Helping Yellowstone's Native Fish

As many of you may know, native Yellowstone Cutthroat trout are a highly threatened species right now as a result of the rapidly expanding population of non-native Lake Trout in Yellowstone Lake. In 1994, biologists discovered that non-native Lake Trout were illegally introduced to Yellowstone Lake. As many as 3.5 million Cutthroat once inhabited the lake. It is now believed to be just a fraction of that number. These fish are not only a beautiful , strong Cutthroat strain, but also an intricate part of the Yellowstone ecosystem that Eagles, Osprey, Otters and Bears depend on to survive. Trout Unlimited has just sent out an "action alert" to its members asking for help, so I thought I would pass it along to non-members too. The park service has developed a draft plan and environmental analysis addressing future protection and restoration of the park's native fish. The Native Fish Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment is meant to outline the actions needed to help protect native fish in the park for the next 20 years. Not only would native Yellowstone Cutthroat benefit, so would Westslope Cutthroat and stream-dwelling Grayling, both of which used to exist in the park, and could be reintroduced. Trout Unlimited is asking that we tell the park service that native fish conservation should be the number one fisheries priority in the park, including reducing the harm that Lake Trout has had on native Cutthroat.




Please click on this link http://parkplanning.nps.gov/commentForm.cfm?documentID=37967&tr=y&auid=7636043

to specifically, tell the Park Service that:
1) You support its stated objective to make suppression of lake trout in Yellowstone Lake the highest priority action for native fish conservation in the Park;

2) You support the Park's stated, measurable targets for restoration of the Yellowstone cutthroat population in the lake, as well as the objectives for stream miles to eventually be occupied by Westslope cutthroats and Grayling;

Also, ask the Park to:
Increase the time and resources it dedicates to lake trout removal to ensure the population of this non-native predator is reduced to numbers that result in a significant rebound of Yellowstone cutthroat trout numbers.
Employ rigorous monitoring to ensure the Park meets its stated objectives, and to implement important research projects that help the Park better understand where lake trout spawn and how they move about the lake. This important information will help ensure the Park achieves its objectives.
Implement the recommendations from a science panel the Park convened in 2008 to help guide its efforts on the lake.








If you would like to read more specifics on this conservation plan and assessment, click on this link:
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=111&projectID=30504&documentID=37967&tr=y&auid=7636041



The more feedback the park gets, the better. They will be taking comments through January 31st, so lets act quick! For those of you that have not visited Yellowstone, it is home to some of the most pristine fisheries on the planet...an absolute treasure. Enjoy some photos too...a healthy fly-caught Yellowstone Cutthroat successfully released; the stunning Firehole River; a remote spot on the Yellowstone River; walking the Lamar River with my daughter Charlotte.