Trout Unlimited

Trout Unlimited is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of freshwater streams, rivers, and associated upland habitats for trout, salmon, other aquatic species, and people. Often contracted as "TU," the organization began in 1959 in Michigan. It has since spread throughout the United States and Canada.

Organization

Trout Unlimited is organized into "chapters," each of which is dedicated to a specific watershed in a specific area of the country. Examples include the "Little River Chapter," which safeguards the Little River watershed of East Tennessee, including sections of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Each chapter consists of groups of volunteers who elect their own officers and representatives to the national Trout Unlimited organization.

Activities

Local chapter activities typically include stream restoration, education programs such as "Take a Child Fishing," and group activities. Stream restoration can include such things as removal of encroaching species of plant from streambanks, construction of retaining walls to prevent river erosion due to human use, and construction of weirs or small water breaks to provide trout habitat where none existed before.

Naming

Trout Unlimited intentionally modeled its name after Ducks Unlimited, Quail Unlimited, and other wildlife conservation organizations. This recognizes the need for public awareness these names create.

Funding

Trout Unlimited is a national non-profit organization. It draws its funding from anglers and environmentalist contributions, generally sold in the form of subscriptions. Subscriber benefits include four quarterly issues of Trout Magazine, which is wholly owned by Trout Unlimited, as well as an annual calendar, name stamps, and other inexpensive items. When a new subscriber signs up, he or she is assigned to a local chapter and encouraged to attend meetings. Most chapters meet at least once a month to organize and socialize, then meet on additional dates for streamside restoration and other work.

External links

* [http://www.tu.org/ The Official Website of Trout Unlimited]
* [http://www.tucanada.org/ Trout Unlimited Canada]
* [http://www.ma-ri-tu-council.org/ Massachusetts / Rhode Island Council of Trout Unlimited]
* [http://www.tu-northbear.org/ TU North Bear Chapter (Iowa)]

imilar non-Profit environmental organizations

The following environmental organizations have similar missions to that of Trout Unlimited. They have worked in concert with Trout Unlimited operations in the past.

* [http://www.ducksunlimited.com Ducks Unlimited]
* [http://www.nature.org/ The Nature Conservancy]
* [http://www.wildsalmon.org/ Save Our Wild Salmon]