GAYS MILLS - At its Annual meeting and banquet, Wisconsin Trout Unlimited gave a Special Appreciation Award to Gillian Pomplun, reporter for the Crawford County Independent & Kickapoo Scout, for her stories on important water issues facing Southwest Wisconsin. 

As challenges to our waters arise one after another—polluted wells and groundwater, widespread flooding, industrial agriculture, manure-caused fish kills—Gillian has provided “exceptional coverage for the Independent-Scout’s readers. She travels across the southern Driftless Area to cover policy makers at work, a unique partnership between fourth-generation farmers and fourth-generation Gulf Coast commercial fishers whose livelihood is threatened by our farming practices, and local groups working to fight the degradation of our water resources. 

Good reporters represent the public when they ask tough questions of local and state lawmakers, and Gillian does that.  She has pushed hard for openness in government, even when policy makers oppose it.  Sometimes they seem to forget who they represent, but she doesn’t. 

The Tainter Creek watershed is a good example where farmers, angler and landowners are working together to improve farming practices and protect a highly-regarded trout stream which draws many anglers from across the region. Farmers have formed the Tainter Creek Farmer-led Watershed Council to discuss, educate and act on issues.  Gillian saw the value of that effort early on and has covered its efforts extensively, as the council moves forward with farmer-to-farmer learning events and community-supported family fun stream days. In Tainter Creek, folks who value the watershed are working constructively to protect it and their neighborhood. Gillian Pomplun covers the hard issues and the community efforts.