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Westfly Donates to Oregon Trout Project

By Scott Richmond

Westfly donates $2,500 to Oregon Trout. The donation will be used for planting trees along the Deschutes River.

s part of an ongoing donation program, Westfly recently contributed $2,500 to Oregon Trout for their "100,000 Trees" project.

This project aims to plant 100,000 trees in riparian areas of the Deschutes basin by the end of 2008. Many parts of the Deschutes mainstem and tributaries have a healthy population of native alders in the riparian areas. But other parts that should have trees are denuded. This project aims to correct the problem. A healthy riparian area stabilizes soils, prevents bank erotion, and provides shade and shelter for fish.

Westfly is pleased to support this project.

Donations Approved by Directors

Westfly is a non-profit corporation recognized by the IRS under section 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code. A six-member Board of Directors approves all expenditures over $250.

Westfly has donated over $22,000 to various causes, including the Oregon Water Trust, for water rights on Trout Creek, a key wild steelhead spawning tributary of the Deschutes River; the Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation for habitat restoration on West Trail Creek, a tributary of the Rogue River; the Whirling Disease Foundation, for research into the causes and prevention of this devastating fish disease; the purchase of eggs for refreshing the atlantic salmon broodstock for Oregon's Hosmer Lake; and Common Waters of Oregon, a group that informs anglers of their right to access public water for fishing.

Westfly's income comes from advertising on www.westfly.com, donations from fly anglers, and from online auctions. Two-thirds of gross profits (income minus expenses) is intended for projects that will benefit the western fly fishing community.

Scott Richmond is Westfly's creator and Executive Director. He is the author of eight books on Oregon fly fishing, including Fishing Oregon's Deschutes River (second edition).

Uploaded 11/20/2007.