Salvelinus confluentus Curiosity Society - 2024 Annual Meeting

Overview

The Salvelinus confluentus Curiosity Society (ScCS) and Western Division of the American Fisheries Society are pleased to announce the location and dates of the 2024 ScCS meeting. The meeting will be held along the banks of the Methow River from September 17-19, near Mazama, WA. This location is within the ancestral homeland of the Methow People and we recognize and honor their long relationship and stewardship to the lands and waters of the Methow Valley.

The Methow River watershed is located along the east slope of the North Cascades Mountains and drains over a million acres down to its confluence with the (currently impounded) Columbia River. The Methow River Core Area is a portion of the Mid-Columbia Recovery Unit and supports a complex bull trout population including at least 10 local populations that are comprised of fluvial, adfluvial, and resident populations.

Attendees will be staying at the Rolling Huts event center with the camping/housing/meals fee included within a tiered registration structure based on housing preference. See below for housing details and know availability of the various arrangements are limited and are on a first-come, first-served basis.

It's the Pacific Northwest in fall! Be prepared for the possibility of cool days and nights, smoky air, bull trout fanatics, and inclement and/or totally gorgeous fall weather. There is a spacious barn space available for group gatherings, presentations, and meals. The grounds of the Rolling Huts are spacious, close to the river, and offer excellent opportunities for short nature walks and group privacy.

Conference Schedule

Tuesday September 17th : Half day of presentations, beginning around noon, with evening meal, story telling, sharing, and libations around the campfire (fires dependant on fire level, obviously). Dinner provided.

Wednesday September 18th: Full day of field activities, with attendees assigned to field groups of their choosing (various fitness/adventure levels available, see google sheet for sign-ups!). More stories, music, and sharing around the campfire. Breakfast, lunch, dinner provided.

Thursday September 19th: Half day of presentations, beginning in the morning and adjourning around noon. Breakfast provided.

Conference Vision and Theme

The vision for the 2024 meeting is to bring bull trout researchers, managers, and appreciators from across the range of bull trout to share perspectives on bull trout management, conservation, and research. The meeting theme of "Raising Awareness" recognizes the challenges bull trout face in light of a rapidly shifting climate. As denizens of cold-water habitats, raising awareness of bull trout and their need for cold, clean, and connected waters is a path to highlight the opportunities and challenges of protecting and preserving cold water habitats for future generations of bull trout, ecosystems, and humans.

Conference Details

Field Activities

Being true to the roots of the ScCS we will be using the meeting as an opportunity to collect some field data, learn about the Methow Core Area and Mid-Columbia region, and catch up on the latest bull trout research, monitoring, and management . Anticipate some adventures such as surveying for bull trout in some darn fine streams. Field activities may include wading, snorkeling, electrofishing, and or field tours of bull trout and other stream restoration projects.

This page will be updated as the event draws nearer, with news on field activities, speakers, and an event program. If you have any questions about this year's event, or the ScCS in general, please get in touch at sccs@wdafs.org

Presentations

Presentations are a vital component of the ScCS experience! Speakers can cover topics on bull trout conservation, monitoring, and management, with an emphasis on populations in the Methow and Mid-Columbia. But, let's be real, if you have some bull trout relevant information to share, have at it! We'll listen, promise. If you are interested in speaking, please reach out to the organizing committee at sccs@wdafs.org. Speakers will be added to the list on a first- come, first-served basis until we fill up the roster of speaking slots. Pro tip: If you are looking for a really quick response to your speaking inquiry, or just want to talk bull trout, contact John Crandall at john@methowsalmon.org.

What Does Registration Include?

Registration fee includes the cost of a tent site (or other housing option some of which may cost a bit more), use of the Rolling Huts facilities, an custom forged ScCS hat, as well as dinner on Sept17th, breakfast, lunch and dinner on Sept 18th, and breakfast on September 19th. Coffee, tea, and other refreshments will be available for the meals, presentation sessions, and for evening gatherings and are covered with your registration. Registration is tierd based on housing options, see below for details.

Few Thoughts On the Venue

The Rolling Huts is an event and nightly rental venue located a short walk from the Methow River. The managers of the site have offered the ScCS conference flexible terms for use and we are fortunate to have this support. We are responsible for keeping things in order during our stay, cleaning up after ourselves, and being respectful of the site and surrounding environment.

There are several housing options available at the site and these vary depending on degree of "comfort" provided. You will see these options as the various registration tickets. The best way to get a feel for the accomodations available is to visit the Rolling Huts website, it's got all the beta you'll need to decide what's the best option for you. All accomodations will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

For housing, the "Basic Registration" ($175) incudes one tent spot on a grassy field. Tents will only be allowed in this space and not elsewhere on the property. No exceptions. There are a few spots for a camper van type setup (no water or power hooks ups, however) and these are covered with the base registration, but are a separate "car campng" ticket as there are only a few of these sites available.

Other basic housing options (same $175 fee, different ticket) include wall tents (canvas style on raised platforms) with three double cots (so they can sleep 6), bunk houses (enclosed rooms with1 queen bed and 3 single beds - so can sleep 5). These latter two options are the same base cost as the basic registration, and are currently set at double occupancy, but if demand for these is high capacity may be increased to accomodate this. These options lack bedding, so bring a slepping bag and a sheet to throw down on the sleeping structure (cots in the tents, wood platforms in the bunk hoses). Great option for a few folks wanting to stay togeather. Bathrooms/showers are outside and shared. Please contact sccs@wdafs.org with any wall tent or bunk house housing needs or questions.

Two other housing options include the iconic rolling huts (1 double and 1 single bed (real beds), 3 folks tops, there are five of them, indoor plumbing), and the "Farm House"(3 real double beds, so sleeps up to 6 folks if beds have double occupancy, and its just the one house with kitchen and indoor plumbing). These options will come with a higher registration fee. The Cabin would be ideal for a group of folks wanting to stay togeather in a more home-style setting with indoor plumbing! The Rolling Huts might be good for two folks each, same for the wall tents and bunk houses which can sleep a few folks each. If you have a roommates in mind, you can make that request, please contact sccs@wdafs.org.

If you do not make a roommate request, and select an upgraded option, you may be assigned one if there are not enough spaces to accomodate your single occupancy of a given housing option. We'll do our best to accomodate everyone according to their desires, but know we are simply bull trout folks trying to get this conference lined out and certainly not hotel managers, thank you for understanding :)

For Methow locals, we will have a conference-only option that will be a reduced fee. This option does not include any housing option, just the meals, ScCS hat, and good times. All conference participants are encouraged to stay on-site to increase the sharing potential and overall vibe!

What To Bring?

In addition to personal and camping gear, attendees are asked to bring all of the appropriate field gear needed for their chosen activity, such as waders, packs, sunscreen, water bottles, etc. - you kow the drill. Please also bring a camp chair if that's a need for you around camp, we will not have many extra chairs for use. We strongly encourage folks to bring their own plates, bowls, utensils, and mugs to cut down on disposable waste and conference costs. We will have dishwashing stations set up for each meal where you can wash and dry your dishes so they are ready to go for the next meal. Sweet!