December 21, 2011
RMEF’s Fred Bryant a Finalist for Bud Conservation Award
MISSOULA, Mont.—Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation volunteer board member Fred Bryant of Kingsville, Texas, is among four finalists for the 2012 Budweiser Conservationist of the Year award.
The winner, to be selected by consumer voting, will receive $50,000 from Budweiser and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to support their priority conservation projects.
To vote, go to www.budweiser.com, enter your birth date to confirm you are over 21, look for “We’re Donating $65,000. Vote for Conservationist of the Year” on the main page, and click to cast your vote. Only one vote accepted per person and all voters must be at least 21 years of age. All votes must be received by Jan. 6, 2012.
Votes also are accepted by mail. On a 3×5 card or piece of paper, write your name, address and age as well as the name of the candidate you’ve selected. Mail to 2012 Conservationist of the Year, P.O. Box 1069, Young America, MN 55594-1069.
Bryant serves as chairman of the RMEF Lands and Conservation Committee. Under his leadership, RMEF has permanently protected more than 224,000 acres—an area nearly the size of Rocky Mountain National Park—of vital habitat for elk and other wildlife. Many of those acres are now also open for the public to hunt and fish.
RMEF President and CEO David Allen said, “Congratulations to Fred. He’s an extraordinary leader and dedicated conservationist who deserves recognition, and RMEF is very fortunate to have him on our team.”
Allen added, “Every time a new lands project comes up, Fred begins his analysis by asking the same three key questions: 1) Is it good for elk and other wildlife, 2) is it important habitat in danger of being lost to development, and 3) will it open or maintain public access to sportsmen.”
“I hope every elk hunter who’s of age will go online and return the favor,” he added.
Budweiser’s website includes the following bio:
“Fred Bryant’s 34-year history of advancing conservation stretches from Canada to the Andes of Peru. But nowhere is it more apparent than the many places wild elk roam across North America. Fred’s work with RMEF has protected over 85,000 acres of habitat in the last year alone. But RMEF is just one aspect of Fred’s tireless commitment to conservation. Fred has also worked with Taking Care of Texas, Boone and Crockett Club and many other conservation organizations. And as an author, speaker and professor of range and wildlife management at Texas Tech University and the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Fred has taught thousands of students to share his passion for the outdoors.”
Other nominees include Don R. Johnson of Festus, Mo., Bill D’Alonzo of Greenville, Del., and David Ramsey of Unicoi, Tenn.
The 2012 Budweiser Conservationist of the Year will be formally recognized on Jan. 18, 2012, during the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Las Vegas.
Budweiser has been the official beer of RMEF for over 23 years. Since 1999, the “Help Budweiser Conserve the Outdoors” program, along with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and RMEF members, has raised more than $1.1 million for conservation and education.
Allen said, “Budweiser is one of RMEF’s longest standing and most valuable partners. The company’s dedication to our mission began in 1988 with a major gift for our first-ever permanent land protection project, and it continues today with sponsorship and support on many levels throughout our organization.”