Back in early June of 2022, we were given the awful news that Yellowstone National Park was suffering through a historic flood, even closing its gates at one point to mitigate the disaster. As the lifeblood of this region, the iconic Yellowstone River, the longest undammed river in the continental United States, is not only revered by outdoorsmen and women the world over, but by every nature-conscious member of our nation.
Since then, once we heard that we could both get a pair of Simms excellent Watershed Stockingfoot Waders and support the Yellowstone ecosystem in response to the devastating floods that occurred in the spring of 2022, we had to let everyone know. The difference in this brand of giving to an iconic national park and supporting its preeminent watershed system is that your money will lend itself to the Yellowstone River watershed and get you a great pair of fishing waders.
Simms is now partnering with the Montana Freshwater Partners Organization to help alleviate the damage done and begin the restoration of the destruction by being "the first of many Simms Watershed Initiatives that donate product proceeds to important causes that affect our industry."
The Yellowstone River isn't only one the premier and pristine trout angling rivers in North America, but a stopover for waterfowl, a migration corridor for wild game animals, and a vital economic resource.
Montana Freshwater Partners
Montana Freshwater Partners is a not-for-profit entity based in Livingston, Montana that works to preserve and restore streams and wetlands throughout Big Sky Country. Sure, for those of us around the nation that might wonder what it has to do with us, we can be thankful that organizations like this (think DU, NWTF, and Trout Unlimited just to name a very few) are constantly at the forefront of the well being of the pristine areas of our nation that invite everyone.
With a simple mission "to restore, enhance, and protect Montana's rivers, streams, and wetlands through science-based and innovative solutions that benefit people, communities, and pour shared natural environment" MFP sees a future where healthy and resilient aquatic ecosystems are there for every generation of outdoor loving people.
The best part is how MFP allocates its funding to on-the-ground projects that directly affect issues of increased recreational use, drought, and conversely the obvious aftermath of the flood. Add to that their historic Channel Migration Easement (CME) program which benefits landowners, the conservationist community, and visitors to the region, MFP is doing all the vital work needed to protect the lasting health and vitality of the critical riverside habitat that wild Yellowstone creatures need to live and thrive in.
Simms Plays a Crucial Part
With Simms already contributing $10,000 to The Yellowstone Stewardship Campaign, the goal is now to add an additional $50,000 through its financial aid by focusing on other products and how their sales can contribute to the fund. At this time, they are concentrated on getting the word out as to the availability of the all-new Watershed Stockingfoot Wader which will be on sale beginning in early February, 2023.
Those of us fortunate enough to have used a pair of Simms G3 Guide Stockingfoot Waders will tell you that they have been around for 20+ years for a reason. The Gore-Tex fabric has a three-layer upper and an amazing four-layer lower portion of protection for those wading the colder waters of spring and fall while making them an excellent choice for all times of the year as well.
To fully collaborate with Montana Freshwater Partners, Simms has reintroduced one of their most popular pairs of waders by giving it a few small makeovers, but not changing any of the integral parts of one of America's favorite wading gear options.
Diane Bristol, Simms VP of Community Culture said, "We are thrilled to collaborate with Montana Freshwater Partners and couldn't be more excited to utilize a product that's so synonymous with our brand to help restore this a national treasure that runs through our backyard."
Offering the angling public their best waders which feature an oversized and zippered chest pocket and a microfleece lined, pass-through handwarmer pocket, while also being equipped with adjustable suspenders and then promising to donate a portion of the profit to such a great cause truly shows that Simms doesn't just make and market some of the best fishing gear in the land, but they take very seriously their responsibilty to give back to the outdoors that helps them thrive.
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