The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) is a conservation and pro-hunting organization, founded in the United States in 1984 by four hunters from Troy, Montana (Bob Munson, Bill Munson, Dan Bull and Charlie Decker). Its mission is to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and American hunting heritage. In support of this mission the RMEF is committed to:
Since 1984, the RMEF helped to conserve more than 6.7 million acres (26,700 km2) of habitat. RMEF also helped to restore long-absent elk populations, with herds being reestablished in Kentucky, North Carolina, Ontario, Tennessee, Missouri, Virginia and Wisconsin. RMEF strives to be a strong voice for hunters in access, wildlife management, and conservation policy issues.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation believes that hunting is conservation, that every citizen is entitled to hunt and fish, and that science-based, state-regulated hunting drives wildlife conservation and management.
In September 2020, The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and its partners supported $2.6 million in wildlife protection in Colorado. [1]
In 2002, Bob Torstenson endowed the 93,403 acre (378 km2) Double H Ranch, later named the Torstenson Wildlife Center, in west-central New Mexico to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. In 2012 the RMEF, working with the Torstenson family, made a gift transition of the ranch resulting in the establishment of the Torstenson Family Endowment (TFE), one of the largest endowments ever for a wildlife conservation organization.[ citation needed ] The ranch is forever protected and conserved through a conservation easement maintained by the RMEF.[ citation needed ]
RMEF will use proceeds from the TFE exclusively to further its core mission programs: permanent land protection, habitat stewardship, elk restoration and hunting heritage.[ citation needed ] The TFE allows RMEF to increase project funding by attracting matching funds both from the private and public sectors, and allows RMEF to much more quickly meet and head off the habitat changes and challenges taking place across the United States.[ citation needed ]
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation supported the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2014 (S. 2363; 113th Congress), which would have exempted lead-based ammunition from regulation under the Toxic Substances Control Act. They urged members to support the bill, saying that it considers the bill "to be of vital importance for conservation, wildlife, and sportsmen and women." [2] The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation said that they supported the bill because it "protects the use of traditional ammunition, allows more flexibility for federal funds to be used to build and maintain ranges on public lands and ensures access to federal lands for hunting, shooting and other outdoor activities." [2]
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation produces a television show called, "RMEF Team Elk" hosted by Brandon Bates. [3] The show focuses on elk, elk habitat and elk hunting and features the importance of conservation and hunting heritage.
The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is the United States' largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization, with over six million members and supporters, and 51 state and territorial affiliated organizations (including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands).
Trophy hunting is a form of hunting for sport in which parts of the hunted wild animals are kept and displayed as trophies. The animal being targeted, known as the "game", is typically a mature male specimen from a popular species of collectable interests, usually of large sizes, holding impressive horns, antlers, furs, or manes. Most trophies consist of only select parts of the animal, which are prepared for display by a taxidermist. The parts most commonly kept vary by species but often include the head, hide, tusks, horns, or antlers.
Wildlife management is the management process influencing interactions among and between wildlife, its habitats and people to achieve predefined impacts. It attempts to balance the needs of wildlife with the needs of people using the best available science. Wildlife management can include wildlife conservation, gamekeeping and pest control. Wildlife management draws on disciplines such as mathematics, chemistry, biology, ecology, climatology and geography to gain the best results.
The Boone and Crockett Club is an American nonprofit organization that advocates fair chase hunting in support of habitat conservation. The club is North America's oldest wildlife and habitat conservation organization, founded in the United States in 1887 by Theodore Roosevelt and George Bird Grinnell. The club was named in honor of hunter-heroes of the day, Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett, whom the club's founders viewed as pioneering men who hunted extensively while opening the American frontier, but realized the consequences of overharvesting game. In addition to authoring a famous "fair chase" statement of hunter ethics, the club worked for the expansion and protection of Yellowstone National Park and the establishment of American conservation in general. The club and its members were also responsible for the elimination of commercial market hunting, creation of the National Park and National Forest Services, National Wildlife Refuge system, wildlife reserves, and funding for conservation, all under the umbrella of what is known today as the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.
Located in northern California, the Suisun Marsh has been referred to as the largest brackish water marsh on west coast of the United States of America. The marsh land is part of a tidal estuary, and subject to tidal ebb and flood. The marsh is home to many species of birds and other wildlife, and is formed by the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers between Martinez and Suisun City, California and several other smaller, local watersheds. Adjacent to Suisun Bay, the marsh is immediately west of the legally defined Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta as well as part of the San Francisco Bay estuary.
Height of the Rockies Provincial Park is a provincial park in the Canadian Rockies of south eastern British Columbia, Canada. It is located west of the Continental Divide, adjacent to Elk Lakes Provincial Park.
The National Wildlife Refuge System in the United States has a long and distinguished history.
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is an American foundation that was chartered by the United States Congress in 1984 to increase the resources available for the conservation of the nation's fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats.
The tule elk is a subspecies of elk found only in California, ranging from the grasslands and marshlands of the Central Valley to the grassy hills on the coast. The subspecies name derives from the tule, a species of sedge native to freshwater marshes on which the tule elk feeds. When the Europeans first arrived, an estimated 500,000 tule elk roamed these regions, but by 1870 they were thought to be extirpated. However, in 1874–1875 a single breeding pair was discovered in the tule marshes of Buena Vista Lake in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Conservation measures were taken to protect the species in the 1970s. Today, the wild population exceeds 4,000. Tule elk can reliably be found in Carrizo Plain National Monument, Point Reyes National Seashore, portions of the Owens Valley from Lone Pine to Bishop, on Coyote Ridge in Santa Clara Valley, San Jose, California and in Pacheco State Park and areas surrounding San Luis Reservoir near Los Banos, California.
The National Wild Turkey Federation is an international non-profit organization whose mission is 'the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of our hunting heritage.' It currently has more than 250,000 members in the United States, Canada, Mexico and 14 other countries.
The Rocky Mountain elk is a subspecies of elk found in the Rocky Mountains and adjacent ranges of Western North America.
The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937, most often referred to as the Pittman–Robertson Act for its sponsors, Nevada Senator Key Pittman and Virginia Congressman Absalom Willis Robertson, is an act that imposes an 11% tax on firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment and distributes the proceeds to state governments for wildlife projects.
Balanced Ecology, Inc. (BEI) is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization dedicated to the use of science and education to increase public knowledge of wildlife and habitat conservation and promote sustainable coexistence between people and nature. The organization was founded in 2007 to address unique conservation challenges in Texas, its home state, as well as other locations.
American Prairie is a prairie-based nature reserve in Central Montana, United States, on a mixed grass prairie ecosystem with migration corridors and native wildlife. This wildlife conservation area is being developed as a private project of the American Prairie Foundation (APF). This independent non-profit organization aims to include over 3 million acres (12,000 km2) through a combination of both private and public lands.
The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is a set of principles that has guided wildlife management and conservation decisions in the United States and Canada. Although not formally articulated until 2001, the model has its origins in 19th century conservation movements, the near extinction of several species of wildlife and the rise of sportsmen with the middle class. Beginning in the 1860s sportsmen began to organize and advocate for the preservation of wilderness areas and wildlife. The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation rests on two basic principles – fish and wildlife are for the non-commercial use of citizens, and should be managed such that they are available at optimum population levels forever.
The Sportsmen’s Heritage And Recreational Enhancement Act of 2013 is an omnibus bill that covers several firearms, fishing, hunting, and federal land laws. H.R. 3590 would establish or amend certain laws related to the use of firearms and other recreational activities on federal lands. The bill also would authorize the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to permanently allow any state to provide hunting and conservation stamps for migratory birds. In addition, the bill would require the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to charge an annual permit fee for small crews that conduct commercial filming activities on certain federal lands. Finally, the bill would require the Secretary of the Interior to issue permits to certain hunters seeking to import polar bear remains from Canada.
Larry Potterfield is the founder and Chairman of the Board of MidwayUSA, an internet retailer of shooting, hunting and outdoor products. During his tenure as the CEO, MidwayUSA received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2009 and 2015; MidwayUSA also received the Missouri Quality Award from the Excellence in Missouri Foundation in 2008 and 2015. Potterfield, who has delivered keynote addresses on Leadership and Management topics, is known to be a supporter of the National Rifle Association (NRA), Boy Scouts of America, the Key Conservation Groups and other organizations related to youth shooting sports activities. The National Rifle Association honored him, in 2014, with the Life of Liberty Leadership Award. In 2015 Larry, along with his wife Brenda, received the Beretta and Safari Club International Foundation Conservation Leadership Award from Beretta and SCI, and the John L. Morris Award from the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. These awards were presented in recognition of the Potterfields’ exemplary leadership in conservation and lifetime commitment to fish and wildlife stewardship, and education though volunteer service and philanthropy. Larry and Brenda received the Peter Hathaway Captstick Hunting Heritage from Dallas Safari Club in 2017 and the C.J. McElroy Award from Safari Club International in 2018. These awards highlight the Potterfields' significant contributions to the conservation of wildlife and its habitats.
The Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2014 is a bill related to hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation in the United States.
Jon S. Fossel, born February 7, 1942, is an American former politician and notable figure in business and conservation. He served in the New York State Assembly from the 93rd district (1979-1982) and ran for Congress in 1982. Fossel also had a distinguished investment career, including roles at CitiBank and as chairman and CEO of Oppenheimer Funds. Later, he co-founded the Jack Creek Preserve Foundation, focusing on wildlife conservation and education, and has been deeply involved in ethical hunting and land conservation. Fossel married Siri Campbell in 2010 and has shared his passion for hunting and conservation with his family.
Colorado Proposition 114 was a ballot measure that was approved in Colorado in the November 2020 elections. It was a proposal to reintroduce the gray wolf back into the state. The proposition was passed with a narrow margin, making Colorado the first US state to pass legislation to reintroduce wildlife.