Grace Under Fire

Josh Homer, project leader of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Leadville and Hotchkiss National Fish Hatchery Complex, has received Colorado Trout Unlimited’s River Champion Conservation Leadership Award for his swift action to save nearly 150,000 greenback cutthroat trout threatened by the Willow Fire in June 2026. Homer, along with Bryan Johnson, manager at Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Shavano State Fish Hatchery, jointly accepted the award for their heroic efforts to preserve trout resources.

When a fast-moving wildfire in rugged terrain threatened the nation’s second oldest federally-operated hatchery, Homer and Johnson worked side-by-side to quickly relocate the hatchery-reared fish to other state-managed hatcheries across Colorado. Homer’s quick acting response helped safeguard these rare native resources while firefighters protected the hatchery’s infrastructure.

David Nickum, Executive Director of Colorado Trout Unlimited commended Homer’s “grace under fire – literally” in protecting Leadville NFH’s trout resources.

The Willow Fire began in late June west of Leadville and quickly burned more than 7,000 acres through the July 4 holiday weekend prompting evacuations. Despite the fire’s proximity, the historic hatchery remains intact.

Established in 1889, Leadville NFH is located at an elevation of 10,000 feet and produces trout for conservation and stocking efforts across the Rocky Mountains.

Read more: As Willow Fire approached, a call for help launched a race to save Colorado's native fish | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service