RMEF to Serve on Hunting & Shooting Sports Conservation Council
MISSOULA, Mont.—The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation accepted an invitation to serve on the Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation Council.
Established on January 9, 2018, the group is tasked with providing the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture with advice about the establishment and implementation of existing and proposed policies and authorities regarding wildlife and habitat conservation.
“I am very pleased and honored to be appointed by Secretary Ryan Zinke,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer. “I look forward to representing the interests of elk and other big game, big game hunters and furthering RMEF’s conservation mission as we carry out this important work."
“We have assembled here some of the best conservationists in America," said Secretary Zinke. "Over a century ago, Teddy Roosevelt established the American conservation ethic — best science, best practices, greatest good, longest term. These sportsmen carry on the American conservation ethic in the modern day. Bringing these experts together will be key to ensuring the American tradition of hunting and shooting, as well as the conservation benefits of these practices, carries on."
Council Objectives:
- · Conserve and restore wetlands, agricultural lands, grasslands, forests and rangeland habitats
- · Promote opportunities and expand access to hunting and shooting sports on public and private lands
- · Encourage hunting and shooting safety by developing ranges on public lands
- · Recruit and retain new shooters and hunters
- · Increase public awareness of the importance of wildlife conservation and the social and economic benefits of hunting and shooting
- · Encourage coordination among the public, hunting and shooting sports community, wildlife conservation groups and state, tribal, territorial, and federal government
The Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation Council includes 17 members and 11 alternates. It plans to meet twice a year, and additional times as needed.