09/01/2026
SHOUT FOR TROUT
ROADLESS RULE & ADVOCACY 101 TRAININGS THIS MONTH
Nothing is more powerful than a committed group of conservationists raising their voices to protect the lands and waters they love.
As you may have seen online or in Chris Wood's recent blog, the USDA announced on Aug. 18 it is moving forward with a plan to rescind the Roadless Rule that protects nearly 45 million acres of public lands - lands that support the vast majority of river habitat for native trout and salmon.
There is a very short, 30-day public comment period for this action - with comments required on or before Sept. 21.
As a TU volunteer leader, we are asking for your help to take action, spread the word and grow our advocacy impact around this and other critical issues. Here's how you can help:
1) Personally send in comments opposing the Roadless Rule rescission
2) Attend the Sept. 8 panel talk on the Roadless Rule featuring Chris Wood and our partners
3) Attend the Sept. 10 webinar to review the Roadless Rule chapter advocacy toolkit
3) Sign up for our next Advocacy 101 training on Sept. 17
4) Use the Roadless Rule toolkit to spread the word to your members and supporters to also sign on and sign up
While this immediate threat requires an immediate response, we are also looking to the future and working towards building the capacity of all of our councils and chapters to work with TU staff and partners on federal, state and local advocacy issues. To that end we are working to increase the number of volunteer Advocacy Coordinators we have - there are currently just over 100 chapters or councils (less than 30%) with a volunteer serving in that role - so the skills and resources we have nationally can benefit your state and local efforts long into the future.
If you are interested in stepping up to serve as an Advocacy Coordinator for your chapter or council, email Sean Sieler to get started and get connected to the resources you need.
ATTEND THE SEPT 8 ROADLESS RULE PANEL TALK
PUBLIC LAND COMMENT MAP
NEW RESOURCE MAPS WHEN AND WHERE YOU CAN STAND UP AND SPEAK OUT FOR OUR PUBLIC LANDS AND WATERS
There’s a lot happening in the world of public lands these days and it can be tough to keep track of all the threats. Fortunately, our friends at onX have developed a new Public Land Comment Map. Four agencies, separate portals, endless jargon—simplified into one map to find when and where your voice can make a difference on land management decisions that affect the places you care about. Check it out today to see what comment periods are open and use Trout Unlimited’s action center for take action on the top issues affecting trout and salmon and their habitat.
LAST CALL FOR CX3
LODGING DEADLINE TODAY - TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE
If you have been dragging your feet and haven't bought your CX3 Twin Cities tickets yet, don't wait any longer!
Today is the discounted lodging rate deadline so be sure to book your hotel room now! You should also buy your CX3 Twin Cities tickets now too as special events like the fishing day, conservation tour, volunteer awards dinner and more are quickly selling out!
CANT MAKE IT TO CX3?
YOU CAN STILL TAKE PART IN THE ONLINE AUCTION!
Bid to win and support conservation work in Minnesota and across the country! You'll find a host of great prizes from trips to rods and gear, art, unique opportunities and so much more.
Even better, all support goes directly back to the mission - benefitting the Minnesota Council, Twin Cities and Kiap-TU-Wish Chapters and helping make events like this more affordable and accessible.
Click Here to View & Bid in the Auction
MACRO MERCH ON SALE NOW
BUG GEAR & MORE IN THE TU ONLINE STORE
Spend enough time on the stream and you can't help but admire the diversity and beauty of the macroinvertebrates swimming, crawling, scuttling and flying through the rivers we love to fish.
A new line of bug gear - the You Are What You Eat drop - has hit the online store at shop.tu.org and is available for purchase now.
Celebrating the critters that sustain the trout we love, and serve as harbingers for the cold, clean water we work to protect, the t-shirts, stickers and totes are perfect for river lovers, and make great gifts. Kids sizes are perfect for the littlest river lovers and bug chasers in your family - or as youth education event giveaways.
Swing by the online store today to check out these new items and the whole range of TU gear available.
CHECK OUT SHOP.TU.ORG TODAY!
LEARN, LEAD & LEVERAGE
TRAINING GROWS YOUR LOCAL IMPACT
If you haven't been taking part in TU's monthly online trainings for leaders, you're missing out - and so is your chapter! Each session delivered by your Engagement & Volunteer Operations staff, other TU staff and a wide range of partners delivers practical tips and tactics as well as best practices taken from decades of innovating and learning from chapters like yours across the country.
Don't re-invent the wheel - join us to jumpstart your chapter's events and programs this fall.
If you can’t attend the following sessions live, you can always view them on the TU Volunteer Training Vimeo Channel.
Here's what is coming up this fall: (all trainings listed in Eastern time)
Sept. 8 @ 7 pm - New TU Chapter Logos: Building a Stronger Brand Together
Join Ian Malepeai, TU’s Brand Director, for a look at the new chapter logo design tool and walk through what’s new, why consistent branding matters, and how these logos alongside your chapter’s unique identity, artwork and local storytelling create a stronger, more recognizable TU brand.
Sept. 9 @ 8 pm - Effective Online Fundraising for Chapters & Councils
For many TU chapters, successful fundraising hasn't changed much in the past 20 years - host a monthly raffle at events, put together a fun banquet for members and supporters and occasionally secure a small, local grant. The fastest growing chapters, however, have learned that online fundraisers is one of the easiest ways to harness the passion of your community to support the important work you hope to complete. Learn about our tools and best practices that take the guesswork out of running online fundraisers.
Sept. 10 @ 8 pm - Roadless Rule Grassroots Leader Training
Join TU staff for a webinar on the proposed rescission of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule that threatens over 59 million acres of national forest lands and critical fish and wildlife habitat. Our government affairs team and policy experts will discuss the importance and key components of the Roadless Rule, walk through the implications of the rollback, and share the national toolkit to help mobilize your chapter and community.
Sept. 15 @ 8 pm - Running A Community-Based Tree Planting
Tree plantings are an increasingly popular way for volunteers to get out and get their hands dirty with real conservation work. Please join us to discuss some of the best practices, and tips for running a successful community-based tree planting that attracts new volunteers and makes a difference for a local stream.
Sept. 16 @ 1 pm - New Leaders Orientation
Stepping into a new leadership role is exciting, and TU is here to help you get started with confidence. Our new leader orientations provide a helpful overview of the tools, resources, and support available to you, while also offering the chance to connect with staff and get your questions answered. The next leader orientation session will be Oct. 21 @ 2 pm.
Sept. 17 @ 8 pm - Shout for Trout: Grassroots Advocacy 101
The coldwater rivers and streams we all care about are under threat like never before. Whether responding to federal moves to rescind the Roadless Rule, sell off public lands or reduce the power of the Clean Water Act, state regulatory changes or local zoning and development issues - as angler advocates we have the power to raise our voices in support of common-sense solutions to keep our rivers cold, clean and healthy for trout and people. Join us for this important training on the basics of becoming a better advocate for trout on your home waters, across your state and at the federal level.
Oct. 8 @ 8 pm - Community Science: Spawning Surveys & Environmental DNA
Engaging community members in meaningful fall field science events like Environmental DNA (eDA) sampling or spawning surveys is a powerful way to collect important data to help drive your wild trout conservation efforts forward. It also happens to be one of the best ways to attract new, younger volunteers to your local chapter. Learn about the easy tools TU has to help you plan and run a successful fall field science event - and the best practices we've honed to maximize the community building benefits of the work.
Oct. 20 @ 8 pm - Films Nights, Barflies and Other Fun Chapter Winter Events
Discover the best ways to connect as a community this winter using fishing film nights, fly tying events and social activities that go beyond the monthly meeting and create new doors for younger members and supporters to walk through. Winter is a great time to draw in a captive audience who can't be out on the water and to build the networks that will fuel your spring activities with participants, volunteers and leaders.
Nov. 10 @ 8 pm - Invite Everyone: Ten Tactics to Reach New Audiences
Grow your reach and grow your audience with these communications tips and tools. Covering everything from social media targeting and better email targeting to print, mailing, and word of mouth, we'll share some of the best practices our chapters across the country are using to attract new people and keep them coming. You'll learn the basics of building a comprehensive communications strategy that makes the most of the work you are putting in and minimizes the workload on your volunteers.
VIEW THE TRAINING RESOURCE LIBRARY
Q'S COMPLIANCE CORNER
ELECTION SEASON REMINDER - BEWARE OF SCAMS
As election season heats up, it’s a good time for chapter and council leaders to remember an important rule: Trout Unlimited cannot support or oppose candidates for elected office. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, TU, including its chapters and councils, cannot endorse candidates, contribute TU funds or resources to campaigns, or make statements on TU’s behalf that could reasonably be interpreted as encouraging people to vote for or against a particular candidate. This includes the use of chapter or council email lists, social media accounts, equipment, funds, and other TU resources.
That doesn’t mean TU leaders have to sit out important conservation conversations during an election year. Chapters and councils can continue advocating for issues that advance TU’s mission, and other nonpartisan activities such as candidate forums, education on conservation topics, and issue-focused discussions. It is key that candidates are treated equally and TU does not evaluate or favor their positions. All of that said, volunteer leaders remain free to participate personally in campaigns, donate their own money, and express their own political views — but should be mindful in keeping those activities distinct from their TU role.
Why does this matter? The prohibition on political campaign intervention is tied directly to TU’s 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, making compliance important for every chapter and council. Election-related situations can also get murky quickly, particularly when someone is publicly identified as a TU leader. When in doubt, err on the side of caution—be sure to check out TU’s Electioneering Memo for further guidance. Still in doubt? Reach out to your local TU staff or your Volunteer Operations team before undertaking an activity involving candidates or elections.
Scammers (still) on the Rise!
A small handful of TU chapters recently encountered very different scams that offer a useful reminder: not every cyberattack involves someone “hacking” into an account or stealing data.
In one case, automated “bots” created nearly 150 fake accounts through a chapter’s public website registration form after an anti-bot security feature quietly stopped working. The bots used the chapter’s automated welcome emails to send cryptocurrency spam to real email addresses. No member information was compromised, but the incident could have damaged the chapter’s email reputation — potentially making legitimate messages more likely to land in spam folders.
Another chapter discovered a “card testing” attack after noticing an unusual contribution of less than $1 through its online payment system. Card testing occurs when scammers use websites that accept payments or donations to determine whether stolen credit card numbers are still valid, often attempting very small transactions that wouldn’t ordinarily trigger security mechanisms. The chapter responded by strengthening its Stripe fraud-prevention settings and establishing rules to reject suspicious transactions. Importantly, both chapters caught the problems early because volunteer leaders were paying attention to unusual activity and knew enough about their systems to recognize that something wasn’t right.
The takeaway is simple: your chapter doesn't have to be a likely target to become a useful tool for scammers. In fact, smaller nonprofits are commonly targeted due to less sophisticated sites and the like. Be sure to periodically review your website forms, donation pages, event registration systems, and other public-facing tools to make sure security features are still functioning. Pay attention to unexplained new accounts, unusually small transactions, spikes in activity, or other patterns that don't make sense — if something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t. Also be sure to enable fraud-prevention and bot-detection tools offered by your website host, where possible, keep administrative access limited, and use multifactor authentication wherever available. Most importantly, if something looks strange, investigate it rather than writing it off. Early intervention is key for preventing a molehill from becoming a mountain.
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