Dr. Stuart Leon, Former Division Chief of Fisheries, D.C. office- Leadership will be strongly missed.

I first had the pleasure to meet with Dr. Stuart Leon, Division Chief of Fisheries, Washington, D.C. when as the then President of the recently formed Friends of the Norfork National Fish HatcheryFriends Group. Our Frieds Group hosted the 50th year Anniversary of the Norfork Hatchery.

As the then President and representative of the Friends of the Norfork National Hatchery Friends, l was invited to attend a meeting of Friends groups to be hosted at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Offices in Arlington, VA.; at which time Stuart and Fisheries Staff gave us a great deal of information related to how the division of Fisheries nationally is managed and how its value and importance is for the benefit of the American public, offering due to the hatchery system a wide resource of recreational use, Which in turn also supports generated income both for all those involved in business activity related to the fisheries and the tax base that the given States benefit from.

I made further a number of visits to the D.C. offices, one of which was for us to establish the National Fisheries Friends Partnership to which l became its first Chairman. Stuart was there to make sure that the National Fisheries Friends Partnership became established, likewise for the Fish and Wildlife “Eddies” publication which supports through information the fisheries divisions.

If ever l needed to speak to Stuart on related matters for Friends group activity or further information related to support for the hatchery system, Stuart was there to answer my questions. Stuart was a very strong advocate of support for our National Fish Hatchery system both in the Washington office and the field personel.

l have no doubt Stuart was somewhat disappointed that the Fish and Wildlife Service policy is at this time not to fund the Mitigation Hatchery Program, which in my belief it is obligated to do so, regardless if funding is established from other sources to offset those costs.

I am not so sure we will see a suitable replacement for Stuart now he has retired as the Division Chief of Fisheries, we shall see. Either way, l wish him well for the future, hopefully once again working to support the value of the recreational fisheries, endangered species and issues of habitat conservation.

Davy Wotton. AISFF

Past President FNNFH

Past Chairman NFFP

Eddies Magazine- This Issue Dedicated to the U.S. Fisheries Division now Available Online

For everyone who fishes, you by now have probably heard that it is up to us, the public to advocate for our U. S. Fisheries Division. Last year with the threat of closure for 9 of our National Mitigation Hatcheries was a true wake up call for us as anglers and as Americans.

This issue of the Eddies is solely dedicated to our U.S. National Fisheries would have been the perfect packet to provide to our individual legislators in 2011, but it is not too late, its content is packed with every reason for the argument for our fisheries division to have suustained funding and to further preserve and conserve its 141 years of raising healthy disease resistant fish and other aquatic resources to maintain a continued balance to our rivers and eco system.

I would hope that you would book mark this link to your favorites after reading and share this with you fellow anglers and outdoor minded people; absolutely share this with your own legislative staff and members where you live.

You may also subscribe to the Eddies for continued following from your own inbox or receive the magazine to your home at no charge.

I realize that this may sound like a commercial, but this is absolutely an issue that you cannot afford not to read if you are concerned about the future of our National Fisheries. One more thing to look for in this issue is the first ever printed information that breaks down the Economic Impact for this Division and the impact that it means to our country; the information is under the heading of “Net Worth”. Page 13 of this Issue.
I do have individual hard copies of the “Net Worth” for distribution so let me know if you need a copy of this.
on page 34 is a wonderful well writtien article close to my own heart, about the Oldest still Operational National Fish Hatchery established in 1888 in Neosho, Missouri. This hatchery is where I personally have spent many hours of volunteer work and service as a past President of the Friends of the Neosho National Fish Hatchery. It has a most glorious setting to visit, and a state of the art visitors center second to none of its kind. You may walk in its park like setting and afterward sit for a spell on the victorian style porch in a rocking chair and watch the fish in the ponds jump while being fed by other visitors. This National Fish Hatchery is worth the drive as a destination for the whole family. (be sure to look at the floors as you tour the center, I hear they are dinosaurs where you walk.) They also raise real and living dinosaurs here at this fish hatchery, be sure to ask about the Pallid Sturgeon. This article on Neosho was written by our Chief Director of the Fisheries Division himself, D.C. office- Dr. Stuart Leon. He’s a wonderful guy and personal friend who is absolutely contagious with his enthusuiasm of the public and healthy fish being together.

Here’s the link: http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/eddies/pdfs/EddiesFallWinter2011.pdf

If you have any further questions, absolutely do not hesitate to contact me. (be sure to share this with everyone).

TBird
Teresa VanWinkle