Rough RiderReader Photo by dusansmetana.com
A Q U A R T E R LY R E P O R T F O R O U R I N N E R C I R C L E
W W W. T R C P. O R G
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Message from the Chairman
Featured Rough Rider
The TRCP’s Rough Riders are a select group of passionate individuals determined to demand proper stewardship of our natural resources, who have invested in this vision for the future with financial contributions of $500 or more.
In Ways Beneficial
plane, just the four of us with a raft and a canoe and no guide, and were picked up five days later. It was amazing. We floated by moose, were chased by bears, caught trout and salmon and, when we got tired of eating fish, shot ducks. I will never forget that trip.
While the outcome of the November elections is an unknown, change is a certainty. No matter who or what party carries the day on Nov. 4, there will be profound implications for the future of hunting, fishing and conservation in this country.
Photo by dusansmetana.com
TRCP BOARD OF DIRECTORS JAMES D. RANGE - CHAIRMAN
BAKER, DONELSON, BEARMAN, CALDWELL AND BERKOWITZ
R. THOMAS BUFFENBARGER
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS AND AEROSPACE WORKERS
CHARLES H. COLLINS
THE FORESTLAND GROUP
SID EVANS GARDEN & GUN MAGAZINE
CHARLES GAUVIN TROUT UNLIMITED
MATT HOGAN
ASSOCIATION OF FISH AND WILDLIFE AGENCIES
BILL HITE
UNITED ASSOCIATION OF PLUMBERS AND PIPEFITTERS
JAMES T. MARTIN
BERKLEY CONSERVATION INSTITUTE
CHRISTOPHER MERRITT
BERETTA USA
J. MICHAEL NUSSMAN AMERICAN SPORTFISHING ASSOCIATION
DAVID D. PERKINS
THE ORVIS COMPANY
MARC A. PIERCE
BIG SKY CARVERS
CHARLES S. POTTER JR.
MAX MCGRAW WILDLIFE FOUNDATION
DONALD L. ROLLINS
CITIZEN CONSERVATIONIST
JOHN M. “MICK” SEIDL
CITIZEN CONSERVATIONIST
DR. ROLLIN D. SPARROWE
CITIZEN CONSERVATIONIST
HOWARD VINCENT
PHEASANTS FOREVER
DR. ALAN WENTZ
DUCKS UNLIMITED
DR. STEVEN A. WILLIAMS
Consider the recent fracas that followed the Farm Bill. Upon getting through the multi-year slog that produced a sturdy if not fantastic Conservation Title, the most effective program in it, the Conservation Reserve Program, faced another imminent threat. Using the recent catastrophic flooding in the Midwest as cover, opponents of CRP ramped up pressure on the Department of Agriculture to allow landowners to remove lands from the program without penalty, essentially breaking their contracts without recompense. Such a move would have caused game bird populations to plummet and water pollution from sedimentation to increase. Damaging enough to fish and wildlife, further cuts to CRP also would cause ripples throughout the American economy, to which hunting and angling are major contributors.
What do you think are our most pressing conservation issues today?
Fortunately, we were able to help repel this threat, doing so by combining the collective muscle of our partner organizations and persistent contact by hunters and anglers activated by our messaging.
How did you become involved with the TRCP?
What is your approach to facing conservation challenges?
To get involved and support organizations that are making a difference in conserving the landscape. I was introduced to the TRCP by its chairman of the board, Jim Range, whom I met while we were serving together on the board of the American Fly Fishing Trade Association.
TRCP Farm Bill initiative manager Geoff Mullins recently mentioned to me, “As soon as we put one threat to agricultural conservation to bed, another rears its ugly head.” His words were unfortunately right on. Witness Open Fields. After we fought tooth-and-nail for five years to get the Open Fields hunter access bill passed into law, another feat finally accomplished in the Farm Bill, there is an effort under way to leave it unfunded. An amended budget under consideration would zero out the program, essentially killing the effort to promote voluntary public sporting access on private land just moments after it had finally been given life. Again the TRCP sprang into action, orchestrating sign-on letters from our partners and mobilizing our grassroots ranks. We hope to make it clearly apparent to Congress, which has final say over the appropriation of the necessary funds, just how damaging to America’s sporting tradition it would be to fail to fund Open Fields. It is instances like these that remind me of the TRCP’s relevance. With our standing and proven-effective channels for consensus-building through which to quickly organize, the community of American conservationists has been able to address these latest threats. And we all know that these won’t be the last times bad policy is proposed at the intersection of conservation and agriculture, nor is it the only policy sphere where bad decisions threaten our wildlife heritage. We’re seeing plenty of them as we work in the areas of public lands energy development policy, wetlands protection and oceans stewardship. We also know that in response to most threats there are opportunities to improve, refocus, reshape or sometimes even expand programs in ways beneficial to our fish and wildlife resources. Finding them takes financial resources. That’s why every donation to the TRCP is an important one, and why we thank you in advance for your contribution. Sincerely,
James D. Range Chairman
Why are you involved with the TRCP?
I started tracking what the TRCP was doing and realized that it was doing something different than other conservation organizations I had worked with before. With its focus on federal policies, it was working in a larger landscape than many other organizations. I realized that the federal government plays an important role in conserving our wild lands, because it holds more land and has more money (our money) than anyone else, so it can have a much greater impact on conservation issues and habitat protection. I felt that I could have a greater impact personally on the issues that I care about by being involved with the TRCP.
NAME: DAVE PERKINS LOCATION: MANCHESTER, VT OCCUPATION: VICE CHAIRMAN, RETAIL & SPORTING TRADITIONS FOR THE ORVIS COMPANY
When and how did you become interested in the outdoors?
Orvis remains a family company. What is that like?
My family has always hunted and fished. In fact, most of our family outings were focused on outdoor pursuits. This all stemmed from my grandmother who was a great fly fisher and wing shot. From a very early age, I hunted and fished as part of our regular family time together. I got my first bamboo rod and my first shotgun when I was nine years old.
Because the family has control of the business, it allows the company to do the right thing. Rather than make decisions for short-term or immediate financial gain, we can invest in the long-term for a healthy future. That is why we decided to give a percentage of our profits to conservation, which is the right thing to do from both a business and personal perspective, and also to assure a healthy future for our kids and the wildlife.
What is your most memorable experience afield?
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE
P.O. BOX 14420 WASHINGTON, DC 20044 202-654-4600 877-770-8722 WWW.TRCP.ORG
The loss of wildlife habitat and open lands for wildlife.
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In 1969, when I was 13 years old, I did a 5-day float trip with my father and two brothers on the Agulapak River in southwest Alaska. It was early days for Alaska’s tourist industry and things were still pretty basic. We were dropped off on the river by a float
What is your favorite rod of all time?
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I always like the newest Orvis rod. Right now, I am using a new rod that was just developed by Orvis – a Helios rod. And particularly like the 8’3’ for the 4wt.
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Spotlight: TurnerFoundation
By Tom Franklin, TRCP Senior Vice President
n old Capitol Hill saw says that controversial legislation doesn’t pass in a presidential election year. 2008 is an exception, at least for one key bill, but others likely will await action from a new Congress and president.
One of the more contentious farm bills in memory limped to passage under a “Groundhog Day” scenario in which controversy over funding and a paperwork error caused the legislation to be passed twice and vetoed twice. When the last veto was finally overridden, a collective sigh of relief was heard throughout the D.C. conservation community.
Looming on the horizon is the pressing need to work with the new president and Congress on key issues. As we do, there is no doubt that pressures on our fish and wildlife resources will continue to intensify as our nation’s leaders strive to meet the needs and desires of a growing population. Our ongoing challenge at the TRCP will be to garner the resources necessary to guarantee that the needs of wildlife, hunters and anglers are included in the national policy as the new president and Congress engage in the 2009 conservation debate.
T.R.ivia
The good news is that the “Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008” extends many successful farm conservation programs, albeit at somewhat lower funding levels. One huge victory was the addition of “Open Fields,” a TRCP signature proposal. It provides $50 million to landowners who offer hunting access through state programs. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the most effective private lands conservation program for wildlife in history, will continue at a reduced level. The Wetlands Reserve Program, Grasslands Reserve Program and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program all were extended for four more years. Tax incentives for conservation easements will continue for two more years. A major disappointment was the weakening of the Sodsaver provision that would protect rare native prairie by removing federal incentives to plow them.
Do you enjoy outdoor pursuits? If so, what in particular?
I do. I really love fly fishing. My mom got me interested in the sport several years ago, and I am thrilled to see more and more women taking it up. I helped start a group of female fly fishing funder colleagues, which I have gotten a kick out of. I also enjoy bird hunting.
What do you think are our most pressing conservation issues today?
Climate change. While some continue to debate whether climate change is real and question the severity of potential impacts, sportsmen cannot stick their heads in the sand. From changes in migration patterns and forage availability to increased water temperatures, sportsmen are likely to see and feel the impacts first from our duck blinds, our tree stands or our favorite trout stream. We all need to make a personal commitment to mitigating climate change – but in addition, I think the voice of sportsmen will be critical as wildlife and habitat managers wrestle with appropriate adaptation strategies and the lack of funding for their implementation.
NAME: KATIE ECKMAN LOCATION: ATLANTA, GA OCCUPATION: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TURNER FOUNDATION
Could you tell us a bit about the Turner Foundation?
I also feel the disconnect between people and nature is a real threat. How can we expect people to stand up for the environment if they have never experienced and developed an appreciation for the outdoors? I just finished reading Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods. As the mother of a two-year-old, Louv’s book hit home and has made me think more about where our future stewards will come from if this disconnect continues.
The Turner Foundation is a private family foundation started by Ted Turner in 1990. The foundation is overseen by Mr. Turner and his five adult children. Our mission is to prevent damage to the natural systems - air, water and land - on which all life depends. Among other things, the Turner Foundation is currently supporting efforts to protect wildlife and wild places, mitigate climate change and ensure clean air and water.
What is your approach to facing conservation challenges?
How did you become involved with the TRCP?
Now that this year’s farm bill is on the books, the attention of the TRCP has shifted to implementing the authorized conservation practices. The TRCP and its partners sprung into action when CRP came under attack in July. Fortunately, the U.S. Department of Agriculture decided against allowing land owners to break their CRP contracts without having to pay their CRP money back. Had the decision gone the other way, it would have destroyed the gains to fish and wildlife habitat paid for by U.S. taxpayer dollars through CRP. While this debacle was averted, there will be more challenges to come.
Theodore Roosevelt lived in the brownstone where he was born until he was 14 years old. In 1916, the house was torn down to make room for a commercial building. After T.R.’s death in 1919, a group of citizens raised money to purchase the site, tear down the commercial building and rebuild the Roosevelt brownstone as a memorial to our 26th president.
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Outlive your opponents.
The Turner Foundation was involved in early discussions regarding the need for a coordinated effort to better engage and activate hunters and anglers in natural resource decision making. In partnership with the Pew Charitable Trusts, we committed significant funding up-front to meet this need with a new organization called the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. I presented this opportunity to our board, and they were excited to get involved.
More realistically, recognizing and valuing the human dimension. For many, conservation is not a moral imperative. You’ve got to be a salesman and figure out what is in this for everyone. Make what you are doing make sense. When the economics are in your favor, use them.
What hopes do you have for the TRCP?
Why are you involved with the TRCP?
Many members of the Turner family are committed sportsmen and -women with an appreciation for conservation. Their “land ethic” was ingrained at an early age. They recognize the incredible legacy of environmental protection spearheaded by hunters and anglers and the significant opportunity to affect change if this constituency’s passion can be turned into action. Our grant to the TRCP is the keystone of our support to conservation organizations.
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I hope the organization continues outreach to the millions of “unaffiliated” hunters and anglers in this country. The potential to engage them is great if we can figure out how to do it. The TRCP’s partnership with the unions is brilliant. I also hope the TRCP continues to use many different strategies for having its voice heard – whether that means filing suit to stop oil and gas drilling in sensitive habitats, using the press to communicate widely your issues or working to find consensus within the conservation community and with our elected officials.
Meet the Staff What is the best part of your job?
Working very closely and creatively with perhaps some of the best and most enthusiastic conservation-minded staff and sportsmen I have ever met, on a daily basis. The association with such people is inspiring and uplifting, even on the dark days when other things seem to falter. Building new and effective outreach products and networks brings about refreshing creativity rather than bureaucracy. Besides, working daily in the spirit of our finest conservation president, Theodore Roosevelt, is an honor.
What goals do you have for yourself and the TRCP in the next year?
I want to engage sportsmen in the defense of fish and wildlife and hunting and fishing in the face of acceleration Western oil and gas extraction and in proposals for climate change legislation.
WILLIAM H. GEER POLICY INITIATIVES MANAGER SALINAS, CALIF. LOLO, MONT. HUNTING, FISHING, CAMPING
What would you do if you didn’t work in conservation?
The TRCP came up with the idea of asking hunters and anglers to draw the boundaries of their “bread and butter” areas on GIS maps provided by Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks. These are the places they will fight to the end to keep intact in the face of development, because they provide their best hunting and fishing experiences. The new GIS map layer complements critical habitat maps with the favored hunting and fishing areas identified by organized sportsmen throughout Montana. This new information shows politicians and decision-makers the hunting and fishing access opportunities sportsmen value most and want retained in the face of development.
Sportsmen identify their “bread and butter” areas at the Federation of Fly Fishers Conclave in Whitefish, Mont.
Look for a job in fish and wildlife conservation. No kidding; it is where I have spent my adult career for the past 35 years and I cannot conceive of a better way to spend my life.
I used to be the director of field operations for the TRCP’s predecessor, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Alliance.
When and how did you become interested in outdoor pursuits?
I locked into the outdoors and fishing when I first became a scout in 1956 and began hunting in 1959 with my uncle and cousins. I have been at it ever since.
Why do you work for the TRCP?
Frequent travel and very long work days.
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What is the most difficult part of your job?
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Responsible Energy Development on Public Lands Strengthening Wetlands Protections Mitigating the Impacts of Climate Change Reforming the 1872 Mining Law Elevating Sportsmen’s Voices in the Roadless Debate Conserving Marine Fisheries
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What is the TRCP Working On?
At this point in my professional life, I want to galvanize sportsmen and -women to speak up in the democratic defense of fish and wildlife conservation and the perpetuation of hunting and fishing for the ordinary person.
In honor of the T.R. Sesquicentennial, the TRCP introduces the Bully Bugger, a limited-edition fly from master tyer Craig Mathews. The long-time proprietor of Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone, Mont., Mathews is a frequent contributor to conservation initiatives. To cite only the most recent example, Mathews worked determinedly with the TRCP partners at the Trust for Public Land in a successful effort to preserve angler access at the famed Three Dollar Bridge on the Madison River. Now he’s teaming with the TRCP to help guarantee all Americans a place to hunt and fish. By making a donation of $150, you will receive one of only 150 Bully Buggers ever to be produced. Mounted for posterity in a handmade shadowbox atop an image of Theodore Roosevelt, the Bully Bugger is a surefire conversation starter and a fitting tribute to the Father of American Conservation. Learn more at www.trcp.org.
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How did you discover the TRCP?
T.R. HUNTED MORE THAN HE FISHED. HAD HE THE BULLY BUGGER, THINGS MIGHT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT.
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In assessing how development, such as oil and gas extraction and residential home-building, affects fish and wildlife and hunting and fishing, Steve Belinda (another TRCP initiative manager) and I realized we were dealing with not enough information. We have good biological information that tells us where fish and wildlife are likely to be and how they might respond to habitat changes incident to development, but we did not know the places sportsmen and -women have come to depend on for their best hunting and fishing opportunities. Frankly, the interests of the conservation and sporting community have not been well represented in the development process because we have often focused
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I spent 32 years in professional wildlife management and conservation before coming to the TRCP.
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Can you tell us about your mapping project, how it works and how it came to be?
What did you do prior to working for the TRCP?
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mostly on the animals. Hunters and anglers represent a large national voting block, and they ought to be consulted and listened to when it comes to threats to hunting and fishing.
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Portfolio
– photography of Dušan Smetana
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utdoor photographer Duśan Smetana was raised in a small village in the Carpathian Mountains, where he spent his boyhood following in the footsteps of his father in a quest for trout, red deer and wild boar. He studied both forestry and photography in Presov, Slovakia. Mesmerized by stories of cowboys and Indians in the American Wild West, he eventually escaped the Communist regime of his homeland. Today, Dusan’s work is widely used by a host of editorial and corporate clients. He makes his home in Montana with his wife, two little kids and a loft full of homing pigeons (and loves it).
The TRCP has had the privilege of working with Smetana on multiple occasions over the last few years, most notably on the 2008 and 2009 TRCP calendars. His striking images have raised the quality of many of our communications materials, from annual reports to the TRCP Web site. Above all we are very fortunate to have formed a friendship with Dusan Smetana, whose quick eye is matched only by his quick smile.
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For more information about this photographer, please visit www.dusansmetana.com.
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In honor of Theodore Roosevelt’s 150th birthday, this year’s calendar is called “Teddy’s Vision, Our Mission.” Get your copy at www.trcp.org.
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Outtakes from the Open By Ken Barrett, Host, TRCP’s Life in the Open
Chasing Chesapeake Stripers with TRCP Staff
environment. Kate Cywinski would be on the women’s team to address USA and union interests. Britta Blodgett, the TRCP’s luckiest angler, and Mo Bates, the Partnership’s major domo and head wrangler, would round out the ladies’ team. Geoff Mullins and I were the other two boys’ team members. Geoff is plain good at everything he puts his hand to and proved to be a quick read in his acting debut. If luck held and my storyline proceeded as I envisioned, I’d catch the littlest striper, proving to one and all, that hosts are not always the best anglers.
TRCP staff members gathered in May at the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Worker’s Winpisinger Center in Maryland, on the shores of Chesapeake Bay, for our annual staff meeting. I knew the striper fishing would be hot on the Chesapeake, and sensing the chance to kill two birds with one stone, I got on the phone with TRCP Communication Director Tim Zink and asked if he thought a striper show featuring some of our staff members might make a good story for TRCP’s Life in the Open. “Sure,” he replied. Without further ado, I began planning a show and devising a story. Before I go any further let me say, though I always have a storyline in mind before departing to tape a show, rarely if ever does the hunting or fishing go as I have envisioned it beforehand. So, like all hunters and anglers, I adapt to the circumstances, play the cards that are dealt and modify my story accordingly. But, every once in a great while my preconceived storyline and the actual hunting and/or fishing adventure mesh perfectly, and that’s exactly what happened during the taping of the striper show with my fellow TRCP staff members.
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A Hollywood script writer could not have been happier with the results. The girls won the contest; Britta caught the whopper, followed by Kate and Mo, whose fish were bigger than any the boys landed. Tom and Kate covered the issues perfectly. I caught the littlest fish; Tom and I pouted while the women did a victory dance for the camera. Stacey and his son Allen, a.k.a. Bubba, also an iron worker, were wonderful hosts, and Bubba was terrific on camera. I left Maryland with a heck of a good show in the “can,” but you are going to have to take my word for it until the fall of 2009 when it will air on VERSUS. Making a show is just like hunting and fishing; it is always better to be lucky than good, and we certainly got lucky on the Chesapeake. TRCP’s Life in the Open travels the world searching for sporting adventures, while exploring today’s pressing conservation issues. Both LITO and TRCP’s Escape to the Wild air on the VERSUS network. Rough Riders can receive complimentary copies of the show by contacting Britta Blodgett at bblodgett@trcp.org or 202.654.4613.
My storyline began with the unearthing of a three-year-old email from Stacey Witherow, a union ironworker that runs Geoff Mullins hooks into a cow. a charter boat out of Chesapeake Beach, Md., inviting me to fish for stripers and tape a show on his boat, the Mary Ellen. I called him and, much to my delight, the invitation was still good. So now, I had a nice union member angle to start the story with. Next, I needed an idea that would allow me to feature a maximum number of TRCP staff members. I wanted viewers to see that our staffers love to participate in the kinds of outdoor activities they work on behalf of each and every day. That’s when I came up with the idea of a fishing contest, the men versus the women. If all went well, I wanted the women to win, which, of course, they were sure would be the case regardless of my plans. Tom Franklin, TRCP senior vice president and certified wildlife biologist, would be on the men’s team, so we would have our most knowledgeable Chesapeake spokesman to address issues related to the bay and the marine
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The boys team wo
the Mary their catch before disembarking The TRCP staffers show off
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Ellen at the end of the day.
Kate Cywinski ma
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Behind the scenes... The less glamorous side of television: TRCP’s Life in the Open host Ken Barrett does the dirty work at the dock.
Sweet and Sour Striper INGREDIENTS
• 1/2 cup olive oil • about 10 large or 15 medium shallots trim, leave root end intact, and quarter lengthwise • 1 1/2 cups dry red wine • 1 cup white balsamic vinegar • 2/3 cup water • 1/3 cup sugar • 1/4 cup golden raisins • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper • 1 bay leaf • 8 (6- to 7-oz) pieces striped bass fillet (1/2 inch thick), skinned • Chopped fennel fronds for garnish PREPARATION 1. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12- to 13-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté shallots, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, roughly 8 minutes. 2. Remove shallots from heat and add wine, vinegar, water, sugar, raisins, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and bay leaf, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until shallots are very tender and liquid is thick and syrupy, roughly 40 to 45 minutes. (If the liquid is reduced before the shallots are tender, add a bit of water and continue to simmer.)* 3. Pat the fish dry, then sprinkle with remaining salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Fold fillets in half, skinned side in. 4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté 4 folded fillets, turning over once, until deep golden, about 4 to 6 minutes total. Put cooked fish (still folded) on top of sauce in heavy skillet. Wipe out nonstick skillet and sauté remaining fillets in remaining oil in same manner, transferring to sauce. Cook, partially covered, over moderate heat until fish is just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. 5. Garnish with fennel fronds. *The sauce can be made one day ahead and cooled completely, then chilled and covered. Reheat over moderate heat before cooking fish.
We need you ... and your friends. T.R.’s conservation legacy and the example he set have given Americans the hunting and fishing opportunities that lie at the heart of our national outdoor heritage. You can set an example by continuing your support for the TRCP and asking your friends to become Rough Riders, too. For more information, please contact Cary Ridder, director of development, at 202.654.4624 or cridder@trcp.org.
Visit www.trcp.org to join the TRCP today. Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership • P.O. Box 14420 • Washington, DC 20044 • 877-770-8722 • www.trcp.org