November 23, 2022
W e hope the start of the holiday season has treated you and your loved ones well! As an organization of chapters, members and supporters, in 2022 we saw the organization begin to return to our work as we had done prior to the COVID pandemic. We are asking for your generosity to continue our efforts for Fish and Fishing. Through robust volunteering in our Hooked on Family Fishing event, Fish Eggs to Fry, Chapter Veterans fishing events and having our voices heard as we advocated for healthy fish habitat and access for fishing, Steelheaders made a difference in people’s lives despite the challenges we were facing with COVID. We completed this work together as stewards and mentors alongside the invaluable support from Tamsin as our Operations Manager and the Chapter leaders to keep moving forward.
In the coming year, we’re working on programs to expand our community and bring even more angling to individuals and families who may have not had opportunities like others. Restarting our Women’s Program for new anglers and opening up mentoring opportunities for experienced ones. We want to explore how we can make angling and being outdoors can be safe for BIPOC communities. We want to help our chapters grow and provide opportunities for military veterans to fish and engage in supportive communities as they return to life after their service.
We all know salmon are a lifeblood of the Pacific Northwest. What they mean to us in our hearts, our families, the indigenous communities, and future generations has been important to our organization from the start. Today, we grapple with many impacts to their habitats that they share with so many other species that are also vital to the Pacific Northwest. We work with our allies to have safe passages for salmon and steelhead, we run and support fish hatcheries, and volunteer our time on the water in support of their returns and restoration.
We will continue to work with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) through their Salmon and Trout Enhancement Program (STEP) to restore our native fish populations and create ample angling opportunities. Our Fish Eggs to Fry program will bring salmon or trout eggs into more than 700 classrooms throughout the Portland metro area for students to raise as they learn about the importance of salmon and trout to our local communities and ecosystem. This April, we’ll continue putting on our Hooked on Family Fishing Day to teach many families casting, trout anatomy, water safety and more.
Consider making a contribution on our website to sustain our current events, programs, and opportunities, and those we’re working hard to plan and roll out in the new year. Collectively, we are excited about taking on work that makes a difference and utilizing the opportunities that are given to the Steelheaders as an organization. These contributions serve to help assure we have a Place to Fish and Fish to Catch!
Again, Thank you for your continued support.
Tom VanderPlaat, Co- President
Phoebe Stoner, Co- President
Jason Wedemeyer, Executive Director
