Besides installing a roof-top solar panel system, THI opted for green wind energy produced at wind farms in the Great Plains, and purchased from a publicly-owned utility company. We’ve even changed our ISP to a company that uses wind energy.

Solar panels provide varying amounts of THI’s energy needs, sometimes exceeding 100 percent, and THI’s electric provider makes up any solar shortfalls with wind energy. The “green tags” purchased from our local, rural utility company are currently provided at the lowest cost in the nation.

At THI our usage cost for wind energy went up a negligible $.0009 per kilowatt hour for 2011. Signing up for green power with the electric coop is as simple as filling out a form, and while the price per kilowatt hour is variable, no significant cost increases are anticipated.

“Switching to all renewable, clean energy was simple, cost-effective, and ecologically sound,” said THI President Michael Sprague, “We are setting an important standard for U.S. small businesses, and we hope others will join us.”

Fast Company magazine just released an article about the great possibilities for renewables. Read more from Fast Company: 100% Renewable Energy in 40 Years Not Limited to Our Wildest Dreams: Study http://www.fastcompany.com/1721388/study-100-renewable-energy-for-world-in-40-years-yes-only-our-doubts-in-the-way

 Download Trout Headwaters Inc full release: THI Switches to All Renewable Energy

My open letter today is written in response to comments made recently by outdoor writer Ted Williams at the website Conservation Magazine.  Among a roster of scientifically inaccurate statements, Williams says that Rotenone “…has never been seen to affect a single native ecosystem other than to restore it” and further claims there are no impacts to amphibians resultant from the use of the fish poison.

Dear Ted Williams:

Of course you understand that politics and nature writings are not the equivalent of SCIENCE. No more than character assassination is the equivalent of a rational discussion or debate. In response to your article, perhaps you could look to some more recent data – this on the California Red-legged Frog http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/endanger/litstatus/effects/redleg-frog/rotenone/determination.pdf

Per the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Determination: “Based on the best available information, the Agency makes a Likely to Adversely Affect (LAA) determination for the CRLF from the use of rotenone. Additionally, the Agency has determined that there is the potential for modification of CRLF designated critical habitat (HM) from the use of the chemical. RQs for direct effects of rotenone to CRLF exceed acute and chronic risk LOCs by factors of 206X and 105X, respectively, and the likelihood of individual mortality of aquatic-phase CRLF is 100%. Indirect effects to the CRLF may also occur through the loss of both aquatic vertebrate and invertebrate forage items.”

One could only assume the USEPA to be some of those “chemophobes” you suggest we need to be warned about?

Given your vocal position, I would kindly encourage you to stop attacking the writers, the scientists, and the agencies, and begin rationally considering the SCIENCE relating to this issue.  You can learn more (or even watch a native frog die from a rotenone poisoning project for yourself – if you really doubt the numbers) by visiting www.stopriverkilling.org

Michael C. Sprague, President

Trout Headwaters, Inc

This victory over urban sprawl could set a precedent of protection throughout the fragile Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/environmentalists-celebrate-longshot-victory-at-mattawoman-creek/2012/01/10/gIQAYcAd1P_story.html

The whale mascot in Indonesia inspires local community members to care about and protect marine resources. Photo credit: Djuna Ivereigh

Environmental pride in local resources is a conservation approach that works. Rare’s mission is to conserve imperiled species and ecosystems around the world. Rare inspires people to care about and protect nature. Rare’s signature Pride campaigns are now used by local conservationists and organizations across the globe. It’s Rare’s method for motivating behavior change and community support for conservation that has been tested and refined in more than 50 countries to date. By creating a stronger emotional and cultural connection between people and their environment, these campaigns have been used to dramatically reduce human-related threats to important ecosystems from the Caribbean to Latin America and from Africa to Asia.

Read more:  http://rareconservation.org/

Despite concerns, the council has cautiously approved moving forward on a portion of the work. The Trinity River Guides Association and California Water Impact Network have said dumping gravel in spawning runs and the use of heavy equipment is doing more harm than good.

Read more: http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_19687277
Read our first post on this topic: http://troutheadwaters.com/clubecoblu/?p=2549

The plan proposes significant water diversions and marsh-creation projects around the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers. But due to the high cost and difficulty, fewer restoration projects made the cut for the most-vulnerable and rapidly eroding areas in Terrebonne and Lafourche.

“We understand that there are tough decisions to be made, but it’s up to us to make sure they’re striking the appropriate balance between restoration and protection,” said Simone Maloz, executive director of Thibodaux-based coastal advocacy group Restore or Retreat. “This really is the difference between restoring or retreating.”

Read more: http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20120112/HURBLOG/120119826
Read the Louisiana’s 2012 Coastal Master Plan. Comments accepted until Feb. 25, 2012. http://www.coastalmasterplan.la.gov/

The 600-page Southern California Steelhead Recovery Plan, recently released by the National Marine Fisheries, warns that along with a financial commitment, a “shift in society attitudes, understanding, priorities and practices” concerning water use will be needed to save the fish that swim between the ocean and rivers.

About 500 returning adult steelhead exist today, compared with an estimated 45,000 that swam in rivers before World War II.

Read more: http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/66726

This series follows University of Montana graduate student Dan Bailey as he travels the wilds of Mongolia to survey and tag Taimen, the world’s largest trout. From the team’s remote field camp and elsewhere across the world, Dan is posting to the Club EcoBlu blog as he assists with the Taimen Conservation Project .  Taimen are highly endangered, have been known to grow to 6-ft long and more than 200 lbs.  The information gathered will aid in drafting a conservation plan to protect this megafish. 

Notes from the Field January 27, 2012

I would like to thank Dr. Pete Rand and the Wild Salmon Center for organizing and facilitating the comprehensive taimen conservation workshop held during the December, 2011 Society of Conservation Annual Meeting in Auckland, New Zealand.  It was truly fascinating listening to the state of the taimen from all over the world.  Conservationists and researchers from Russia, Japan, Taiwan, Austria, Mongolia and America all shared their taimen work and conservation ideas.  We focused primarily on the sea run taimen (Sakhalintaimen) and also Siberian taimen.  One of the major reasons for this conference was to determine the IUCN red list status of the five taimen species.  Unfortunately, with the exception of the Siberian taimen, there was not much argument as to the state of taimen across the globe.  The Danube, Sichuan, Korean and Sakhalin taimen have all been labeled critically endangered by the IUCN.  Further work will be conducted over the next few months to determine the status of the Siberian taimen.  Because of its large historic range and relatively healthy populations in some areas, the status of the Siberian taimen is still in question.  Key research gaps from areas of central and western Russia need to be examined in order to make this decision.  

Download the Taimen_Workshop_Program

This series follows University of Montana graduate student Dan Bailey as he travels the wilds of Mongolia to survey and tag Taimen, the world’s largest trout. From the team’s remote field camp and elsewhere in the world, Dan is posting to the Club EcoBlu blog as he assists with the Taimen Conservation Project .  Taimen are highly endangered, have been known to grow to 6-ft long and more than 200 lbs.  The information gathered will aid in drafting a conservation plan to protect this megafish. 

Notes from the Field January 24, 2012

Taimen conservation takes me around the world once again, this time to New Zealand.  Earlier this fall I was asked to participate in a comprehensive taimen conservation workshop that is being held in Auckland, New Zealand, as part of the 25^th Anniversary Society of Conservation Annual Meeting.  This workshop was hosted by Dr. Pete Rand of the Wild Salmon Center in Portland, Oregon.  The purpose of the meeting is to summarize what has been learned through case studies in the field, identify key research gaps, and prioritize conservation actions to avoid local and species-level extinctions.  This meeting will assess the current status of all five taimen species.  For those that have been following previous blog posts, the species that you are familiar with is the Siberian taimen (Hucho taimen), this species has the largest distribution of the five taimen species and has the healthiest numbers.  I presented on foreign angler education in Mongolia.  The conference is truly a global affair with presenters from Mongolia, Russia, China, Japan, U.S. and Europe. Read More > Taimen_Workshop_Program