There are some places where negotiating public access is an impossibility.
Take eastern Nevada, for example, near the small community of Ely.
East of there, you’ll find the Schell Creek Mountain Range while the Egan Mountain Range is southwest of town.
The greater parts of those mountain ranges fall within public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
But that immediate area is riddled with public access challenges.
So, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation partnered with private landowners and the Nevada Department of Wildlife to acquire 60 small parcels totaling more than 7,100 acres, ensuring public access to them and greatly improved access to surrounding public land.
Now, the landscape is stitched together as the Steptoe Wildlife Management Area, a swath of conserved land serving as crucial summer range for elk and important habitat for mule deer, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, greater sage grouse, migratory birds and many other wildlife species.
And it is now accessible for hunting, fishing and other recreational activities.
ONE SQUARE MILE A DAY.
OVER 10 MILLION ACRES BY 2030.
At RMEF, we’re not just conserving what’s here today, we’re creating what’s possible for tomorrow. That means more access, healthier habitats and a stronger future for all big game.