LISBON – The Merrymeeting Bay Chapter, Trout Unlimited, will host a Conservation Awareness Night on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at Graziano’s Restaurant. The evening will begin with dinner at 6 p.m., and the program will start around 7:30. There will be an opportunity for discussion following the last presenter. All are welcome.

The program will consist of three presentations. “Road Map to Quality Landlocked Salmon Fisheries in Maine” will be presented by Larry Fiori, project director, and Jeremy Trainor, public advocate for Region A, Maine Classic Landlocked Salmon Program.

“Streamside and In-Stream Incubation of Atlantic Salmon in the Kennebec and Sandy Rivers” will be presented by Fisheries Biologist Paul M. Christman of the Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission.

“The Embrace-A-Stream Initiative in Southern Maine” will be given by Sean McCormick, State Council of Trout Unlimited.

Merrymeeting chapter works to protect and restore Maine’s trout and salmon fisheries and to educate the public about the importance of healthy fisheries through regular youth and adult educational programs.

For more information, visit http://www.mmbtu.org or call chapter president Gordon “Smitty” Smith at 737-4447.

The Maine Classic Landlocked Salmon Program mission is to increase the size of salmon in selected waters. The state has seen results in the target waters, where now larger-than-average salmon are being caught. Program objectives will be discussed.

The Classic Landlocked Salmon Program is a cooperative project between the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine. Visit http://www.classicsalmon.org/ for more information.

Atlantic salmon once dominated Maine’s coastal rivers, migrating far inland in search of their natal waters. Now less than 2,000 fish return to an estimated 23 rivers. One project of the Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission is to research habitat and locate areas that might support salmon in the Kennebec and other southern Maine rivers.

Streamside and in-stream incubators are used to introduce small numbers of salmon to evaluate survival and to explore their use as potential restoration tools. Christman will discuss recent findings and restoration plans. For more information, visit http://www.maine.gov/asc/index.shtml.

The Maine State Council of Trout Unlimited has submitted an application for an Embrace-A-Stream grant to Trout Unlimited. The application requests a $10,000 grant to be awarded for a two-year study of brook trout populations in southern Maine streams, specifically IF&W fisheries regions A and B. Plans include Level I surveys of streams never before studied.

For information, visit http://www.tu.org/site/pp.asp?c=7dJEKTNuFmG&b=1063941.