Date: Tue, 11/29/2005 11/30/2005 November 30, 2005 Contact: Robert “Chico” Pistono, 307-637-7838 or Kathleen Campbell, 571-274-0597 Trout Unlimited Praises Senator Thomas Washington - Trout Unlimited, North America’s largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization, thanked Senator Craig Thomas (R-WY) for his leadership in opposing provisions of the recently passed House Reconciliation Bill that would allow for the sale of public lands for $1000 per acre. Senator Thomas said, “I share the concern of the Wyoming sportsmen and miners who see this provision adversely affecting the multiple-use of our public lands. I won’t stand by and let a band-aid fix to the Mining Act become a chronic injury to land use in our state.” Trout Unlimited was among a dozen fish and wildlife organizations that sent a letter to Members of Congress opposing the sale of public lands to mining companies and other development interests, because it “would open these previously public lands to development, fragmentation, habitat loss, and potential pollution” (full text of letter available at www.tu.org). Chico Pistono, the executive director of Wyoming Trout Unlimited said, “Senator Thomas deserves a lot of credit for standing up for the people who depend on access to public lands to fish and hunt. Public lands provide the best remaining habitat for all of Wyoming’s trout and much of our big game. Allowing our lands to be sold to mining companies, and other development interests is bad for fish and wildlife and bad for sportsmen.”