The Cumberland Chapter of Trout Unlimited approached me in 2007 to help their organization create a specialty license plate in the state of Tennessee that would help bring awareness and funding to Southern Applalacian brook trout habitat restoration and TU's conservation efforts in local streams, fisheries and watersheds.

I worked closely with the TN Department of Vehicle Services to create a design that would comply with their stringent road safety and legal standards, as well as the nuances of their production process.

I'm grateful to Duane Raver/USFWS for giving us permission to use his iconic illustration of the native brook trout, a rare and prized fish in our TN waters. Currently, 4,500 plates are in circulation on the Tennessee roadways.