Our values

We value the opportunities to fish for trout because

  • Trout waters and their pristine surroundings offer nourishment, solitude, and comfort to the human spirit
  • The cold clear waters are reflective of all that can be pure and good in life
  • Trout fishing can generate a deep sense of appreciation for nature’s provisions
  • Fishing provides an escape from the pressures of daily living
  • Fishing bonds friends and family members within a wholesome recreational activity
  • Fishing is fun and challenging

We value the conservation and the restoration of trout and their habitat because

  • Trout water within New Mexico is an exceptional occurrence and exists within a fragile environment
  • Past practices in the ranching, farming, timbering and mining industries have had and are having adverse impacts on the number and quality of our trout waters
  • There is a rapidly increasing demand for opportunities to fish for trout
  • The appropriate environmental enhancements and management practices create riparian habitats which better assure self-sustaining populations of wild trout
  • Trout conservation, when properly viewed as an activity within an ecosystem, creates an environment which can benefit wildlife and domestic livestock
  • Excellent trout habitat translates into more available water in our streams and rivers during the summer and fall seasons

We value baseline assessments, active management, and continual monitoring of our trout waters and their watersheds because

  • Trout waters are a gift of nature to be understood, preserved, and protected
  • The multiple uses to which our watersheds are subjected makes them vulnerable to any number of damaging influences
  • Baseline assessments are required to establish long range management goals and plans
  • The regulatory process must have baseline data on which to make informed decisions
  • Knowledge of the current and probable future conditions of our trout waters through baseline assessments and continual monitoring is required to execute timely and informed conservation and management measures
  • Management efforts must be applied to our trout resources on a regular basis to be effective in preserving and enhancing our wild trout populations
  • Continual monitoring is required to measure the efficacy of our management practices and to update the baseline assessments

We value holistic (system sensitive) practices in managing our trout waters because

  • Holistic practices recognize that the elements of an ecosystem are well coupled together and dependent upon one another
  • A holistic approach understands and respects the dynamics of nature
  • Holistic methods identify the appropriate niches which elements of nature, to include humanity, must occupy to sustain an ecosystem
  • Holistic approaches admit the potential for multiple uses and users

We value research in support of holistic and scientific approaches to watershed management because

  • Our current understanding of ecosystem dynamics is incomplete
  • Wise management of our trout resources is dependent on understandings created by science
  • We must learn practices which sustain ecosystems and their uses

Although we respect other art forms of fishing, we primarily value the art of fly fishing for trout because

  • It requires discipline, patience, and perseverance, all of which are esteemed human qualities
  • It exacts continuing study and creativity to achieve various levels of mastery
  • It fosters an understanding and an appreciation of the trout and its environs
  • It often results in catching trout with little or no damage to the fish
  • It advocates “catch and release” to support sustainable wild trout fisheries
  • It espouses, in its finest form, a wholesome regard for fellow fishermen

We value education in the art of fly fishing and in conservation because

  • We serve the public sector
  • There is strong public interest in learning the art of fly fishing
  • Fly fishing is a stepping stone to conserving our trout waters
  • Public awareness of the condition of our trout waters is required to protect them
  • We require public support to achieve our conservation goals
  • We wish to enhance our understanding of sound conservation measures and practices

We value cooperative approaches to conserving and managing our trout waters because

  • Cooperative approaches develop a sense of community and synergy to achieve even greater outcomes
  • It is our goal to respect owners and users of our natural resources
  • We require public and governmental support of our conservation efforts
  • We require scientific experts to guide our conservation efforts