Over CalTrout’s 46 year history we have seen plenty of presidential transitions. We offered our observations about the recent election last month, and noted that the appointment process to key cabinet positions is of great interest to us, our mission and our work. The Secretary of Interior appointment is important because of the oversight of key federal agencies that manage lands, wildlife and water.
While some of the recent cabinet selections give us a moment of pause, the recent appointed of Representative Ryan Zinke of Montana to lead the Department of Interior has raised our hopes. The Department of Interior is in charge of managing federal lands, including all of our National Parks, Bureau of Land Management lands and National Wildlife Refuges. The Secretary of Interior is also involved in conserving western water resources, and working with state and non-governmental organization partners to protect and restore trout, salmon and steelhead habitat nationwide.
Our friends at TU had the opportunity to work successfully with Rep. Zinke, as TU CEO and President Chris Wood stated, “on national issues ranging from reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund to, the Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act, to preventing the takeover of America’s public lands. While we have not always agreed with his past positions on other issues, when he was in the Montana State Legislature our members found occasion to work with him on conservation and natural resource issues of mutual interest.”
There is much at stake for our public lands and waters and how they are managed. With Rep. Zinke’s appointment, it is good we have someone who understands western land and water issues and supports the value of public lands. For CalTrout, we will continue to use the best science to solve complex resource issues that balance the needs of fish and people. We hope the new leadership of the Department of Interior share these values.
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Peter Moyle is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and Associate Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, at UC Davis. He is author or co-author of more than 240 publications, including the definitive Inland Fishes of California (2002). He is co-author of the 2017 book, Floodplains: Processes and Management for Ecosystem Services. His research interests include conservation of aquatic species, habitats, and ecosystems, including salmon; ecology of fishes of the San Francisco Estuary; ecology of California stream fishes; impact of introduced aquatic organisms; and use of floodplains by fish.
Robert Lusardi is the California Trout/UC Davis Wild and Coldwater Fish Researcher focused on establishing the basis for long-term science specific to California Trout’s wild and coldwater fish initiatives. His work bridges the widening gap between academic science and applied conservation policy, ensuring that rapidly developing science informs conservation projects throughout California. Dr. Lusardi resides at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and works closely with Dr. Peter Moyle on numerous projects to help inform California Trout conservation policy. His recent research interests include Coho salmon on the Shasta River, the ecology of volcanic spring-fed rivers, inland trout conservation and management, and policy implications of trap and haul programs for anadromous fishes in California.
Patrick Samuel is the Conservation Program Coordinator for California Trout, a position he has held for almost two years, where he coordinates special research projects for California Trout, including the State of the Salmonids report. Prior to joining CalTrout, he worked with the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, a non-profit that supports the eight federal regional fishery management councils around the country. Patrick got his start in fisheries as an undergraduate intern with NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division in Sacramento, and in his first field job as a crew member of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Wild and Heritage Trout Program.