Mark has a long history with FFI, NCCFFI, and other organizations in conservation. In 2002, Mark became the V.P. of Conservation for the Northern California Council, Fly Fishers International (NCCFFI). In 2005, after returning from a lobby trip to Washington, D.C. on Snake River dam removal, he was invited to become the California Organizer of the Endangered Species Coalition (ESC), working to stop the Congressional e?orts to rewrite the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Mark worked for 12 years for the ESC as the California Organizer, and then as the Pacific Field Organizer in charge of California, Oregon and Washington field operations.
His work was primarily focused on salmon, steelhead, and many other watershed species threatened with extinction. In addition, Mark worked on Southern Resident Killer Whale and Grey Wolf recovery in the Pacific Northwest, as well as Greater Sage Grouse recovery in the west. He served and represented California on 6 different lobby trips to Washington D.C. on behalf of endangered species and protecting the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Outside of working on Endangered Species issues for ESC for 12 years, Mark also was the continuous Conservation Director for the NCCFFI from 2002 until 2016, and returned in 2019 to the present. Some of the issues Mark has worked on for recreational fly fishers are listed below:
- Bay-Delta fishery management and water allocations decisions by both federal and state water management agencies. Lobbied in both Sacramento & Washington D.C. on fishery & watershed issues.
- Klamath River Dam Removal & Associated Settlement Agreements - balanced water management, dam removal, and fishery recovery. It started in 2003 until 2026, and signed on behalf of NCCFFI the original agreements on river restoration & dam removal in 2010.
- Multiple River FERC relicensing - Feather, Yuba, McCloud, Eel.
- Salmon restoration for Central California Coho, Fall and Spring Chinook, Central Valley Steelhead.
- Steelhead recovery and protection in rivers in California from the Smith River to streams in Southern California (Southern California Steelhead)
- Mark was the lead in creating and writing a river monitoring plan for the Smith River. Mark started the work in 2019 and the plan was approved by CDFW in 2023.
- Mark worked for Striped Bass protection and recovery in the S.F. Bay-Delta watershed for 20+ years
- California Water Management Changes via the Environmental Water Caucus. Mark was one of the authors of the EWC paper on water management changes that would create 11 million acre feet of water for use in California without any new storage facilities - Sustainable Water Plan for California (https://www.environmentalwatercaucusca.org/about-1)
Mark Rockwell led the NCCFFI through some tough times, particularly from 2019 through 2023 as Council President for six years. Mark was able to assemble a working /functioning NCCFFI board and build this into one of the most vibrant councils with 28 affiliated (and non-affiliated) fly clubs (with about 10,000 club members). During Mark’s six-year tenure at the helm of NCCFFI, he has been the strong cornerstone of the organization, providing incredible leadership and a tremendous focus on driving NCCFFI (and FFI) forward in a positive manner. Mark’s imprint is evident at NCCFFI and we are delighted that he will be receiving this prestigious award.
The NCCFFI is planning the Hall of Fame event for October 24, 2026, at the Lafayette Veterans Memorial Building. More details about the event will be coming out over the next couple of months.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Ron Beltramo at rjbeltramo@aol.com.
Please save the date for the NCCFFI Hall of Fame and come out to honor Mark Rockwell!