Over the past four years Greater Boston Chapter of TU has donated an average of $15,000 per year to organizations and specific projects in support of cold water stream restoration and preservation.

Major on-going donations include support for the restoration of sea run brook trout streams in Wareham and Westport, MA, and the Downeast Salmon Federation in East Machias, Maine. Other donations have supported the removal of old dams in cold-water streams in Pepperell and Norwood.  In 2015, GBTU donated $10,000, a major share of the funds raised by Mass/Rhode Island TU Council, to enable the Franklin Land Trust to purchase and preserve 100 acres of land at the headwaters of the Deerfield River in Heath, Ma. The stream supports a population of wild brown and brook trout. TU members will be part of the Advisory Committee responsible for that property and stream. Other projects include bank restoration and tree planting on a small trout stream, tuition support for two trout fishing camps for youth, and support of the ecological assessment of the Deerfield River.

GBTU receives up to ten donation requests a year. All donation requests are reviewed and ranked against a set of criteria GBTU adopted several years ago. These include:

  • does the request support the TU mission and GBTU plan to protect and restore cold water fisheries?
  • is it oriented toward conservation, education, family or youth involvement?
  • is it a hands-on project?
  • is it geographically relevant?
  • is the request from a quality organization to collaborate with?

These funds are raised from a portion of your annual TU membership, from the GBTU annual spring PastaFest, individual donations, and grants.

If you would like to learn more, or get involved with any of the on-going projects, contact any GBTU Board member or Bruce Osterling.

 

Recent Projects and Donations Include: 

  • Angeline Brook Land Acquisition
  • Crowningshield Acquisition
  • Deerfield River Watershed TU Stream Bank Restoration Project
  • Third Herring Brook Project
  • Sudbury Valley Trustees (Map Book)
  • Massachusetts Rivers Alliance
  • Organization for the Assabet, Sudbury, and Concord Rivers (OARS)
  • Chickley River Restoration
  • Millie Turner Dam Removal
  • Red Brook Salter Restoration
  • Downeast Salmon Federation
  • Trout in the Classroom
  • Casting for Recovery
  • White River Watershed
  • Massachusetts Outdoor Heritage Fund (Gulf Brook)
  • Sea Run Brook Trout Coalition
  • Casting on the Common for Inner-City Youth
  • Defeat of proposed Russell Biomass Project
  • Project Healing Waters
  • Vermont Trout Camp
  • Cape Cod Fly Fishing School
  • TU National: upper Connecticut Home Rivers Initiative
  • TU Massachusetts/Rhode Island Council