Philanthropists wanted!

The chance to hook trout has long drawn anglers to the Tahoe region, but over the decades fish habitat has been harmed by dams, logging, road construction, and land development. The lack of an advocate focused solely on the protection and improvement of local fisheries has led Richard Anderson, publisher of California Fly Fisher magazine, to create the Truckee Tahoe Trout Fund, which will be managed under the auspices of the Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation.

“Anyone who regularly fishes the rivers and lakes in the Truckee/Tahoe region has seen the problems these waters suffer from,” said Anderson, who has lived in Truckee since 1999 and has been fishing here for more than twenty years. “As Truckee River Day illustrates, residents and visitors alike want to improve trout habitat. The issue is not lack of will. It’s lack of money.”

The objective of the Truckee Tahoe Trout Fund is to provide grants to organizations and individuals who are implementing projects that protect, restore, or enhance trout fisheries, or who are conducting the research necessary to identify and initiate these projects. Anderson is creating an advisory committee of “concerned, knowledgeable anglers” to review grant proposals and direct work to where it’s most needed.

“The sport-angling community understands what’s at stake,” said Anderson. “Our collective voice, and our financial commitment, will help ensure that regional fisheries remain healthy.”

Donations to the Truckee Tahoe Trout Fund are tax deductible, and can be mailed to P.O. Box 366, Truckee, CA 96160. For more information on the fund, contact Richard Anderson at (530) 587-8702 (calflyfisher@sbcglobal.net), or the Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation at (530) 587-1776.