Klickitat Chapter of Trout Unlimited Entered in National Challenge

The Klickitat Chapter of Trout Unlimited, a local, volunteer-led nonprofit dedicated to improving and restoring local rivers and streams, has been entered in the Embrace A Stream Challenge, an online contest sponsored by Orvis and Trout Unlimited. From Nov. 2-8, the chapter has a chance to win its share of $20,000 in cash prizes to help fund the Mile One restoration, an initiative to collaboratively work with the United States Forest Service and other partners to restore habitat, decrease erosion and provide safe access to the lower Klickitat River in Lyle.

In early October, the Klickitat Chapter received a grant from the Embrace A Stream program to support this project, and now has a chance to win additional funds to complete the work.

 To win, the chapter needs the help of its members, volunteers and community residents. From Nov. 2-8, anyone who visits www.embraceastream.org and makes a donation of as little as $10 to support the chapter’s work will help it unlock daily prizes ranging from $50 to $1,000. The chapter is competing in this contest with more than 17 other Trout Unlimited chapters from across the country.

 “We’re excited to have the chance to raise even more money to restore the lower Klickitat River during the Embrace A Stream Challenge,” said Dick Stentz, Klickitat Chapter President.

“But we need the help of all of our community members to win. If you care about clean water, and share our love for the Klickitat River, please help our more than 75 local members and volunteers by donating to this important project” Stentz said.

Restoration site of Klickitat Trout Unlimited

 The Mile One restoration will improve water quality by decreasing erosion, providing fish refugia and increasing fish forage.  The chapter is taking on the native plant restoration effort in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service as a  percentage of a much larger effort to provide safe access to the popular site. The chapter efforts will directly benefit native salmon, steelhead and other coldwater species.

 Embrace A Stream is a matching grant program administered by Trout Unlimited that provides funds to local chapters and councils for coldwater fisheries conservation. Since its inception in 1975, the grant program has funded more than 1,000 individual projects for a total of $4.4 million in direct cash grants. Local chapters and councils contributed an additional $13 million in cash and in-kind services to EAS funded projects, for a total investment of more than $17 million. The Embrace A Stream Challenge is a new national online contest sponsored by Orvis and Trout Unlimited to connect people who care with a chance to support improvements to the rivers and streams in their communities.

 “This year, more than 17 local Trout Unlimited chapters from across the country have brought forward plans to take care of the rivers that they love to fish,” said Russ Meyer, chair of the Embrace A Stream grants committee, a group of Trout Unlimited volunteers who review and approve all grant applications. “The Embrace A Stream Challenge gives everyone in your community the chance to join us in supporting this important local project.”

 About Trout Unlimited

Trout Unlimited is the nation’s largest coldwater conservation organization, with more than 300,000 members and supporters dedicated to conserving, protecting, and restoring North America’s trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds. Visit us online at tu.org.

 About the Klickitat Chapter of Trout Unlimited

The Klickitat Chapter of Trout Unlimited serves more than 75 members in and around Klickitat County. The chapter works with partners to restore local rivers, engage area youth in outdoor education through events like STREAM Explorers Camp and connect people with coldwater conservation in the area.