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Atlantic
Salmon
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| ABOUT US
Trout Unlimited's mission is to conserve, protect and restore North America's coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. Trout Unlimited (TU) accomplishes this mission on local, state and
national levels with an extensive and dedicated volunteer network. TU's
national office, based just outside of Washington, D.C., and its regional
offices employ professionals who testify before Congress, publish a
quarterly magazine, intervene in federal legal proceedings, and work
with the organization's 127,000 volunteers in 500 chapters nationwide
to keep them active and involved in conservation issues. Geographic Membership Area and Size The Nutmeg Chapter (# 217) is centered around the Town of Fairfield.
Many of our members live in Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Milford,
Monroe, Norwalk, Orange, Redding, Redding Ridge, Shelton, Southport,
Stratford, Trumbull, Weston, Westport, West Redding and Wilton. However,
we also have other members from areas all over the USA. Currently, the
Nutmeg Chapter has over 350 members. It was the first Trout Unlimited
Chapter formed in Connecticut. Chapter membership meetings are designed to be fun and informative events which are presented as a service to Chapter members and friends. They include ample opportunity to meet and chat with other Chapter members and friends. Chapter meetings are open to the general public, and there is no charge to participants. The Chapter meets on the third Tuesday of each month from September through May at 7:30pm. The meetings are held at the Fayerweather Yacht Club at 51 Brewster Street in the Black Rock Section of Bridgeport, near the Fairfield/Bridgeport line just minutes off I-95. Fayerweather has a cash bar for refreshments (see map.) After a brief update on significant Chapter issues, events and concerns,
the meetings feature a guest speaker who presents a show (most often,
an audio/visual presentation) on conservation, fishing, travel, or other
topics of interest. Following the guest speaker, a raffle, including
a number of interesting prizes, is held to partially defray the costs
of the meeting, the speakers, and the mailing of our monthly newsletter,
the Nutmeg Notes. The Nutmeg Chapter coordinates fishing trips for members to places such as the Connetquot State Park Preserve on Long Island and the Beaverkill River and the Willowemoc Creek. Locally, stream cleanups and stream improvement projects are sponsored on a regular basis. Nutmeg also provides assistance to the Connecticut DEP in their stream fish population surveys, counts, and wild fish relocation projects. It has donated spin fishing outfits to the outdoor program of Bridgeport's highly succesful Bridge Academy Charter High School. Its members donate home-tied flies to - and volunteer for - Casting for Recovery, which provides fly-fishing retreats for breast cancer survivors. Nutmeg provides financial support to TU National's "Embrace-A-Stream"
program and other TU National fundraisers. It also provides financial
support to other national and local conservation/environmental organizations
such as the American
Museum of Fly Fishing, American
Rivers, the Aspetuck
Land Trust, the Atlantic
Salmon Federation, the Catskill
Fly Fishing Center and Museum, the Coalition
of Connecticut Sportsmen, the Mill
River Wetland Committee, the Rivers
Alliance of Connecticut, Save
the Sound (now a program of the Connecticut Fund for the Environment,)
the Theodore Gordon Flyfishers,
the Whirling
Disease Foundation, etc. The Nutmeg Chapter is part of the Connecticut
Council of TU and participates in its meetings and provides funds to
it. Nutmeg has also given funds to support other local TU chapters and
groups such as the Housatonic
Fly Fisherman's Association's battle for natural flow in the Housatonic
River. Meetings of our Chapter Officers and Board of Directors are held on
the second Tuesday of the month (a week before the general membership
meeting.) Meetings are held at the Fairfield
Public Library (main library) starting at 7:00 p.m.: chapter members
are welcome and encouraged to attend (please notify the president and/or
vice-presidents ahead of time if you'd like to come -- preferrably at
least a week ahead of time -- so that we can ensure that there is enough
leg room!) At these meetings, chapter business, conservation issues,
and chapter activities, events and outings are planned, coordinated
and discussed. For more information, please read the chapter's bylaws
[free Adobe Reader needed]
or contact a volunteer (see below.) Chapter Board of Directors & Officers Executive Officers
Other Board Members: Bob Eck, Ron Merly, Burr Brown. Honorary Board Members: G.A. Morresi, Bill Field, Red Nichols, Marty Vasas, Mike Piquette, John Foldeak, Alan Liebnick, John Mikstay, David Moxhay, Bucky Reed, Cheryl Groesbeck, David Moxhay, Ben Chin, Dwight Patrick, Ken Balog, Glen Gammill, Todd Stenz, Len Tavormina. Committees (committee chairpersons & volunteers do not have to be voting board members or elected officers)
Nutmeg Chapter of Trout Unlimited - P.O. Box 1594, Fairfield CT 06825 |
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