Trout Unlimited — Eastern Abandoned Mine Program

National coldwater conservation nonprofit with a dedicated Eastern Abandoned Mine Program providing engineering, project design, and partnership development for AMD treatment and stream restoration in Appalachia. Active in SW PA.

Trout Unlimited (TU) is the largest coldwater fisheries conservation nonprofit in the United States, with a network of 300+ local chapters and a substantial professional staff. For Pennsylvania watershed groups, the most relevant TU program is the Eastern Abandoned Mine Program, which has been one of the leading restoration partners for AMD-impacted streams across Appalachia for over two decades.The EAMP staff include engineers, hydrologists, and project managers who design and oversee construction of passive AMD treatment systems, restore impaired stream reaches, and rebuild trout populations in former dead waters. They typically work in partnership with local watershed associations, conservation districts, OSMRE, NRCS, and PA DEP — bringing the engineering capacity and federal/foundation fundraising chops that small grassroots groups don't have in-house.For SW PA, TU's Pennsylvania regional staff (and the local TU chapters in the Laurel Highlands, Allegheny, and Monongahela basins) are natural partners on AMD remediation projects. Beyond the formal AMP work, local TU chapters often contribute volunteer labor, in-kind expertise, and small project grants to watershed groups doing complementary restoration work.