Silver Creek site
dedicated to Jack Hemingway
By TRAVIS
PURSER
Express Staff Writer
The leaves
were yellow on the cottonwoods and floating on the trout stream when the
Idaho Department of Fish and Game dedicated a section of Silver Creek to
conservationist Jack Hemingway on a bright, clear morning last Wednesday.
"Whenever
I think of the Hemingway name, I immediately have visions of the sun
glinting off Silver Creek on a fall afternoon, fly-fishing, and a safe
release of a lunker trout back into the creek to fight another day,"
said Fish and Game Regional Supervisor Dave Parrish addressing a gathering
of Jack Hemingway’s friends at the IDFG public access area west of
Picabo.
The Fish
and Game Department then unveiled a large sign that describes Hemingway’s
contributions to wildlife and its habitat.
Gov. Dirk
Kempthorne declared Oct. 10 to be the first Jack Hemingway Conservation
Day to commemorate the man who pioneered catch-and-release conservation
ethics and spearheaded Silver Creek conservation efforts. Hemingway, the
son of novelist Ernest Hemingway, died on Dec. 2, 2000, at age 77.
Members of
The Nature Conservancy, which Hemingway worked closely with, and the
nonprofit Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation were also present.
Television
sportscaster Tim Ryan, a longtime friend and neighbor of Hemingway called
him a "serious fisherman. He was warm and wonderful. I think he was a
fine human being. You couldn’t help but like him."
As part of
the new conservation day, Kempthorne announced the re-instatement of the
Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s Community Challenge Grant Program.
The program
is intended to help boost rural economies by making $50,000 available to
fund small conservation projects proposed by sporting groups, individuals,
cities and counties.
The grants
are meant to help preserve, protect and enhance wildlife and habitat and
to spread public awareness of the Fish and Game Department.