People of the Granite State are not immune from the impacts. They barely got out a snow shovel last winter. The extent of snow cover across the Northern Hemisphere has decreased by approximately three to nine percent since 1978, says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), trends that are likely to continue. And NOAA scientists project that by the end of the century, parts of the Northeast will lose as many as half of their snow-covered days each year.

The warming climate is taking its toll in New Hampshire:

• The Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University reported in August that in the Northeast, January through July 2012 was the warmest seven-month period since 1895, the year systematic record keeping began.
• For the first time in recorded history, Great Bay, a large tidal inlet between New Hampshire and Maine popular with winter smelt anglers, did not freeze over.
• Researchers studying moose mortality in NH say that it used to be typical for a moose to carry some 30,000 ticks, but the population of ticks has been magnified by climate change and warmer winter temperatures. Researchers have found that as many as 150,000 of the parasites can plague a moose at once. The blood-feeding winter tick causes 41 percent of all moose deaths in New Hampshire. With the populations of moose in decline, the associated reduction in annual hunting permits, and climate change impacts such as increased ticks, are threatening both a species and a cherished pastime for many hunters in New Hampshire.
• Climate change-induced sea level rise will inundate coastal marshes that serve as nurseries for fish, including the striped bass that live in the ocean and migrate up coastal rivers to spawn in the spring.
• As lakes heat up, some fish cannot thrive in the warmer waters.

A few weeks ago, support for action came from America’s hunters and anglers when a poll of that community, people of every political persuasion, found that a majority (59 percent) agrees that global warming is happening now and is causing extreme weather such as America’s hottest July on record. And they expect elected officials to act.

While candidates across the country debate issues like the future of Medicare, Afghanistan and the federal deficit, there’s rarely mention of our warming planet, much less a solution offered. Stemming climate change will take courageous steps. The presidential debates were not exactly a profile in climate change courage, so it falls to voters to demand more.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, the National Wildlife Federation asked you to share your ‘fishable’ photos and your stories about why clean water and fishing matter to you and your family. We had a wonderful response – a testament to the joy of being on the water. Here we celebrate our fishable waters by sharing with you just a few of the highlights.

You can peruse all of the NWF “fish-tales” photos here

Our celebration also spawned a few more in-depth and inspiring fish tales: Montana Sushi Girl, Fishing the Nottoway: A Clean Water Blessing, Hunters and Anglers Favor Restoring Clean Water Act Protections for Wetlands and Streams, and The Clean Water Act: Up Close and Personal.

The River Runs Through It

“Fish On!” shared this classic “River Runs Through It” fish pic capturing the serenity of fishing Alaska’s Russian River…

and his nice Russian River “Sockeye Salmon” catch! He inspires us with his call: “Let’s keep our waters clean and streams and rivers protected with a strong Clean Water Act so my son’s children can also enjoy the bounty our fresh water resources have to offer!”

Bass are Big in the Heartland!

Kristi Pupak, 23, grew up outside of Milwaukee and moved to Jamestown, Kentucky to work at a national fish hatchery. Working to educate others about how natural environments function, fishing has been the one constant in her life that has kept her balanced. “I’m passionate about fish, their habitat, behavior, and how to catch them. I’ve had this obsession all my life.” Fishing in Wisconsin waters for most of her life, and as a recent resident of Kentucky, has taught her a few things about different fishing techniques. A visit to Wisconsin this past summer led to an 18” largemouth bass caught in Washington County.

G-lyn’s neice caught this largemouth bass while fishing by herself at her uncle’s farm in Oklahoma. It was the biggest freshwater fish she had ever caught and she was so excited. She called her dad out to help her take it off the hook and got some great pictures. She would not have been able to have this experience without the clean water necessary for fish to thrive.

Fishing the Waccamaw, River to Bay

Thanks to the Waccamaw Riverkeeper for these Waccamaw fish tales from river to bay. “Fishing from the Bank” by Bill Gobbel shows an angler fishing from the banks of the Waccamaw River near Conway, South Carolina for redbreast to take home to the family. Redbreast is a local favorite.

Downstream, the Waccamaw flows into Winyah Bay near Georgetown, South Carolina, where Jay Preslar captured a mighty big tarpon in his “Tarpon Tales” photo. Tarpon fishing in Winyah Bay and the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South Carolina’s Grand Strand is a fun way to spend an afternoon. Keeping our water clean and healthy supports healthy fish populations, fun recreation and a healthy economy.

Fishable Waters for the Kids!

Fishing is great fun for kids, and we need to “hook ‘em” young so that they learn to love the waters and protect them for generations to come!

“K fishing” shows the West Branch of Perkiomen Creek in southeast PA — the first place this handsome man ever fished! It’s certainly not fit for boating at this point, but there’s no question that it’s an important water worth protecting, just like the even smaller streams that feed it and the nearby wetlands that keep pollution from getting into it.

And, from “Swamp Doc”…you gotta love it: Little Hank immersed in the fishing experience from head to toe!

So, Happy 40^th Birthday, Clean Water Act! Here’s to 40 more years of clean water and great fish tales!

U.S. Joins International Effort to Promote Environmental Journalism to Today’s Youth

September 28 - As the United States host of the international Young Reporters for the Environment program, the National Wildlife Federation has started recruiting public, private and charter middle and high school students in the U.S. to participate in an annual competition that encourages and promotes youth environmental journalism.

The new Young Reporters for the Environment USA (YRE-USA) program is part of a rapidly-growing international network of international youth engaged in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).  It is coordinated by the Foundation for Environmental Education and currently operates in more than 25 countries.  The United States is one of the more recent countries to join this effort.

Sportsmen Poll: Public Lands Protection Trumps Energy Production

September 25 – A new national poll released today shows sportsmen prioritize protecting public lands above energy production. The poll conducted by Chesapeake Beach Consulting shows threats to America’s conservation heritage are priority issues for sportsmen, on par with gun rights.

“Hunters and anglers tend to be conservative politically, but many are split-ticket and independent voters. What’s clear from this poll is that sportsmen deeply value conservation and believe we have a moral responsibility to confront global warming to protect our children’s future,” said Bob Carpenter, president of Chesapeake Beach Consulting.

“Through shifting political winds, sportsmen have not flinched in their conservation values,” said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “Candidates at all levels should answer this simple question: What’s your plan for protecting our outdoor heritage for our children’s future? These are ethics that sustain America’s wildlife, outdoor economy and healthy families.”

National Wildlife Federation Announce 2012 Hike and Seek Program Changing the Nature of Childhood

September 24 - National Wildlife Federation, America’s largest conservation organization, announces the third annual Hike & Seek™ events. Hike & Seek is a series of fundraising outings that inspire a child’s sense of adventure by combining a nature hike and scavenger hunt. It brings children and adults together for a few hours in the great outdoors for some fresh fall air and fun and provides an opportunity to rediscover nature.

It doesn’t require any advance preparation; interested moms, dads, kids or whole families can sign up at www.hikeandseek.org and then show up ready to spend some family time in nature.

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• Washington Examiner: Maybe Michelle could add archery, fishing to Let’s Move?
• Field&Stream: New poll shows most sportsmen are environmentally minded
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Poll: Sportsmen view conservation as important as gun rights
• Public News Service: Support for Conservation from NC Hunters and Anglers
• Minneapolis Star Tribune: Poll: Hunter, angler concerns include global warming
• E&E News: Conservation tops drilling and mining for sportsmen — poll (subscription required)

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News

Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge Law Enforcement officer checks for compliance of fishing license. Photo provided by USFWS.

The uptick in numbers is a welcome addition to agencies facing more and more challenges. Hunting and fishing license fees make up the vast majority of state fish and wildlife agency budgets which fund the folks in charge of maintaining fish and wildlife as a public trust for all of us. In addition to license funds  being dedicated to the management of fish and wildlife, sportsmen and women have had the foresight to tax themselves to promote conservation through the purchase of the gear they use. This comes in the form of excise taxes on guns, ammunition, bows and arrows, and fishing equipment.

One of NWF’s first achievements was the passage of the Wildlife Restoration Act in 1937, commonly referred to as the Pittman-Robertson Act. This Act established the first excise taxes to be collected into the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Fund and distributed to states based on population and acreage.  Since its inception, the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Fund has provided more than $14 billion to support fish and wildlife restoration and management. Not only does the purchase of equipment help stimulate our economy, it also helps pay for conservation and restoration efforts to insure our traditions continue.

Another ascending number to note in the Survey is the number of participants in wildlife watching.  Last year this group of 72 million Americans contributed $55 billion to our nation’s economy. Yes, this population includes some hunters and anglers, but it is an independently growing recreational activity.  While all three categories are based on sustainable habitats, one big difference between the hunting/angling and wildlife-watching communities is wildlife-watchers have not yet taxed their gear to contribute to conservation and don’t pay license fees to watch wildlife.  Attempts have been made to place excise taxes similar to those on guns and ammunition to binoculars, cameras, backpacks, etc.- but to no avail. I have high hopes in the American people that these attempts are not over.

For now, let us celebrate this good news, revel in it, and plot and scheme for the future!

Are you a wildlife watcher?

Aquatic biologist and fishing enthusiast Ed Perry

2005 was incredibly warm—in fact, it was the hottest year on record, and I remember wading into the river anticipating its cooling waters. Unfortunately, the river felt more like bath water, and 6 miles upstream of Harrisburg, I recorded a water temperature of 91°F!  That weekend, we saw hundreds of fingerling bass floating downstream – bass we could easily scoop up with our hands. We didn’t know it at the time, but we were witnessing what would be the beginning of an annual kill of smallmouth by a common soil and water bacteria called Columnaris.

Prior to 2005, the middle Susky was one of the premier smallmouth bass fisheries in the United States. It would not have been unusual to catch 20 fish over 15″ in a day.

Those days are gone now. The fishery in the middle has experienced a precipitous decline and we haven’t been back to the river since 2008. I wouldn’t want to put any more pressure on those fish than what they are already experiencing.

The agencies are spending a small fortune trying to pin down the cause in the decline, and everything from pollution to water withdrawals is being blamed. There is no question the fish are being subjected to multiple stressors, such as diet pills, Prozac and all the other pills we take, in addition to herbicides and other pollutants. But the fact is, the dying started in the hottest year on record, in the hottest decade on record, it and continues to this day. What’s more disturbing is that the agencies are now finding diseased fish for the first time in other rivers, like the Allegheny and Delaware. Some of these rivers had water temperatures of nearly 95° F. Hot water holds less oxygen, so climate change may be the final straw that is breaking these fish.

Those of us who fish and hunt have special places we consider to be hallowed ground, places where, with friends and family, we’ve experienced the best that nature had to offer, often around a campfire. The Susquehanna was that place to me. It was my favorite trip in our great country—wading and fly fishing poppers for bass as the sun was setting on the beds of water willow and then heading back to our campsite for beverages and steaks cooked over river wood.

Due to the reproductive capacity of fish, the river could be teeming with fish again under the right circumstances. But it is clear to me that our country is embarked on a great experiment. We are willing to continue spewing out industrial carbon pollution unabated and allow our natural resources to suffer because some of our elected representatives are scientifically challenged and prefer to get their science from that great climatologist Rush Limbaugh instead of real climate scientists.

Fortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency is beginning the process of reducing industrial carbon pollution through their rules on mercury emissions, fuel efficiency, and new sources of industrial carbon pollution. But already, the fossil fuel industry and its allies in congress are trying to stop EPA. So, it will be up to us to join forces and convince our representatives to begin the process of getting us off dirty fossil fuels and on to clean, renewable energy. We owe it to future generations to get this right.

Protect the future of smallmouth bass, moose, and other wildlife imperiled by global warming by urging the EPA to finalize a strong standards to reduce carbon pollution from power plant smokestacks.

To learn more about how climate change is impacting American who hunt and fish, read the full report On Thin Ice: Warming Winters Put America’s Hunting and Fishing Heritage at Risk at NWF.org/CleanAir

Papaw with a nice string of Bass Eufala

My grandfather told me when I was very young that conservation was important and that it has a significant role in what makes us who we are. He used to say:

“Andy, conservation is the wise use of what God has given us.”

Some of the most important lessons I have ever learned were with my granddad walking behind bird dogs in the central plains, in the duck blind, or fishing the numerous farm ponds of my home state, Oklahoma. I learned a lot about patience, respect and integrity.

Uniting and Fighting for Conservation

I grew up in a much different Oklahoma in the eighties than my grandfather did during the depression. The Oklahoma of the 1930s was in pretty bad shape, the dust bowl and improper game management had taken its toll on wildlife throughout the state. My grandfather and people like him united and formed organizations to address the lack of game and non-game species in our state. They fought hard for responsible wildlife laws and re-introduction of species that were all but gone from our landscapes. Wildlife held a central place in his daily life and that love of wildlife was imparted to his children and grandchildren.

My son on a victorious day

My oldest son was married two years ago and his younger brother is engaged to be married later this year. I think about my grandchildren and what role I will play in teaching them to respect and be thankful for the opportunities we have to spend time with nature. I wonder if they will love to hunt and fish, or if they will enjoy watching wildlife, and as their grandfather what a big pair of shoes I will have to fill.

Ed Perry is an aquatic biologist who retired in 2002 after a 30-year career with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, where he supervised the section responsible for protecting streams and wetlands. Since 2007, has traveled across Pennsylvania as an advocate for the National Wildlife Federation’s global warming campaign, educating hunters, anglers and conservationists about the effects of climate change on Pennsylvania’s fish and wildlife.

After 20+ years of study, the Environmental Protection Agency finally released the first ever rule to reduce mercury emissions.

I am a life-long fisherman, and my wife and two sons and I have fished and camped all over our great country. We’ve caught grayling and west slope cutthroat trout from high mountain lakes and had a delicious meal of fish over our night-time camp fire.

Fishing the Penobscot/ photo by Alan Gregory

Since the Susquehanna is down-wind from hundreds of coal-fired power plants, I know the fish are contaminated with mercury. In fact, mercury has contaminated the river so much that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania recommends eating only one meal of walleye and smallmouth bass per month in that reach of the river beginning at the New York border extending 200 miles downstream.

This year, for the first time, I will be taking my grandson fishing on the Susquehanna River. Like all kids, he will want to keep the fish he catches. But I will have to tell him to throw them back. There is no way I would subject that still growing little kid to something as toxic as mercury.

Frankly, it is hard to believe that up until this year, mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants was unregulated. Pennsylvania ranks 2nd in the country in pounds of mercury emitted from coal-fired power plants and we have 3 of the nation’s top 10 dirtiest power plants. This is one area where Pennsylvanians don’t want to be a leader.

Even though the toxicity of mercury pollution is well documented in the scientific literature, the coal industry and its allies have fought against sensible mercury regulations for decades. Frankly, I have had it with the tired refrain that new regulations will damage our economy, when in reality, it is our families, our kids, and those with health problems who are paying the real price for our inaction.
It is long past time that we implement the technically and economically feasible alternatives to unregulated mercury emissions. This is one sportsman who is grateful to EPA and this Administration for standing up to the fossil fuel industry.

Tell the Obama Administration how you feel about mercury and other toxic chemicals that are polluting our air and water >>

If you drive a big pick-up truck at work or when you hunt or fish, you know there are more choices when it comes to engine technology.  Recently, NWF joined industry-leader Dmax Co., union members and the BlueGreen Alliance in Moraine, Ohio to highlight the role the U.S. EPA’s heavy duty truck rule can play in driving better performance and increasing environmental benefits.  The centerpiece of the event was Dmax’s industry leading Duramax 6.6 liter V8 diesel engine, built by 416 hourly and 112 salaried southern Ohio workers at an ISO certified landfill-free facility.

TV reporter: “You don’t usually see manufacturers, the union, environmentalists sitting together singing Kumbaya?  How big is this deal?”

NWF: “It’s a hopeful opportunity.  It makes improvements to the environment as it transforms an industry at the base of our economy, spurring jobs.”

Environmentalists, sportsmen, and labor officials gather round the Duramax engine - built at 8:30am that very morning - and look at the technology that makes it a leader in performance, efficiency and pollution-control.

HUNTERS & ANGLERS WANT CLEAN TECH & PERFORMANCE

“If I walked into the Dmax plant right now and asked who wanted to go hunting or fishing, I bet more than half the plant would walk out with me.  Stewardship is so important to people who hunt and fish – they want to improve the environment because they take advantage of it.  If you want a truck that works, that brings greater efficiency and cuts pollution,  it’s being built right here in Dayton.” – Marc Sommer, an Ohio sportsman

LESS OIL, LESS GLOBAL WARMING POLLUTION, SAVINGS FOR BUSINESS AND DRIVERS

Released in August 2011, the U.S. EPA heavy duty fuel efficiency standard nets oil savings of 530 million barrels, reduces carbon pollution by 270 million metric tons, and saves the public $42 billion.  For trucking businesses, the net savings average $3,000 for utility trucks, $6,000 for work pick-ups and up to $73,000 for long haul tractor-trailers.  Needless to say, the compounded savings to fleet owners are very significant.

Duramax 6.6 liter V8 engine is the star of the roundtable discussion, including the BlueGreen Alliance, National Wildlife Federation, Dmax Co., IUE-CWA Local 755, and Dayton City Commissioner Nan Whaley.

Ultimately, by working together, the EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), industry, labor and, yes, us in the environmental movement, we’ve delivered greater efficiency, greater performance, less pollution, more and better choices for consumers, more innovation yet to come, and more jobs here in Ohio and across the Midwest.

For more information, download NWF’s “Trucks that Work” report.

Mercury is a particularly harmful toxic air pollutant because after settling from the air onto our waters and forests, mercury accumulates up the food chain as fish and wildlife consume the contamination.

Despite the source of mercury pollution being to the south of the loons’ habitat, wildlife scientist Dr. Evers explains in this audio clip from the town hall that mercury from smokestacks can travel long distances in the air, and is transformed into a more toxic form–methylmercury–in the wetlands and forests of Northern Michigan.

Mercury Town Hall Draws Michigan Conservationists

Yesterday, over 14,000 Michiganders joined a tele-town forum on mercury with Dr. Evers and sportsman Bob Garner, former host of Michigan Out-of-Doors television show. Michigan anglers and conservationists participated in a discussion on the importance of the Environmental Protection Agency’s new mercury and air toxics pollution limits to Michigan’s lakes and wildlife.

Coal-fired power plants are releasing unlimited mercury pollution into the air, but as Dr. Evers explains, there is new technology to scrub much of the pollution from smokestacks.

Now, efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency to finalize mercury and air toxics pollution limits will finally put a stop to unlimited mercury air pollution from coal-fired power plants.

Support for New Mercury Limits

Anglers and conservationists on the tele-town forum spoke up in support of strong air pollution limits to protect wildlife impacted by mercury and other air toxics. Anglers who eat what they catch are at the frontline of mercury exposure.

Listen as Bob Garner explains that it was Michigan outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen who fought for the protections to air and water that we enjoy today. Once again, Michigan’s conservationists are showing their support for protections to our air, lakes and wildlife.

Michiganders Call on Senators Levin and Stabenow

Some members in Congress want to weaken clean air and water protections, representing polluters’ profits rather than protecting American’s health.

It is up to Michigan anglers and conservationists to tell Michigan Senators Carl Levin and Senator Debbie Stabenow that it is time to ensure the limits on mercury and air toxics are not blocked by polluter-funded efforts to undermine the Clean Air Act.

Ed Perry speaks on behalf of fishermen concerned about mercury contamination

A wave of fishermen, moms, doctors, scientists, and even industry representatives spoke out in support of EPA’s new rule makings that would limit over 90% of mercury from being emitted by coal fired power plants on Tuesday. The hearing, held in Philadelphia, was one of three public hearings hosted by the EPA this week.

Over 150 people testified in front of an EPA panel, urging them to pass strong standards that will limit mercury and other toxic air pollution. Here’s what the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited had to say:

“Every state has a fish consumption advisory for mercury, and mercury has contaminated thousands of acres of lakes and thousands of stream miles in Pennsylvania.  Those who eat contaminated fish are unknowingly poisoning themselves and their families.  All measures that can reduce or eliminate its introduction into the environment should be taken.”

NWF’s Ed Perry, a retired Fish and Wildlife Service biologist and an avid fisherman spoke at a press conference (with his fly rod!) held during the day:

“It is disgraceful that in the year 2011 I can’t take my grandson fishing on the Susquehanna River and eat the fish he catches because they are contaminated with mercury. It’s about time we stopped poisoning ourselves when reasonable alternatives to reducing mercury pollution are available.”

NWF helped fill a bus of activists that traveled from DC to the Philadelphia hearing

Speakers urged the EPA to limit mercury pollution from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday.  A bus brought activists from Washington D.C. to Philadelphia for the hearing, and NWF  presented testimony to the EPA from our members around the country who couldn’t attend.

How YOU can help keep our fish mercury-free:

Didn’t get a chance to submit testimony to the EPA or attend a hearing? The comment period for this proposed rule to limit mercury and other air toxics is open until July 5th–so you can still let the EPA know they should protect our lakes, rivers, and wildlife from mercury and harmful air pollution. Here’s how you can help:

1. Take Action Online.  After you send your message to the EPA, encourage your friends, family, and neighbors to do the same!

2. Request postcards! Would your rather send a postcard to the EPA? Let us know if you want to sign a postcard–and recruit 20 others concerned about mercury in fish to do the same! Contact kordickj@nwf.org

Citizens urge the EPA to reduce mercury and other air pollution in Philadelphia