MISSOULA, Mont. — The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation supports a list of priorities authored by the American Wildlife Conservation Partners (AWCP) to benefit and improve wildlife, habitat, public access and wildlife-associated recreation. The AWCP, a consortium of 50 conservation and hunting organizations including RMEF, spelled out the recommendations for the next White House administration and next two Congresses in Wildlife for the 21st Century: Volume VI.
“These recommendations represent a general agreement of the partners; we urge your consideration and adoption of these recommendations and look forward to working with you to create or reaffirm these federal administrative policies,” said Jennifer Mock Schaeffer, 2019 ACWP Steering Committee chair.
“Adoption of these recommendations will improve federal agencies’ stewardship of our nation’s fish, wildlife, and habitats and enhance access to federal lands and waters for outdoor and wildlife-associated recreation,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer and 2020 ACWP Steering Committee chair. “In addition to our wildlife and wild places, these collaborative actions between federal and state agencies will contribute significantly to the quality of life and economic well-being of citizens and future generations.”
Here are AWCP’s recommendations:
- Secure permanent and dedicated funding from public and private sources
- Enhance access for hunters and outdoor recreationists
- Require collaboration on big game migration corridors and habitats
- Integrate industry, state and federal wildlife goals early in energy planning
- Incentivize private landowners to conserve wildlife and habitat, and provide access for hunting
- Increase active management of federal lands and reduce litigation through collaboration
- Achieve greater results from an improved Endangered Species Act program
- Support and assist states in addressing chronic wasting disease and wild sheep pneumonia
- Focus climate change policy on habitat conservation and restoration
- Require collaboration for wildlife conservation, hunting and recreational shooting on federal lands
Funding conservation work continues to fall heavily on the shoulders of hunters and anglers. Since 1937, state fish and wildlife agencies received more than $65.1 billion, or 60 percent of their funding, from sportsmen and women via excise taxes on their firearms, ammunition, fishing and boating-related purchases as well as from hunting and fishing licenses.
“RMEF appreciates and values the role hunters and anglers play in supporting conservation. We look forward to working with federal agencies over the next four years to help implement these conservation priorities,” added Henning.
About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Founded more than 36 years ago, fueled by hunters and a membership of nearly 235,000 strong, RMEF has conserved more than 8 million acres for elk and other wildlife. RMEF also works to open and improve public access, fund and advocate for science-based resource management, and ensure the future of America’s hunting heritage. Discover why “Hunting Is Conservation™” at rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.