Privacy Policy

Trout Unlimited, Inc. (TU) has created this privacy statement in order to demonstrate our firm commitment to your privacy concerns. The following discloses TU's information gathering and dissemination practices for data collected at the following web sites: www.tu.orgwww.whywild.orgwww.savebristolbay.org and www.troutintheclassroom.org.

Web Site Content
TU uses cookies to administer our web site. A cookie is a small file placed on your computer by a web site. This assigns you a unique ID, which helps us generate usage statistics, and, if applicable, to identify you when entering password-restricted areas. You have the option to accept or deny cookies. Volunteer leaders accessing TU's "leaders only section" (LOS) must have cookies enabled to enter this password-protected section of our site and access leader tools.

Trout Unlimited's web sites may contain pages that have links to other websites not administered by Trout Unlimited. TU is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such web sites.

Collection of Personal Data
TU's sites use various online forms in which visitors can opt to send online action alerts, request information, purchase memberships, make donations and register for events.These web forms allow users to submit personal contact and billing information to Trout Unlimited.  Contact information obtained from the forms may be used to fulfill orders and magazine subscriptions, and distribute additional information to you about TU.  In all cases, visitors may opt-out of receiving future communications from TU; see the choice/opt-out section below.

When you submit a web form for membership, donation and event registration purposes, unique identifiers (member numbers) are assigned to your record in our database.  These nine-digit TU Member Numbers are used to verify your identity and for use as account numbers in our membership database.  Financial information that is collected on all web forms is used to bill the user for requested products and services.

All email addresses collected from our websites are for TU's use only, and will not be shared, rented or sold. TU will not engage members for solicitation of a product or service via email, and under no circumstances will TU make a member's email address or phone number available to outside parties.

Occasionally, TU conducts online surveys and asks site visitors for their contact information. We use data from our surveys for internal use only and for the sole purpose of improving member services and advancing our mission.

Security
This site has security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under our control. All financial data is transmitted using secure web technology. We utilize SSL (Secure Socket Layers), the most advanced online security system available. At all TU sites your personal information and credit card number are encrypted by SSL.

One easy method to verify a web form's security is to check the bottom left corner of your browser. Whenever you enter a secure page on our website the broken key (or padlock) icon is replaced by a solid, secure key (or padlock). Whenever you see this icon, your personal information will be safely and securely transmitted over the web.

Use of Membership Data
Once joining Trout Unlimited, we may occasionally rent member data, limited to name and physical address, to other companies that offer value-added services to our members. TU occasionally rents or exchanges physical mailing lists in order to:

  • raise significant unrestricted revenue to help support our conservation initiatives
  • dramatically reduce the cost of obtaining mailing lists for our own direct mail efforts 
  • ensure access to other fly fishing mailing list

If you do not want your name shared with other companies, please see the choice/opt-out section below.

Councils and Chapters
Upon joining Trout Unlimited you will be assigned to a local Trout Unlimited Chapter. TU Chapters meet regularly to talk about fishing, discuss conservation issues, plan work days on their home waters, organize fundraisers, and of course, swap fish tales and learn how to tie the latest fly patterns. You may be contacted by your local chapter via postal mail, telephone and or email.  At any time you can opt-out of your chapter communications; see Choice/Opt Out details below.

TU Chapters are required to adhere to the privacy policies posted on this page where applicable.Your personal data is shared with Trout Unlimited chapters and councils for volunteer use only. Commercial or personal use of your personal data is expressly prohibited. Trout Unlimited chapters and councils will not use member data for solicitations of products or services and your personal data may not be shared, sold or rented to third parties for any reason.

If you have any questions about your Chapter's privacy policies or how they handle your personal data please contact us via email at trout@tu.org or by calling us toll free at 1-800-834-2419.

Public Forums
TU’s websites offer site visitors the ability to comment and share information through our blog (http://www.tu.org/blog). Please remember that any information you post on our blog is published to the website and becomes visible to the public. Please exercise discretion when deciding to disclose your personal information on public forums, such as our blog.

Choice/Opt-Out
TU provides users the opportunity to opt-out of receiving communications from us and our partners at the point where we request information about you. Users can, at any time, change or modify information previously provided.
This site gives users the following options to remove their information from our database, to discontinue future contacts, or to modify existing information.

  1. You can send email to trout@tu.org
  2. Members may log in and modify your communication preferences at http://www.tu.org/user
  3. You can send mail to the following postal address:
    TU Membership Services
    1300 N. 17th St.
    Suite 500
    Arlington VA, 22209-3801
  4. Toll Free1-800-834-2419 (Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm, Eastern Time Zone)

Contacting Trout Unlimited
If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of this site, or your dealings with this web site, you can contact:

Trout Unlimited, Inc.
1300 N. 17th St., Suite 500
Arlington, VA 22209-3801

Toll Free:1-800-834-2419
Email: trout@tu.org