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1 year ago

Adventure Journal: Top 3 Underrated places to fly fish in Grand Teton

Grand Teton National Park is famous for its pristine fly-fishing opportunities. Its iconic waterways provide excellent habitat for several species of fish, especially the Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout.

1. Phelps Lake

There are three reasons to set your alarm and head to Phelps Lake early. First, to arrive at the Laurence Rockefeller Preserve parking lot before it fills up, which can happen as early as 8:30 am in the busy summer months. Second, to allow yourself plenty of time to hike the mile and a half to the lake. And third, to be on the water for an excellent morning bite. Phelps Lake is home to voracious cutthroat trout that feed on the surface during the morning hours and become less active as the hot afternoon approaches. Bring your favorite five-weight rod as the cutthroat trout in this glacial lake typically range from twelve to fifteen inches.

Fly Recommendations: Stimulators & Chubby Chernobyls.

2. Upper Gros Ventre River

Sunset glows over the upper Gros Ventre river and a Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat.

While the Gros Ventre River is a tributary of the Snake River, most of the fishing pressure occurs in the lower section. Starting from the Gros Ventre Campground upstream to the "Kelly Cliffs" area and beyond offers beautiful fly-fishing opportunities for adventurous anglers. During the summer months, trout will eagerly devour terrestrial insects in this section of the river, offering some of the most exciting hopper-dropper fishing in Grand Teton. The Gros Ventre flows through both private and public lands, so it's important to do your research before heading out to fish.

Fly Recommendations: Foam Body Salmon Flies & Chubby Chernobyls for your hoppers, bead-head Pheasant Tail & purple Duracell nymphs for your droppers.

3. Lake Solitude

The out-and-back hike to Lake Solitude is approximately sixteen and a half miles and will reward you with one of the best alpine fishing experiences in Grand Teton National Park. Expect to hike through a stunning canyon with several alpine waterfalls, vibrant patches of native wildflowers, and views of the immense peaks of the Teton mountain range. Although the hike is notably long, the beautiful and hungry cutthroat trout in the lake make it well worth the effort. Fishing is most productive in the morning and evening, with some success in the afternoon. Bring extra water and bear spray for this backcountry fly-fishing adventure.

Fly Recommendations: Pretty much whatever you have in your fly box. Hopper Droppers with medium/small Chubby Chernobyls & purple Duracell nymphs have worked great here.

Cutthroat CO-OP

We are proud of our partnership with WorldCast Anglers, a local Grand Teton National Park fly fishing outfitter and concessionaire. WorldCast created a line of Cutthroat CO-OP merchandise based on the iconic Snake River trout. The gear covers all the basics to look good on and off the river, with an array of hats, T-shirts, hoodies, and more.

A portion of proceeds from all Cutthroat CO-OP merchandise sales will support Grand Teton National Park Foundation's native fish conservation program. Visit WorldCast's website to learn more about the company and the Cutthroat CO-OP collection, and stop by their shop in Victor, Idaho (or call 1-800-654-0676) to get some gear before it is gone!

We'd like to extend our thanks to the entire team at WorldCast for their incredible support and all they do to steward the Snake River watershead and protect native fish.

Grand Teton National Park Foundation has been supporting the park for several years with native cutthroat trout conservation efforts. From restoring fish passage to natal streams to funding underwater video cameras to track population dynamics, visit this page to see our contributions to this initiative.

The post appeared first on Grand Teton National Park Foundation | Jackson, WY.

1 year ago

How to Show Military Caregivers You Appreciate Them

5.5 Million caregivers support our Nation’s service members, yet caregivers’ challenges and sacrifices often go unnoticed. In many ways, these selfless individuals are the backbone of our country’s military services, as they help service members navigate life during and after a tour or career. As May is Military Appreciation Month and Month of the Military Caregiver, you have an ideal opportunity to support them. Let’s explore some reputable organizations dedicated to aiding caregivers (with informational resources and military flight deals) and how your donations can make a difference for them.

Luke’s Wings is a nonprofit organization that provides emergency travel planning services and airplane tickets for the families and loved ones of wounded, ill, and injured service members, Veterans, and fallen officers during hospital recovery and rehabilitation. Our work helps active service members and Veterans maintain crucial connections in their lives. Call us at (512) 971-9748 to give back with complimentary plane tickets.

Below, we list several organizations through which you can show military caregivers your appreciation:

Operation Frontline Families

Operation Frontline Families (formerly Caregivers on the Homefront) provides support services and resources to military families caring for wounded service members. Their offerings include mental health therapy, counseling services, and management support to help ease the burden on these dedicated individuals. Your donations can help military caregivers access the necessary resources to care for their loved ones and themselves.

Elizabeth Dole Foundation

Committed to empowering and supporting military caregivers, The Elizabeth Dole Foundation works through various initiatives and programs. It provides education, advocacy, and community-building opportunities for caregivers nationwide. By donating to their foundation, you can help raise awareness about the challenges military caregivers face and help them receive the support they deserve.

Fisher House Foundation

The Fisher House Foundation operates a network of comfort homes where military families can stay without cost while their military loved ones receive medical treatment. These homes provide a supportive environment for caregivers, allowing them to focus on caring for their injured or ill loved one without worrying about lodging expenses. Your donations can help fund the operation of these homes and ensure military caregivers have a place to stay during challenging times.

National Military Family Association

Finally, the National Military Family Association offers a range of programs and services designed to support military families, including caregiver support resources. They provide scholarships, benefits information, and advocacy efforts to improve military families’ livelihoods nationwide. By donating to this organization, you can help military caregivers gain access to vital resources that lighten their load and improve their well-being.

Gift Complimentary Military Flight Deals with Luke’s Wings

Military caregivers deserve recognition for their selfless dedication and sacrifices. By donating to organizations like Luke’s Wings, you can show appreciation for these unsung heroes and make a tangible impact on their lives. Your contributions can help provide military flight deals to our Nation’s Heroes when they need it most. Call us at (512) 971-9748 to gift complimentary military flights to a caregiver.

May 10, 2024 • Share

1 year ago

Brianna’s Story

I had a complicated childhood, where my biological dad wasn’t around and I never felt like I fit in with my mom and my stepdad. We were just so different. I spent so much energy trying to fit in that I ended up in codependent unhealthy relationships. My drug addiction started when I met my daughter’s father and continued through trauma and losing custody. I was so sick every time I tried to quit, that I ended right back in the only thing I knew. I wanted to get out, and stay out of this horrible life, but I didn’t know how.

When I walked through the doors of MnTC, everything changed. I felt real compassion and belonging for the first time in my life. I didn’t even know that people could feel this way about me when I had done so many terrible things in my addiction. I graduated from the long-term program and then spent another year in TCLI (Leadership Institute). I also have restoration with my daughter. Now, I pay the compassion and love that saved my life, forward. I run a sober house for women in Little Falls and am working as a diversion representative, helping other women get their lives back on track. I provide them with grace and encouragement and show them how God can change their lives, the way he changed mine.

1 year ago

What has the Inflation Reduction Act done …so far?

Photo by POW Creative Alliance member Sara Robbins

When President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in August 2022, it was hailed as the most important climate law in US history. Since then, the IRA’s impact has only grown.

Initially, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated the set of incentives would amount to just under $400 billion in support for clean energy over 10 years. However, this was only an estimate because the main policy instrument was an uncapped tax credit. The CBO has since revised its estimate to double that, and banks have estimated it at three times the original, with over $1 trillion in spending to address climate change.

The IRA has grown because individuals, households, organizations, and companies are more willing to invest their money to be a part of the effort. Clearly, this isn’t an issue of the government’s deep state forcing people to use technologies that they don’t want. It’s dramatically the opposite. People and communities are more eager to adopt clean technologies than government analysts expected, and the IRA is helping them do just this.

Solar infrastructure located in Aspen

Here’s a look at the IRA’s impact to date, 2 years after it was signed:

Incentives Driving Clean Energy Adoption: Creating incentives for the adoption of clean energy is at the core of the IRA, bringing energy and climate action to individuals, communities, and households. In 2023, $126 billion was invested through a mix of solar panels, home batteries, heat pumps, and electric vehicles. By far the biggest impact has been for electric vehicles, which grew by 16%, more than doubling its investments from a few years ago.

The industrial and energy sectors also benefited, investing $250 billion since the IRA began—a 34% increase. These projects have been distributed nationwide and include a mix of solar, wind, energy storage, hydrogen, and carbon removal. Solar energy received the most investment, with utility-scale solar more than doubling in the first five months of 2024 compared to last year.

Solar and wind energy in the western U.S. | Photo by POW Creative Alliance member Sara Robbins

Creating Clean Energy Equipment: The IRA goes beyond deploying clean energy. It’s also about establishing a domestic industrial base to produce clean energy equipment, like batteries and solar panels. These investments have grown rapidly, with $152 billion poured into clean energy development since the IRA’s inception—more than doubling from the previous two years. This has resulted in significant investments and new jobs around the country. Many of these projects are located in the Midwest and Southeast, with most of the IRA’s manufacturing funding projects in states that have voted Republican in recent elections, bolstering the durability of the policy. Battery production and electric vehicle components have led this investment.

Justice40 & Advancing Environmental Equity: A key part of the IRA aligns with the Biden Administration’s Executive Order 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.” This includes “Justice40,” which aims to ensure that 40% of the benefits from laws like the IRA go to disadvantaged communities. Since many IRA programs became part of Justice40 in late 2023, it’s too early to see the full impact. However, one report found that 20% of the 500+ programs under Justice40 are clearly meeting goals.

Measuring the environmental justice outcomes of the IRA is crucial, as it reflects the IRA’s commitment to Justice40’s goals through its support of disadvantaged communities.

Measuring the IRA’s Impact on Emissions Reductions: As a climate change law, the IRA’s success will ultimately be judged by its effectiveness in reducing emissions. Models indicate that the IRA will help US emissions fall 40% below 2005 levels by 2030. While it’s still early, we have seen a positive trend, with 2023 carbon dioxide emissions in the US being 3 percent lower than 2022 levels, aligning with the 2030 goal.

In just two years the IRA has made a significant impact on clean energy development in the US. This is evident in the surge of investments in clean energy manufacturing, the increase in electric vehicle adoption, the widespread use of solar energy, and the growth in battery storage, which supports higher levels of renewable electricity.

Facing the Challenges Ahead

Addressing Infrastructure Challenges: While the IRA has driven significant progress, certain areas still face challenges. Wind power projects, both onshore and offshore have lagged expectations. Additionally, building transmission lines is crucial to fully utilize the abundant wind and solar resources located away from population centers. Higher interest rates have played a role but the bigger obstacle has been the permitting process, which leads to projects being in queues for years. POW is doing critical work in this area to help transmission line advancement through the Energizing Our Communities Act (EOCA). The EOCA is a bill that was introduced by Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) and Congresswoman Annie Kuster (D-NH) and supports responsible clean energy implementation, benefiting the communities we love by funding roads, schools, healthcare, first responders, and of course, outdoor recreation while advancing clean energy infrastructure.

Transmission lines running across the mountain west | Photo by POW Creative Alliance member Sara Robbins

The IRA creates strong incentives for building these essential clean energy projects. However, it does not streamline the permitting process, squandering a real opportunity, particularly for offshore wind, onshore wind, and large-scale and rooftop solar. Addressing these permitting issues is essential to unlock the full potential of clean energy infrastructure.

State-level Implementation: A crucial area for IRA’s success is state level implementation. While the IRA incentives are federal, whether these funds go into a supportive or restrictive state environment depends on state policies. State electricity regulators at the 50 public utility commissions play a vital role in this. The progress of the IRA—and its emissions reduction and environmental justice goals—hinges on how these regulators approve new projects and the factors they consider.

State regulators can empower consumers who want to take a more active role in their communities, by becoming not just consumers, but also producers of energy, aka “prosumers.” This means taking advantage of the IRA’s support to install solar panels, heat pumps, battery storage, and electric vehicles. The more consumers can access information, sell power to the grid, and store it in their car batteries, the more likely the IRA will succeed.

Local and state rules are consequential in these decisions. For example, installing solar in the US costs more than three times as much as in Germany and Australia. The panels are the same, and the tariffs are a little higher, but the main difference is an unsupportive regulatory environment. The IRA provides a major push, but state regulators need to support it rather than maintain outdated rules and decisions that hinder progress, even for highly motivated households benefiting from the IRA.

Envisioning an IRA 2.0

It’s not too soon to start thinking about an IRA 2.0, which would extend key aspects, correct any adverse incentives, and engage more globally. This next phase should also provide stronger encouragement for states to facilitate progress, and most importantly, build on all the remarkable advancements made in the US over the past 2 years. By refining and expanding the IRA, we can ensure continued momentum in reducing emissions and further strengthen our clean energy future.

Author: Greg Nemet

Gregory Nemet is a Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the La Follette School of Public Affairs. He teaches courses in policy analysis, energy systems, and international environmental policy. Nemet’s research focuses on understanding the process of technological change and the ways in which public policy can affect it. He received his doctorate in […]

1 year ago

Saving Neotropical Migratory Birds

How Reforesting Colombia’s Western Andes Ensures the Survival of North American Birds

Neotropical migratory birds undertake incredible journeys, traveling thousands of miles between their breeding grounds in North America and their non-breeding grounds in the Western Andes of Colombia during the winter. However, these remarkable birds face a significant threat to their survival: the loss, degradation, and fragmentation of their critical habitats.

In this blog post, we’ll explore the challenges faced by neotropical migratory birds in the Western Andes, the causes of declining populations, and the proposed solution of reforestation efforts to protect their winter habitat. Additionally, we’ll highlight how these conservation actions align with the growing interest in tree planting initiatives.

The Critical Importance of Winter Habitat for Neotropical Migratory Birds

Neotropical migratory birds are known for their vast ranges in North America, where they breed and raise their young. However, what often goes unnoticed is that their winter ranges in South America are considerably smaller. This distinction is vital to understanding the precarious situation these birds face.

While neotropical migratory birds may have expansive breeding and nesting grounds in North America, their wintering habitats in the Western Andes of Colombia are limited. These smaller winter ranges are meticulously selected by these birds for specific environmental conditions, providing them with the resources needed for survival.

Here’s the crucial point: if neotropical migratory birds lose their winter habitat, they will face severe challenges in surviving. During the non-breeding season, these birds rely on these specific locations for shelter, food, and safety. The loss, degradation, or fragmentation of these vital wintering habitats can disrupt their life cycle, making it difficult for them to prepare for the demanding journey back to their breeding grounds.

In essence, these small winter ranges are their lifelines, and any disruption in these areas can have far-reaching consequences for their populations. By supporting reforestation and habitat restoration efforts, we are working to ensure that these critical winter habitats remain intact, providing neotropical migratory birds with the refuge they need to endure and thrive.

Help Protect Migratory Bird Habitat

The Problem: Habitat Loss and Fragmentation

The decline in neotropical migratory bird populations can be attributed to numerous factors, but the most significant cause is the loss and fragmentation of their habitats. Human activities, including agricultural expansion and deforestation, have severely affected these habitats, disrupting the birds’ life cycle. The Western Andes of Colombia, home to these incredible birds during the winter, faces a dual threat from climate change and population growth. Climate change compounds the effects of habitat fragmentation and deforestation, making it crucial to address these issues urgently.

Habitat loss in the Andean region is driven primarily by practices like agriculture and forest clearing for livestock. Recent accessibility to forested areas after a peace agreement in Colombia has only exacerbated this issue. Cerulean Warblers and Canada Warblers are particularly at risk due to the loss of suitable wintering habitat, while the deforestation of the Northern Andes poses a significant threat to Olive-sided Flycatchers and other avian species.

The Proposed Solution: Reforestation and Habitat Restoration

The Mesenia-Paramillo Nature Reserve in the Western Andes of Colombia has become a crucial focal point for conservation efforts. Saving Nature has partnered with Fundacion Bioconservancy to restore habitat for neotropical migratory birds in the area and engage local communities in these restoration efforts. By reforesting and protecting winter habitat, the project addresses a critical factor in the declining population trends of these remarkable birds.

The project focuses on five priority neotropical migratory birds native to the area: Canada Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and Swallow-tailed Kite. These species are threatened by persistent habitat loss and fragmentation in their non-breeding grounds. Reforestation with native trees serves to counteract these threats by increasing habitat availability and connectivity, thus reducing mortality during the non-breeding season and improving conditions for spring migration and breeding.

Since the project’s inception in 2008, we have secured 3,845 hectares of land, of which 308 hectares are earmarked for restoration with native trees. The rest remains intact forest. This high-elevation forest is vital for species like Canada Warblers, which winter in areas between 500-2,500m. Over the next five years, the project aims to reforest 594 hectares with over 650,000 native trees to increase neotropical migratory bird habitat. As of 2019, they have already restored 183 hectares, with plans to restore an additional 100 hectares in 2024 by planting around 120,000 native trees.

Where You Come In

Reforestation efforts in the Western Andes of Colombia are providing a beacon of hope for neotropical migratory birds facing population declines. By restoring their winter habitat and actively engaging local communities, the project is contributing to the survival of these incredible birds. Furthermore, these conservation actions are in line with the growing global interest in tree planting initiatives, which play a vital role in combating climate change, protecting biodiversity, and ensuring a sustainable future for all.

Supporting initiatives like this, whether through direct involvement or financial contributions, is not only beneficial for neotropical migratory birds but for our planet as a whole. It’s a reminder that when we take action to protect the environment, we are planting the seeds of a better future for ourselves and generations to come.

Why Your Donation Matters

Your donation plays a pivotal role in the ongoing efforts to save neotropical migratory birds by restoring their winter habitat in the Western Andes of Colombia. Here’s why your support is so crucial:

Habitat Restoration: The primary focus of this project is the restoration of critical winter habitat for neotropical migratory birds. Your donation directly contributes to planting native trees and creating healthier, more connected habitats for these migratory birds. By increasing habitat availability, you help provide the food, shelter, and safety that neotropical migratory birds need during the non-breeding season.
Biodiversity Conservation: neotropical migratory birds are not the only beneficiaries of this restoration effort. The increased tree planting and habitat restoration also benefit the broader ecosystem. Many other species, both flora and fauna, rely on these habitats, and your donation supports the protection of this diverse ecosystem.
Climate Change Mitigation: Trees are essential in the fight against climate change. They capture and store carbon dioxide, helping to mitigate the impacts of climate change. By supporting reforestation efforts, your donation contributes to a healthier planet for both neotropical migratory birds and people alike.
Global Migration: neotropical migratory birds play a critical role in ecosystems on both sides of their migration routes. By supporting their winter habitat, you’re helping ensure the continuation of these incredible long-distance journeys that connect continents. This not only contributes to biodiversity but also our understanding of the planet’s interconnectedness

Help Protect Migratory Bird Habitat

The post appeared first on Saving Nature.