Page 3 - California Trout Annual Report 2017
P. 3

Dear friends
OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
CalTrout is surging forward. What drives
this success? Strong values and a unique model, made possible by you. Based on
solid science, we rally diverse stakeholders, prove innovative concepts through on-the- ground and in-the-water projects, then take that success and scale it up. We have six  eld of ces throughout the state because being a part of the community is essential for building trust with local interests. Moreover, we have a strong presence in Sacramento, allowing us to drive state policy and funding to bene t  sh and water issues at scale. But it all starts with you.
The foundation of our work is strong science. With our partners at the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis, we recently released SOS II: Fish in Hot Water. This in uential State of the Salmonids (SOS) Report assesses the status of all 32 kinds of trout, salmon, and steelhead in California. The  ndings were sobering—45% of California’s salmonids
could be gone in 50 years if current trends continue. As proud Californians, we take this personally. We care about the legacy we leave to our daughters, our sons, and to their children. At CalTrout, we are committed to reversing these trends and halting the decline of our state’s wild  sh. Our commitment to a strong foundation of science allows CalTrout
to innovate with insight, pioneering new approaches while building credibility and trust with local landowners and agencies alike.
We are proving that carbon sequestration in restored meadows can impact climate change effects, one of the key threats to our  sh. We work with ranchers and farmers to improve habitat on private land. And we are targeting deadbeat dams for removal, dams being an often insurmountable barrier preventing  sh from reaching their home-spawning areas.
CalTrout cannot do this work alone. Partnerships consisting of diverse interests groups are key to the success of all our projects. This fall, we formed the Central Valley Salmon Habitat Partnership,
bringing together landowners, water users, conservation groups, and government agencies to bene t salmon, demonstrating our leadership in balancing the needs of wild  sh and people.
Advocacy has always been a core value
for CalTrout. Our increasing engagement
in Sacramento leverages the  eld of ce experience solving complex issues to in uence statewide policy. In the capitol this year, we steered funding to  sh and water priorities, and shaped legislation associated
with the legalization of marijuana that impacts North Coast  sheries.
Ensuring wild  sh will thrive again in healthy waters in California is no easy task. Many projects will take years, sometimes decades, before we see the  sh return in numbers. It takes endurance to take on a dam removal project like on the Klamath, lasting two decades. Those outcomes would not be possible without your enduring support.
You have stood by us, sharing our core values and con dence that our model based on science, innovation, partnerships, and diverse communities will generate enduring impact. Because of you, we can celebrate the successes along the way as we make sure our children and their children will still have wild  sh right here in California. Thank you for your support.
Curtis Knight, CalTrout Executive Director
Drew Bassak, CalTrout Board Chair
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