Dear Friend,

Celebrating Accomplishments in 2025

The Zane Grey Chapter and Arizona Trout Unlimited experienced another outstanding year in 2025! Some of the most notable achievements include:

• The launch of the Thompson-Burro Meadow multi-year restoration project in the White Mountains,
• A record 44 aquarium equipped classrooms are participating in the Trout in the Classroom program raising and caring for rainbow trout eggs to fingerlings.
• Our June Fish Camp trained teenage boys and girls in conservation and how to fish. During an entomology activity a female camper discovered a New Zealand mud snail in Tonto Creek.
• The Apache Trout, removed from the Endangered Species List last year continues to remain off, reflecting the success of over 70-years of ongoing conservation efforts.
• The Arizona Council of Trout Unlimited was honored with induction into the Arizona Outdoor Hall of Fame, highlighting the organization’s commitment to conservation and education.

Opportunities for Involvement and Ongoing Needs

Imagine the thrill of being part of Trout Unlimited’s successes in Arizona. While these accomplishments are impressive, much work remains to be done. Numerous stream habitat projects across the state require both volunteer support and financial contributions. Key projects in need include:

• Canyon Creek: Stream and habitat construction efforts for trout recovery.
• Chase Creek: Habitat improvements supporting Gila Trout recovery.
• Dude Creek: Enhancements for Gila Trout recovery.
• Haigler Creek: Installation of fish barriers and reintroduction of Gila Trout.
• Upper East Verde River: Improvements for Wild Rainbow Trout recovery and Gila Trout habitat.

We need your support to continue these critical efforts.

Protecting the Rare Gila Trout

The Gila Trout is one of the rarest trout species in the United States and is known for its exceptionally shy nature. The Arizona Game & Fish Department has developed a unique feeding method in hatcheries that allows Gila Trout to hide while being fed—a process not required by any other trout species. Gila Trout were first listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 1967 and reclassified as threatened in 2006. Currently, only four streams in Arizona contain pure populations of Gila Trout. Continued support is essential to help remove the Gila Trout from the threatened list.

Your Support Makes a Difference

Please consider making a generous donation to the Zane Grey Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Your contribution will help make a lasting impact in the conservation of Arizona’s native trout. By supporting the Zane Grey Chapter, you are assisting the Arizona Game & Fish Department, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the White Mountain Apache Tribe, and other partners in their efforts to enhance, reestablish, and restore habitat for both Apache Trout and Gila Trout.

Together, we can work toward the goal of making Apache Trout and Gila Trout the first two game fish species removed from the threatened and endangered lists. Your tax-deductible donation will directly support Zane Grey and its efforts in conservation projects and educational programs that ensure Arizona’s native trout thrive for generations.

Please consider making a year-end donation:

• $50 could support habitat restoration materials.
• $100 could help fund education programs like Trout in the Classroom.
• $150 or more could make a significant impact on protecting Arizona's wild trout.

You can donate by check, Zelle, or online:

Your generosity fuels our ability to restore streams, protect threatened species, and inspire the next generation of conservationists. Together, we can write the next chapter of success for Arizona’s native trout.

Thank you for your unwavering commitment to conservation.

Yours in conservation,

P.S. Until last year, no game fish species had been removed from the Endangered Species List that was not extinct. Together, we changed that! Now Let’s do it for Gila Trout too!

Your entire donation stays in Arizona and ZGTU uses these funds for our conservation work.