Volunteering

Make Your Voice Heard to Help Free the Eel River

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is seeking comments on a key element of the process to to remove dams on the Eel River - their Scoping Document 1 for the proposed Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project surrender and decommissioning. This document defines the scope of the proposed decommissioning process, its environmental impacts, and possible alternatives.

FERC is seeking public comments electronically, by mail, or in person in Eureka, CA. The comment period is open until September 18 and FERC has meetings scheduled on September 15th and 16th in Eureka where attendees can provide comments in person.

The Friends of the Eel River has more information on its website including a description of how you can make your voice heard by FERC to ensure they understand the public interest in timely and effective dam removal environmental restoration. Check out the link below to learn how to provide comments electronically, by mail, or in person:

https://eelriver.org/2026/08/13/action-alert-ferc-hearings/

A copy of the scoping document itself is available here:

https://eelriver.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/FERC-Scoping-for-PVP.pdf

Take Action to Protect Roadless Areas in National Forests

Since it was enacted in 2001, the Roadless Rule has served to protect 58.5 million acres of national forest in 39 states from road-building and industrial development. Protecting these lands protects entire ecosystems from disturbance and fragmentation, including watersheds, streams, lakes, and their inhabitants. These lands include more than 4 million acres in California that include alpine conifer forests, coastal forests, and southern California “backyard forests” in the mountains above the LA basin.

In June 2025, the USDA announced plans to rescind the roadless rule. Trout Unlimited was among the many organizations and individuals who spoke up and submitted 625,000 comments, 99% of which supported keeping roadless protections in place.

It’s time to do it again. The USDA announced yet another plan to rescind the Roadless Rule and the comment period is open. One of the easiest ways you can volunteer to support the TU mission is to make your voice heard by submitting a comment to the USDA. Click or tap the button below to edit and submit a comment.

Take Action

You can find out more about the roadless rule, why Trout Unlimited supports it, and how your voice matters here: https://www.tu.org/magazine/from-the-president/from-the-president-keep-it-roadless/

Learn about the threat to Hot Creek from gold mining

Join a webinar hosted by Trout Unlimited on Tuesday, July 21st at 12pm PDT with experts and local leaders to learn more about the threat posed to Hot Creek and the Mammoth Lakes. The threat of exploratory gold drilling near the Eastern Sierra Hot Creek has reemerged. Trout Unlimited is bringing the angling community together to protect this iconic fishery. This informational webinar will provide participants with a comprehensive overview of the mine's history and look back at a decade of dedicated advocacy from the angling community. Most importantly, you will learn actionable ways this community can show up and make their voices heard in this next chapter of the fight.

Register for the webinar at https://bit.ly/AnglersUnite

More information is available at https://www.nohotcreekmine.com/

Volunteer Anglers Needed For Yosemite Rainbow Trout Sampling

The Trout Unlimited Central Sierra Chapter is conducting field sampling to support National Park Service research to identify, document, and conserve Yosemite’s native Rainbow Trout strains in and around the park.

You can learn how to help Yosemite’s native rainbow trout (by fishing!) at an orientation and training session at the Cascades Picnic Area in Yosemite National Park (on El Portal road about 10 minutes west of the Yosemite Valley) on June 25th @ 5:00PM. Topics will include proper tissue sampling techniques and location tagging. For more info, or if you are unable to attend email: centralsierratu@gmail.com.

Check out the Central Sierra Chapter Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/centralsierratu

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PUTAH CREEK CLEANUP & RESTORATION PROJECT JUNE 13, 2026

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In January 2026, 80 volunteers representing 13 different fly fishing clubs spent the day cleaning up Putah Creek, the closest CDFW-Designated Heritage and Wild Trout Water to the San Francisco Bay Area. This watershed, which now hosts a dynamic annual Chinook Salmon run in addition to a healthy population of resident Rainbow Trout, benefited from the efforts of these volunteers to improve access and stream bank integrity.

The Northern California Council of Fly Fishers International has scheduled a 2nd cleanup effort for June 13th that will cover key access points and include garbage clean-up as well as other restoration work to be done. The plan calls for current “existing trails” to be opened to a width of roughly 4 to 6 feet. Riparian areas marked with signs (and with irrigation lines) are to be left alone as these support local plants (including milkweed) that sustain endangered monarch butterfly populations.

Volunteers should bring necessary equipment & tools, including gloves, weed whackers, large clippers, hedge trimmers, etc., with clarification that power tools are either electric (need spare batteries) or gas (with gas filling only in the parking lot areas). No chainsaws are to be brought to the event by volunteers due to liability issues. All volunteers need to sign the “hold harmless” liability form for insurance purposes prior to beginning work for the event.

People who have pickup trucks that can assist in trash removal to debris bins in Winters after the cleanup are asked to bring them. If you are a member of a fly-fishing club, it would be good to set up car pools to save gas and due to limited parking at the various access points on Putah Creek.

The plan is to meet at Steady Eddy’s Coffee House, located at 5 E Main St, Suite A, in Winters at 7:30 AM on June 13th, where people/groups will be assigned to one of the team leaders (selected by John Feaster) and head to their designated access point. Work should commence about 8 AM and finish by noon.

Volunteers will plan to meet back at Access Area #5 where lunch will be served to all the volunteers (starting at about 12:30 PM) – featuring Taveritte's Italian Sausages along with Salads and other side dishes provided by Preserve Restaurant. Water will be provided as well (bring your own beer or favorite beverage). All you need to do is bring a folding chair and enjoy the time together after the cleanup.

You can find more information and sign up to volunteer at the NCCFFI website (link HERE) or via the QR code on the flyer.