Conservation ~ Education ~ Community: Accomplishing the mission
THANK YOU!
Thank you for your continued support of Fly Fishers International (FFI). You are a vital part in helping FFI achieve our goals within each of our organization's three pillars: conservation, education, and community.
With your help, we've accomplished many great things in 2018, and will continue to build on these efforts into 2019. Below are just some of the highlights…
CONSERVATION
Building on over 50 years of conservation work, FFI is proud to continue protecting our fisheries and angling opportunities for the future. This year's projects include:
» Opposing Mining Across the Nation- FFI has provided grants and joined our partners in fighting mining proposals on the Menominee River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, in the pristine Boundary Waters Wilderness in Minnesota, in Alaska's Bristol Bay and the Yellowstone Park watershed in Montana. These efforts will protect thousands of stream miles that will directly impact our opportunities to fly fish.
» Bonefish Habitat Protection in Belize - FFI provided a grant to the Turneffe Atoll Trust in Belize. This grant supported a planning meeting devoted to protection of key bonefish and permit habitats.
» Clean Water Rule - FFI is working actively through our membership in the Standing Water Working Group of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership to minimize the impact of rescinding the Clean Water Rule. It was reported that rescinding these rules jeopardized 60 percent of stream miles in the U.S., particularly small tributaries. We have joined with many other like-minded conservation groups in recognition that many voices working together would have a greater impact.
» Karnali River in Nepal- An FFI grant, along with grants from many other organizations is supporting efforts to create a protected river corridor along the Karnali River in western Nepal as an alternative to main stem damming for hydropower.
EDUCATION
With our 17 councils and over 200 clubs, FFI has prided itself as the leader in fly fishing education. We were the first organization to promote catch-and-release practices, and the only organization to offer a certified casting program.
» Your support has enabled FFI to bring our online Learning Center project to reality. This unique resource gives the global fly fishing community easy access to learn all aspects of the sport and art of fly fishing. We have 12 online training modules, with 40 more courses planned for 2019!
» We are continuing to educate young fly fishers about the sport of fly fishing and the many benefits of an outdoor lifestyle.
» This year, over 100 high-quality fly tying videos were added to our Fly Tying Video Library for the public to enjoy, covering tying techniques for cold, warm, and saltwater fly patterns. The library now houses over 300 videos!
COMMUNITY
Our outreach efforts now include a stronger relationship with the "Fly Fishing Show" delivering Learning Center education activities at 7 locations around the United States.
» Women have been a rapidly growing demographic in the fly fishing community, and FFI continues to offer support for these programs. The FFI Women Connect program has been wildly successful and has brought a whole new group of energized participants to our membership.
» We have expanded our connection to and support of Project Healing Waters, a national program dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled veterans through fly fishing.
» Our unified voice for fly fishers around the world will continue, striving to represent all aspects of fly fishing for all fish in all waters.
With your continued support, we can provide a future in which fly fishers have access to prime waters and fish can thrive in healthy, protected habitats. FFI will be able to continue as a community where learning never stops, artistry is not forgotten, and we all recognize the true value of camaraderie.