As far as whirlwind trips go, this one fits the bill in both distance and productivity.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s director of government affairs covered some 2,200 miles in a couple of days traveling to and from Washington DC. While there, he and locally based RMEF representatives gathered with policymakers and key staffers – the first such trip to Capitol Hill since the new Congress and presidential administration took office.
“RMEF met with over a dozen House and Senate offices,” said Ryan Bronson (see photo on right). “Together, we covered the entire 2025 RMEF federal priorities slate including protecting and increasing access to public lands, increasing the active habitat management of federal lands, protecting and enhancing big game migration areas, defending the rights of citizens to own and use firearms, and defending hunting from attacks by radical special interests.”
First, Bronson and the RMEF government affairs team attended a reception with the new leadership of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus including Representatives Bruce Westerman (R-AR), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), August Pluger (R-TX) and Troy Carter (D-LA). RMEF also had a good discussion about the status of wolf delisting with Senator Gary Peters (D-MI).
RMEF also attended a meeting with the chiefs of staff for many members of the House Natural Resources Committee to talk about other habitat legislation like H.R. 717, the Migrations Through Partnerships Act, which addresses Endangered Species Act improvements and ways to reduce litigation as a barrier to habitat management projects.
2025 is off to a fast and productive start. In January, the US House of Representatives advanced many of RMEF’s top priorities for forest management reforms by passing H.R. 471, the Fix Our Forests Act, on a strong bipartisan 279-141 vote. RMEF is working to have a companion bill introduced in the Senate.
(Photo credit: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation)