both commercial profit but also negative effects for the recreation of the public. The TRCP responded in their successful grassroots fashion to create the Angling 4 Oceans Coalition. Coalition members include the Federation of Fly Fishers, International Game Fish Association, the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, and many others to include nearly 15 national and regional conservation organizations.

The Angling 4 Oceans Coalition created the Navigating a Future for Saltwater Fishing program, in which it outlined its four tenets in the SALTprinciples. These principles are based on four ideas: Science should be used for fisheries decisions, Allocation for recreational fishing should be equitable, Licensed anglers will improve data and funding, and Tackle should be less destructive to wildlife and habitat.

The TRCP and the Angling 4 Oceans Coalition also played key roles in the Marine Recreational Information Program. This data collection program is essential to assess the number of recreational anglers, where they are fishing, what they are catching, and their overall angling experience. The information collected is also essential in the process of creating beneficial legislation for managing our marine fisheries.
Legislation is often affected by grassroots movements. The TRCP is acutely aware of this so they made available a direct-mail campaign Are You a Saltwater Angler? This unique mail-in movement allows anglers to become more involved in the rule-making process. As a result of their efforts, the TRCP and its grassroots movement was successful in 2007 and 2009 with implementing changes in the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

But what happens offshore and on the flats is not the only concern of the TRCP. They also understand the vast importance of wetland environments to the fly fisher. We lose 80,000 acres of wetlands each year to draining and development projects. Unfortunately the battle to protect the existing wetlands and restore past wetlands is uphill and increasingly steep. Over the past several years the Supreme Court has taken much of the teeth out of the Clean Water Act.

Anglers understand the importance of wetlands—they are the nurseries for hundreds of gamefish and provide habitat for waterfowl. But what many anglers don’t understand is the greater impact wetlands have on human life, both economically and emotionally. Often times wide-scale flooding is a result of the disappearance of wetlands, because wetlands filter and disperse water. Wetlands offer quiet sanctuary for wildlife and humans as well—many of the parks in urban municipalities are wetland environments.

As taxpayers we are paying a high price because of poor wording over the current Clean Water Act. Over 500 cases surround the discrepancies of the wording of the changes to the Clean Water Act. The litigious nature of this confusion costs us money.

Despite the odds, the TRCP is leading the charge to refine and restore the Clean Water Act and the wetlands and directly related the angling opportunities the act protects.

To help the cause, the TRCP created a grassroots campaign, “We Are Wetlands” and organized The Working Group on Wetlands. This group consists of Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, Izaak Walton League of America, National Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited, and The Wildlife Society.

The “We Are Wetlands” campaign gathered the signatures of 80,000 citizens to support restoring protections to the Clean Water Act. The 80,000 signatures were symbolic of the annual loss of acres of wetlands each year.

The battle for our wetlands is still waging, but the TRCP is continuing their efforts because anglers and hunters depend on wetlands for fish and wildlife habitat and fishing and hunting opportunities. The union of anglers, hunters, and the TRCP is essential for protecting the areas necessary for us to pole, stalk, and cast.
Similar to the unique relationship wetlands play in fish and wildlife habitat, the TRCP is involved in a surprisingly unique partnership. Their Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) carries the tag line: “You are Union. You are Sportsman. You Belong.” This clever allegiance with the nation’s labor and trade unions is synonymous with the TRCP’s goals of conservation of habitat and providing access for hunting and fishing. By combining their conservation agenda with the desires of union members to hunt and fish, the TRCP is able to broaden their voice.

There is no fee to join the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance, members are only required to be a member of a United States Charter Union. Once a member of the USA, members can post profiles on the USA Web site, trade stories, pictures, and more. However, the USA is more than a social networking organization. In 2009 alone they petitioned the federal government to support the natural resources and fish and wildlife habitat provisions in current legislation. It is clear their impact as citizens who work hard in our industries and play hard in our outdoor areas, will benefit fish and wildlife. The TRCP is responsible for this bond.

Despite all the good things going for the TRCP, last year it hit a big bump in the road. Just as Roosevelt offered inspiration for many citizens, the TRCP was until recently led by an equally charismatic person: Jim Range. Jim followed a life of passion for all things hunting and fishing—if it swan or flew Jim pursued it with gusto. But it was Jim’s love for habitat and camaraderie that kept his fire burning. If he wasn’t fighting for access or habitat he was a-field or a-stream in pursuit.

But in early 2009 Jim Range’s life was cut short in an untimely death. His hard work, passion, and dedication will continue to drive the TRCP. In response to his passing the TRCP created the Jim Range Conservation Fund. To understand the passion of Jim Range, his words and actions are the only justice given: see a video of Jim Range here.

The Range fund is to ensure that the TRCP is able to maintain its unique perspective in helping hunters and anglers ensure fish and wildlife and habitat are around not just for tomorrow’s flats trip or river float trip, but for future generations.

Teddy Roosevelt was an influential voice for past generations of hunters and anglers. He could, like few others during his time, discuss trade in Europe and northern Africa while boasting of moose hunts in Alaska or pursuing fish in ocean swells all while not missing a sip of his martini. Unique talents indeed.

The TRCP boasts of the same talents, inspiring everyday anglers and hunters to become involved in conservation. But the TRCP takes their initiatives to the next level, much like Roosevelt and Range. They are able to navigate the ever-changing world of policy and politics, while maintaining their ideology and grassroots movements without sacrificing what are most important—the personal relationships developed within the places we love to fish and hunt.

With your support the TRCP will be around for our generation and the next, ensuring you have a place to cast your favorite 5-weight to rising trout, feel the sweat trying to escape from the brim of your hat as you double-haul to laid-up tarpon, or enjoy the emotional respite of knowing such places still exist. People who are passionate about protecting them still exist.