MISSOULA, Mont.—Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the appointment of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and 17 other organizations to the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council.
 
The council was created earlier this year to advise the federal agencies about recreational hunting and shooting sports activities and associated wildlife and habitat conservation.
 
The following individuals—whose terms begin immediately—will serve on the council for a two-year term:

• M. David Allen (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation)
• Jeffrey S. Crane (Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation)
• Robert R. Fithian (Alaska Professional Hunters Association, Inc.)
• John E. Frampton (SC Department of Natural Resources)
• Thomas Franklin (Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership)
• Ron Heward (rancher, Bates Hole/Shirley Basin Sage Grouse Working Group)
• Robert Manes (The Nature Conservancy)
• Frederick D. Maulson (Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission)
• Tommy Millner (Cabela’s)
• Robert Model (Boone and Crockett Club)
• Joanna Prukop (Freedom to Roam)
• Stephen L. Sanetti (National Shooting Sports Foundation)
• Larry Schweiger (National Wildlife Federation)
• Christine L. Thomas (College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin)
• George C. Thornton (National Wild Turkey Federation)
• John Tomke (Ducks Unlimited)
• Howard K. Vincent (Pheasants Forever)
• Steve Williams (Wildlife Management Institute)

“I’m pleased that RMEF is recognized for leadership and effectiveness in conservation and hunting heritage, and I’m looking forward to carrying that responsibility forward as a member of this council,” said Allen.
 
The council is an official advisory group under the Federal Advisory Committee Act that will help to promote and preserve America’s hunting heritage for future generations. It will also provide a forum for sportsmen and women to advise the federal government on policies related to wildlife and habitat conservation endeavors that (a) benefit recreational hunting; (b) benefit wildlife resources; and (c) encourage partnership among the public, the sporting conservation community, the shooting and hunting sports industry, wildlife conservation organizations, the states, Native American tribes, and the federal government.

The new council replaces and improves upon the previously existing Sporting Conservation Council by expanding membership to include the hunting and shooting sports industries, as well as including broader representation from the nation’s major hunting organizations. The council’s charter also more clearly defines its responsibilities in supporting the public, the sporting conservation community, the shooting and hunting sports industry, wildlife conservation organizations, and state and federal governments.

The five federal agencies playing a key role in supporting and maintaining America’s hunting heritage—the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service, and Farm Service Agency—will appoint organizational members to the council to provide additional support, guidance and coordination.

“Inspired by the legacy of President Theodore Roosevelt, hunters long have taken the lead in the conservation of our nation’s wildlife and its habitat, and I am pleased so many of the leaders in our nation’s hunting and conservation community have accepted an invitation to serve on the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council,” said Salazar. “At the recent America’s Great Outdoors conference, President Obama said that few pursuits are more satisfying to the spirit than discovering the greatness of America’s outdoors. I look forward to working with the council to help fulfill my generation’s obligation to ensure that the next generation enjoys a thriving wildlife heritage.”
 
“Maintaining and conserving wildlife habitat and water resources that are so important to America's hunting and angling heritage in the face of today's conservation challenges requires a coordinated effort between federal, state, and local officials and partners in the private sector,” said Vilsack. “The members of Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council will play a crucial role in our ongoing efforts to improve the health and management of America's public and private lands.”
 

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.8 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.