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Izaak Walton League of America, National Organization
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We're a diverse group of 50,000 women and men dedicated to protecting our nation's soil, air, woods, waters and wildlife. Our strength lies in our grassroots, commonsense approach to solving local, regional and national conservation issues. Our interests span the spectrum of outdoor recreation and conservation activities, from angling and birding to stream monitoring, wildlife photography and hunting. But we all share one major goal: to protect and use sustainably America's rich resources to ensure a high quality of life for all people, now and in the future.
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IWLA League History
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The Izaak Walton League was formed "to save outdoor America for future generations." We are one of the oldest conservation organizations and the first to set an aggressive course to defend wild America by changing public policy. Almost every major conservation program that America takes for granted today can be traced directly to a League activity or initiative.
In 1922, 54 sportsmen met in Chicago, Ill., to discuss an issue of common concern: the deteriorating conditions of America's top fishing streams. Uncontrolled industrial discharges, raw sewage and soil erosion threatened to destroy many of the nation's most productive waterways.
Within hours, the group formed an organization to combat water pollution and other environmental abuses. As a constant reminder of this goal, they named the group after Izaak Walton, the 17th-century English angler-conservationist who wrote the literary classic "The Compleat Angler." Today, the Izaak Walton League of America's 50,000 members fight to protect the nation's soil, air, woods, waters and wildlife.
Ensuring good water quality remains the IWLA's top goal. Since organizing the first national water pollution inventory in 1927 -- at the request of President Calvin Coolidge -- the League has won many important clean water battles. League members, or "Ikes," in the 1940s helped pass the first federal water pollution control act, followed by a decade-long campaign against acid mine drainage.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the League launched the Save Our Streams Program and broke the political ground necessary for passage of the landmark 1972 Clean Water Act. Currently, Ikes are leading the fight to fund and strengthen the Clean Water Act during its reauthorization and to fend off efforts in Congress to weaken wetlands protection provisions.
The League also spearheaded protection of public lands, such as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming, Everglades National Park, the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, and Isle Royale National Park. In addition, the IWLA led the effort to create the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the major source of revenue for parkland acquisition and recreational facilities.
Wildlife protection remains a major focus as well. National projects include organizing the 1926 campaign to protect black bass, a late 1980s purchase of a helicopter to help wildlife law officers catch waterfowl poachers in the Gulf of Mexico, and a 19-year outdoor ethics campaign to improve behavior by outdoor recreationists.
Time after time, Ikes have won battles against all odds. There was never enough money. There were internal disagreements and even personal disputes, but through it all, the League kept focused on its mission: To conserve, maintain, protect and restore the forests, water and other natural resources and to strive for the wise stewardship of the land, its resources and humans' sharing in it.
During the past 75 years, no other conservation group in the country has had such a profound effect on the nation's conservation policies.
During the next 75 years, conservation will not keep pace with the daunting array of new challenges we face without more participation from America's political heartland. The conservation voice of the League is needed now more than ever. Our members and supporters recognize that the League's tradition of grassroots conservation activism will help ensure a clean, enjoyable environment for future generations.
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Cincinnati Chapter
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Cincinnati Chapter
544 Branch Hill-Loveland Rd.
Loveland, Ohio 45140
(513)683-7233
We meet on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7:30 pm. Dinner is served at 6:30pm
Contact Person:
Kevin S. Flowers
6793 Midhight Sun Dr.
Maineville, Ohio 45039
(513) 697-6100
The Cincinnati Chapter was founded in 1943 and is one of the most active conservation organizations in the Tri-State. Our annual LITTLE MIAMI SCENIC RIVER CHALLENGE is one of the longest on-going river clean-ups in the nation. Having started in 1984, the annual LITTLE MIAMI SCENIC RIVER CHALLENGE cleans up over 86 miles of river bank each year. This is part of our chapters' SOS program (see the national IWLA link at the bottom of the page).
Our chapter is also active with many youth programs as well sponsoring a boy scout troop. We have been active for many years on Caesar Creek Lake Green-up Day and have constructed a wildlife viewing blind for the national "Moratorium On Wetlands" in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and the National Audubon Society. We also have helped fund and build an observation tower at Caesar Creek State Park as well as perform our annual SOS stream quality monitoring assessments. Our chapter believes that we should "Use, Not Abuse" our natural resources".
2001 UPCOMING EVENTS:
Little Miami scenic River Challenge Friday June 8th 10'00AM until 6:00PM call (513)683-7233 for more information
2001 Steak Fry Saturday, June 23rd. 4:00PM until ?
"Save Our Streams" (SOS)Program:
Please contaxt us in order to plan a SOS training session. We now have 9 certified SOS monitors and three certified SOS Trainers. The IWLA's SOS program is a stream quality monitoring program that utilizes the counting of macro invertibrates (bugs & larva) in order to judge the overall quality of a stream. For more imformation on the SOS program see the IWLA National Link below.
For information on future training sessions please contact:
Kevin S. Flowers at (513)697-6100, or email me at: [email protected]
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