Coastal Conservation Association (CCA)

A Long Road to Crawford

By Ted Venker
Communications Director

CCA started in 1977 with a group of 14 anglers mad as hell about the way nets and other commercial fishing practices were decimating redfish on the Texas coast. What grew from those humble beginnings was one of the most unique conservation organizations in the country.

CCA has developed steadily and now has 90,000-members in 15 state chapters. Every single one of those members is a card-carrying conservationist. There are shortcuts a group could take to achieve a level of prominence in the conservation arena, ways to “puff up” the membership rolls. Some groups wield power all out of proportion to their membership base simply because of the size of their bank accounts.

CCA has never taken a shortcut.

CCA volunteers raise their own money through the banquet process and apply it to conservation projects in their state. Everyone who joined in the 1970s filled out a CCA registration form and mailed in their $25. People who join today fill out a CCA registration form and mail in their $25. As a matter of fact, it could be argued that CCA is one of the best values in conservation as membership dues have remain unchanged for more than two decades.

CCA has built a solid reputation of fighting for the marine resources of this country and this photo of CCA National Chairman Walter Fondren and President George Bush is a testament to what more than two decades of thoughtful, hard work has accomplished. When the President of the United States invited representatives from about a dozen of the leading conservation groups in the country to his ranch in Crawford, Texas, for a discussion on issues of concern to American sportsmen, CCA was there. CCA was there because tens of thousands of concerned recreational anglers have succeeded in taking their message to the highest levels of government.

That is the significance of this photo. From a handful of people meeting in 1977 to one of a handful of groups invited by the President of the United States to discuss conservation issues, CCA has truly come a long way. And one of the most important lessons CCA has learned over the years is that conservation is a bi-partisan process. It does not matter if you are a conservative or a liberal; a hawk or a dove; or just plain middle of the road. If you are a recreational angler and care about the future of your marine resources, then you have to be a part of the process on all levels.

Whatever your personal politics are, a meeting between the National Chairman of CCA and the President of the United States should hold special significance for CCA members. If nothing else, it speaks volumes about the long road this organization has traveled.