January 13, 2011
Growing Membership Reaches New High for RMEF
MISSOULA, Mont.—Hunters and sportsmen joined the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation at a rapid pace in 2010, pushing membership totals up by 12 percent to a record high of 178,000. The number of new members represents the largest single-year jump in RMEF history.
RMEF membership at the end of 2010 was nearly 30 percent higher than in 2008.
David Allen, RMEF president and CEO, attributes the growth to several factors.
“Our more aggressive attention to issues relevant to hunters and sportsmen is one primary reason for our growth,” he said. “We no longer sit on the fence when it comes to issues affecting the very core of our hunting heritage, the North American model of wildlife conservation, and our future. Our members expect us to stand up for them and we will.”
Allen added, “We are engaged alongside many other sportsman and agriculture groups in the fight to control wolves, and we will stay engaged until wolves are managed and controlled as they should be—by the states. There is no room left for compromise or complacency on this issue.”
“Landscapes in elk country also are changing quickly and more hunters are coming to appreciate the importance of habitat conservation and hunting access. Fighting habitat loss and improving access continue to be top priorities—in fact, in 2010 we passed the 5.9 million acre mark in lands conserved and topped 600,000 acres secured for public access. Our members expect us to focus on all of these issues and we are making every effort to do so, thus we are gaining in membership steadily. It is rewarding but we aren’t going to relax. We will continue to work for our members and what is important to them,” said Allen.
RMEF experienced the greatest membership growth in Oregon and Washington but added members in all 50 states.
Allen said RMEF also has improved its membership services, communications, promotions and overall visibility. Greater emphasis has been placed on a maturing process of the organization’s strategic focus since surpassing its first 25 years in 2008.