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Chapter Dissolved

After several years of unsuccessful attempts to generate interest for a TU chapter, the board of directors, in cooperation with PATU, has decided to dissolve the Saucon Creek chapter.

In 2006, the chapter held no meetings. In 2007, new leadership tried to breathe life into the chapter with monthly meetings, raffles, and presentations. These meetings were attended by an average of 4-6 members.

More recently, the membership has been divided over the propossed nursery/hatchery in Saucon Park. It is obvious at this point that a significant portion of members are more concerned with having more trout to kill than with supporting Trout Unlimited in its cold water initiatives.

SCTU members will be moved to an at-large membership status. You may affiliate yourself with another chapter by calling TU at 1-800-834-2419 and indicating that preference.

Reel Recovery, a program for men fighting cancer, will hold it's first session in June at the Allenberry Inn on the Yellow Breeches. This program is free to attendees, and includes room, meals, counseling/discussion sessions, and fly fishing. For more information, including applications, go to www.reelrecovery.org. This is a tremendous program for anyone dealing with cancer.

Position on Saucon Park Cooperative Nursery

The leaders of the Saucon Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited and it's represented members would like to go on record by voicing our opposition to the Saucon Creek Cooperative Nursery.

It is not the policy Trout Unlimited neither to endorse nor to sanction the creation of hatcheries on water where a population of Wild Trout exists. This is the case of the Saucon Creek. Wild Trout are trout that have procreated naturally within the creek from already existing Wild Trout within that creek. The main objective of Trout Unlimited is to accomplish this goal through proper stream management. Proper stream management is accomplished through habitat improvement which includes the management of water flow, maintaining the quality of the water by using sound harvesting principles.

It is our firm belief that by having a hatchery in such close proximity of a Class A trout stream such as the Saucon Creek would create possible dangers to the existing Wild Trout population. Potential dangers range from escapement of hatchery fish; the pollution to the existing waters from the effluence of fish waste and fish feed; diseases within the hatchery that would incur would be transferred immediately into the Class A waters on which the hatchery will reside. The best way to protect the Saucon Creek is to not locate a hatchery anywhere near the creek

Conservation and education have always been our goals. The presence of a fish hatchery in Saucon Park sends the wrong message to the public. By raising fish in a nursery, we are admitting our lack of stewardship of the watershead.

Trout Unlimited's mission is to conserve, protect and restore North America's coldwater fisheries and their watersheds.To support this project would be to go against the policies and principles of Trout Unlimited.