TU Letter, FUDR Responds
I recently got a copy of a letter sent out by Ron Urban, Chairman, NYS Council, Trout Unlimited.
As a member of 4 different TU chapters, I was quite taken back by the "big ones" Mr. Urban had in writing this letter. Looks like a bad way to not allow the members of TU, to have a say in what goes on out there. I was always under the impression that it was a majority decision, by TU members through their chapter, on what they support and what they don't.
Read through it and READ INTO IT.
I spoke with Craig Findley, FUDR's President and he sent me a response to this letter that was sent out yesterday.
I am posting the TU letter and then the response from FUDR's President, Craig Findley.
TU's letter was sent on TU letterhead coming form the NYS Counsel.
TU LETTER-
May 3, 2004
Dear Council Member and Friends,
I understand that many chapters in the state have been asked to endorse a new group known as Friends of the Upper Delaware River ("FUDR"). The issue of flows on the Delaware River is one of statewide and regional concern. National Trout Unlimited, the New York Council, and a number of New York chapters have devoted a great deal of effort over the last several years to working on this issue. You should be aware that we have serious reservations about, and even objections to, several key portions of FUDR’s platform. In addition, FUDR has not cooperated with me in coordinating communications with TU in New York. They run and mail their own agenda with no respect to chain of command or respect to your leadership in council. It is imperative that communication between the chapters and FUDR is funneled to the chapter president or designated ranking official and that individual directors and officers not respond to FUDR directly or speak on behalf of the chapter or organization as a whole.
On this important issue, it is important that the New York Council and its chapters coordinate our message and our activities on this issue. To that end, TU’s Catskills Coordinator, Rocci Aguirre, has been sending a variety of updates on our work, and has scheduled a meeting on the issue for May 16 at the Catskills Flyfishing Center. If you are interested in participating in our effort on Delaware flows, I urge you to attend that meeting. You can contact Rocci at raguirre@tu.org or (607)498-4671.
Also, it is critical to remember that the DRBC has now adopted the 3 year interim flows plan and that the time is right for focusing on the future of the Delaware tailwater rivers. The science is being put into place that will give us the technical data needed to make our strongest case for the health of all the rivers, the whole watershed. And we have maintained all along that it is the health of the entire system that concerns us as a conservation organization. The future is about taking the positive steps that have occurred to this point (both scientifically and politically) and creating a long term and viable change in how flows will be managed in the future. And politics is central to how this will happen…do not underestimate the amount of work that has gone into keeping all the decreed parties at the table. No proposal will be supported unless it meets the approval of the States of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and NY City…and no proposal has or will be seriously considered if it doesn’t take all the complex political considerations into effect and backs it up with the science to alleviate the issues of all concerned.
In the meantime, New York chapters should consult with me or with Rocci Aguirre before taking any formal position on the issue, including writing to any agencies or public officials. If we do not take this step, we run the risk of TU chapters taking inconsistent positions, with inconsistent information, as some have. This can affect our effectiveness on the issue and our credibility as an organization.
Respectfully yours,
Ron Urban, NYS Council TU Chairman
FUDR Response:
Mr. Ron Urban, President
New York State Council of Trout Unlimited
Re: "Council Members and Friends"
Dear Mr. Urban,
In your recent mass e-mail, you correctly observed that many chapters and organizations have endorsed the Friends of the Upper Delaware River; in fact, in the past couple of months, over thirty chapters and organizations have endorsed the fisheries plan put forth by the FUDR. And we are grateful for that support.
You can be certain we agree that the fisheries plan drafted by the Delaware River Basin Commission is a matter of great concern, and we were surprised at your suggestion that you have been working on the Delaware fishery issues "over the last several years." Particularly since there has been no mention of the issues, proposals or dialogue regarding the Delaware in any of the State Council's newsletters for the past two years, nor has there been any private missives from you to at least a fair number of the chapter presidents regarding these issues, nor has there been anything on the Council's web site. Why has there been no disclosure of these issues to the chapters or to the individual TU members until now Mr. Urban? Could it be that you were concerned the dissemination of information regarding the DRBC's proposed plan would raise a negative reaction from New York State TU members?
In your e-mail, you also speak of FUDR not coordinating or communicating with the New York State TU Council – of which you are the President. I would point out, Mr. Urban, that it is very difficult to either communicate or to coordinate when we did not receive the courtesy of a response to the four separate and verifiable requests we've made collectively to both you and to Mr. Aguirre, over the past three and a half months; specifically to discuss what should be our mutual objective – the preservation and enhancement of a wild trout fishery. In fact, rather than to respond to those requests, you sent an e-mail 'gag order' to various key TU members directing them to send any communications from FUDR directly to you and not to disseminate the information. In contrast, we believe that the chapters and, indeed, the individual members have a right to that information, and to decide for themselves which plan – that recommended by FUDR, or that put forth by the DRBC with the support of New York City – is in the best interests of the Delaware's wild trout fishery. Moreover, we would suggest that it is State Councils responsibility to reflect the majority viewpoint of a membership that has been well - and equitably - informed of their options.
Further, in separate e-mails, you have asserted that FUDR's only interest is not the well being of the fishery, rather to merely seek publicity. And you have sent e-mail to a good many chapter presidents and individual members characterizing our communications as "spam" – a federal offense. Since these kinds of assertions and characterizations can serve no positive or constructive purpose, I can only assume they were rather shallow attempts to be both divisive and inflammatory, and they are certainly not consistent with NYSCTU's own mission statement. In this regard also, I would point out that FUDR does not feel that divisiveness or intentional mischaracterizations serve any positive purpose for either the fly fishing community in general or, more importantly, for the Delaware fishery. That is why, until now, we have refrained from responding to your continued reckless and inflammatory assertions. Still, there is a limit, Mr. Urban, to what any organization can legitimately put up with in the interest of unity. It is the increasing frequency of your blatant and public assertions about not only our activities, but also about our motives, character and our sincerity, that has unfortunately brought us to this point. We will not suffer further, these kinds accusations.
In your closing paragraph you state, once again that the "chapters should consult with me or Rocci Aguirre before taking any formal position on this issue." I'd suggest that you take a look at our web site (www.fudr.org) and you'll note that a great many chapters have already endorsed the FUDR plan – despite your hardball efforts to have them rescind that support. On this point, I'd also share with you that this particular hardball tactic has led more than a few to wonder weather your concern is more a question of "turf," than of what is in the best interests of a wild trout fishery.
In conclusion, Mr. Urban, we remain hopeful that we can work constructively with TU National on the issues of the Upper Delaware fishery. However, as for the NY State Council, your blind criticism and faulty posturing in an ill advised attempt to subvert our mission of serving the Upper Delaware wild trout fishery - through any efforts other than your own – serves only to increase our fears for the future of that fishery and, further, to strengthen our resolve.
Craig Findley, President
Friends of the Upper Delaware River
I recently got a copy of a letter sent out by Ron Urban, Chairman, NYS Council, Trout Unlimited.
As a member of 4 different TU chapters, I was quite taken back by the "big ones" Mr. Urban had in writing this letter. Looks like a bad way to not allow the members of TU, to have a say in what goes on out there. I was always under the impression that it was a majority decision, by TU members through their chapter, on what they support and what they don't.
Read through it and READ INTO IT.
I spoke with Craig Findley, FUDR's President and he sent me a response to this letter that was sent out yesterday.
I am posting the TU letter and then the response from FUDR's President, Craig Findley.
TU's letter was sent on TU letterhead coming form the NYS Counsel.
TU LETTER-
May 3, 2004
Dear Council Member and Friends,
I understand that many chapters in the state have been asked to endorse a new group known as Friends of the Upper Delaware River ("FUDR"). The issue of flows on the Delaware River is one of statewide and regional concern. National Trout Unlimited, the New York Council, and a number of New York chapters have devoted a great deal of effort over the last several years to working on this issue. You should be aware that we have serious reservations about, and even objections to, several key portions of FUDR’s platform. In addition, FUDR has not cooperated with me in coordinating communications with TU in New York. They run and mail their own agenda with no respect to chain of command or respect to your leadership in council. It is imperative that communication between the chapters and FUDR is funneled to the chapter president or designated ranking official and that individual directors and officers not respond to FUDR directly or speak on behalf of the chapter or organization as a whole.
On this important issue, it is important that the New York Council and its chapters coordinate our message and our activities on this issue. To that end, TU’s Catskills Coordinator, Rocci Aguirre, has been sending a variety of updates on our work, and has scheduled a meeting on the issue for May 16 at the Catskills Flyfishing Center. If you are interested in participating in our effort on Delaware flows, I urge you to attend that meeting. You can contact Rocci at raguirre@tu.org or (607)498-4671.
Also, it is critical to remember that the DRBC has now adopted the 3 year interim flows plan and that the time is right for focusing on the future of the Delaware tailwater rivers. The science is being put into place that will give us the technical data needed to make our strongest case for the health of all the rivers, the whole watershed. And we have maintained all along that it is the health of the entire system that concerns us as a conservation organization. The future is about taking the positive steps that have occurred to this point (both scientifically and politically) and creating a long term and viable change in how flows will be managed in the future. And politics is central to how this will happen…do not underestimate the amount of work that has gone into keeping all the decreed parties at the table. No proposal will be supported unless it meets the approval of the States of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and NY City…and no proposal has or will be seriously considered if it doesn’t take all the complex political considerations into effect and backs it up with the science to alleviate the issues of all concerned.
In the meantime, New York chapters should consult with me or with Rocci Aguirre before taking any formal position on the issue, including writing to any agencies or public officials. If we do not take this step, we run the risk of TU chapters taking inconsistent positions, with inconsistent information, as some have. This can affect our effectiveness on the issue and our credibility as an organization.
Respectfully yours,
Ron Urban, NYS Council TU Chairman
FUDR Response:
Mr. Ron Urban, President
New York State Council of Trout Unlimited
Re: "Council Members and Friends"
Dear Mr. Urban,
In your recent mass e-mail, you correctly observed that many chapters and organizations have endorsed the Friends of the Upper Delaware River; in fact, in the past couple of months, over thirty chapters and organizations have endorsed the fisheries plan put forth by the FUDR. And we are grateful for that support.
You can be certain we agree that the fisheries plan drafted by the Delaware River Basin Commission is a matter of great concern, and we were surprised at your suggestion that you have been working on the Delaware fishery issues "over the last several years." Particularly since there has been no mention of the issues, proposals or dialogue regarding the Delaware in any of the State Council's newsletters for the past two years, nor has there been any private missives from you to at least a fair number of the chapter presidents regarding these issues, nor has there been anything on the Council's web site. Why has there been no disclosure of these issues to the chapters or to the individual TU members until now Mr. Urban? Could it be that you were concerned the dissemination of information regarding the DRBC's proposed plan would raise a negative reaction from New York State TU members?
In your e-mail, you also speak of FUDR not coordinating or communicating with the New York State TU Council – of which you are the President. I would point out, Mr. Urban, that it is very difficult to either communicate or to coordinate when we did not receive the courtesy of a response to the four separate and verifiable requests we've made collectively to both you and to Mr. Aguirre, over the past three and a half months; specifically to discuss what should be our mutual objective – the preservation and enhancement of a wild trout fishery. In fact, rather than to respond to those requests, you sent an e-mail 'gag order' to various key TU members directing them to send any communications from FUDR directly to you and not to disseminate the information. In contrast, we believe that the chapters and, indeed, the individual members have a right to that information, and to decide for themselves which plan – that recommended by FUDR, or that put forth by the DRBC with the support of New York City – is in the best interests of the Delaware's wild trout fishery. Moreover, we would suggest that it is State Councils responsibility to reflect the majority viewpoint of a membership that has been well - and equitably - informed of their options.
Further, in separate e-mails, you have asserted that FUDR's only interest is not the well being of the fishery, rather to merely seek publicity. And you have sent e-mail to a good many chapter presidents and individual members characterizing our communications as "spam" – a federal offense. Since these kinds of assertions and characterizations can serve no positive or constructive purpose, I can only assume they were rather shallow attempts to be both divisive and inflammatory, and they are certainly not consistent with NYSCTU's own mission statement. In this regard also, I would point out that FUDR does not feel that divisiveness or intentional mischaracterizations serve any positive purpose for either the fly fishing community in general or, more importantly, for the Delaware fishery. That is why, until now, we have refrained from responding to your continued reckless and inflammatory assertions. Still, there is a limit, Mr. Urban, to what any organization can legitimately put up with in the interest of unity. It is the increasing frequency of your blatant and public assertions about not only our activities, but also about our motives, character and our sincerity, that has unfortunately brought us to this point. We will not suffer further, these kinds accusations.
In your closing paragraph you state, once again that the "chapters should consult with me or Rocci Aguirre before taking any formal position on this issue." I'd suggest that you take a look at our web site (www.fudr.org) and you'll note that a great many chapters have already endorsed the FUDR plan – despite your hardball efforts to have them rescind that support. On this point, I'd also share with you that this particular hardball tactic has led more than a few to wonder weather your concern is more a question of "turf," than of what is in the best interests of a wild trout fishery.
In conclusion, Mr. Urban, we remain hopeful that we can work constructively with TU National on the issues of the Upper Delaware fishery. However, as for the NY State Council, your blind criticism and faulty posturing in an ill advised attempt to subvert our mission of serving the Upper Delaware wild trout fishery - through any efforts other than your own – serves only to increase our fears for the future of that fishery and, further, to strengthen our resolve.
Craig Findley, President
Friends of the Upper Delaware River
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