To The Puget Sound Anglers Fidalgo Chapter,

            I am writing to express my gratitude for awarding me your 2007 scholarship. The $10,000 award was enough to cover all tuition expenses for this academic year. Because of the tuition support provided by the members of the Fidalgo chapter I am able to use other funds in my budget to expand my research. This year I will be able to map out the Skagit River and, using equipment from those newly available funds, conduct a snorkel survey to estimate the population size of bull trout in the Skagit River. Not only is a population assessment important for future management of this fishery resource, it will add a third chapter to my Master’s Thesis.

            Allowing students to explore new techniques and tools for fishery assessment and management is what the School of Aquatic and Fishery Science is for. It provides developing professionals a setting where new ideas and techniques can be tested without the necessary time and bureaucratic constraints placed on public agencies. I am very excited to start the snorkel survey this winter and look forward to sharing the results at conferences and in the peer reviewed literature.

            It is through the generosity and support of the PSA Fidalgo Chapter that I am able to expand my research project by incorporating; diet analysis and bioenergetics modeling (Chapter 1), stable isotope analysis (Chapter 2), and the population assessment (Chapter 3). The result will be a comprehensive benchmark for future research and management of a truly great native fishery, the Skagit River bull trout.

Thank You Very Much,

Erin Lowery