Requesting
Funding

Our Mission is to:

 

Sustain our conservation efforts by inspiring and training present and future generations of conservation stewards.

 

CONSERVATION How we will do it

• PROTECT high-quality habitat for native and wild coldwater fish.

• RECONNECT fragmented fish populations and habitats by improving in-stream flows and removing fish passage barriers.

• RESTORE watersheds by working in collaboration with others.

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 WI Clear Waters Chapter Funding Priority

 

(Requests to the Chapter for funding stream habitat improvement will be assessed by the Chapter Board only with a  completed “Request for Financial Commitment Form” and by these Chapter priorities.)        

 

1.Priority areas for WI Clear Waters Chapter are Barron, Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Pepin, Rusk and Trempealeau counties. Consideration will be given to supporting high-quality projects outside of these counties as finances permit and circumstances require. 

 

2.Public access easement is secured, or commitment is contingent on securing easement (DNR, TU, or any other organization or agency could hold the easement, and it can be purchased or donated).
Note: Projects which consist of culvert replacements, dam removals to allow or improve fish passage, or spot repairs to stream banks which are causing severe problems, even if located on private land without public access, will be considered if recommended by DNR Fisheries Biologist.  

 

3.Priority will be given to projects with highest potential water and habitat quality. Water and habitat quality must be considered by DNR Fisheries Biologists or other professional evaluators to be suitable, after project work is completed, for trout habitat and expected to improve with planned work. 

 

4.Priority will be given to continuations of ongoing projects to which WI Clear Waters or another TU entity (other TU chapters, State TU Council, or National TU Council) has provided funding in the past and assuming other funding criteria contained herein are met. 

 

5.Priority will be given to projects for which WI Clear Waters has received earmarked funds from a donor or third party unless those projects don’t meet criteria contained herein. Further, if projects with earmarked funds do not meet funding criteria, we will work to obtain donor approval to use those funds for a project which does meet funding criteria. 

 

6.Priority will be given to projects with additional sources of funding, volunteer commitment, or other co-existing stream projects or activities that would affect stream quality (i.e. USDA, USFWS, or other federal  program funding, county or municipal funding, grant possibilities, county sportsman’s clubs, corporate funding sources, University or High School involvement, ongoing stream monitoring projects, ongoing or previously completed watershed or upland erosion control projects)

 

7.Priority will be given to water bodies according to the joint WDNR and Trout Unlimited (WI Clear Waters and Kiap-TU-Wish priority ranking list of streams and/or watersheds.