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TRCP Fetes Conservation Leaders at Awards Event
Third annual Capitol Conservation Dinner unites sportsmen-conservationists, recognizes Rep. Collin C. Peterson, Orvis’s Dave and Perk Perkins.

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

WASHINGTON --(Ammoland.com)- At its third annual Capitol Conservation Dinner, held last night in Washington, D.C., the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership lionized the achievements of giants in the sportsman community and brought together influential policymakers, union leaders and conservationists to celebrate the TRCP’s work in guaranteeing all Americans quality places to hunt and fish.

The flagship TRCP event honored the conservation accomplishments of Minnesota Congressman Collin C. Peterson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, and Dave and Perk Perkins of the Orvis Company.

The dinner also spotlighted the Jim Range Conservation Fund, which commemorates the life’s work of the TRCP’s former chairman and co-founder.

“Through the TRCP’s Capitol Conservation Dinner, the sportsmen’s community celebrates the incalculable contributions of our nation’s most dedicated conservationists,” said Whit Fosburgh, TRCP president and CEO. “Following a trail blazed by President Theodore Roosevelt, the sportsmen honored at this year’s event exemplify the uniquely American drive to responsibly manage and enjoy our irreplaceable fish and wildlife resources.”

Chairman Peterson was presented with the James D. Range Conservation Award for his persistent efforts to conserve the nation’s natural resources, particularly on funding private and agricultural lands management programs via the federal Farm Bill. In lively introductory remarks by Peterson’s Minnesota colleague Sen. Al Franken and Pheasants Forever Vice President of Government Affairs Dave Nomsen, the congressman was cited as an unparalleled champion of fish and wildlife resources and our sporting culture.

“American communities depend on the smart use of our agricultural lands and on balancing the protection of natural resources with the needs of the nation’s farmers,” said Franken. “No one understands that balance better then Collin Peterson.”

“The last Farm Bill did more for conservation than any previous Farm Bill,” said Peterson. “Looking ahead to the next Farm Bill, we will work together to do the best we can to further conservation efforts and the way of life that are central to our great nation.”

Orvis Vice Chairman Dave Perkins and Orvis Chief Executive Officer Perk Perkins were honored with the TRCP Lifetime Conservation Achievement Award for their commitment to natural resources conservation as embodied in the mission of the Orvis Company and its hunting and fishing product lines. Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops and recipient of the 2009 Lifetime Conservation Achievement Award, presented the 2010 award to the Perkinses.

“Orvis is simply a conduit for the hard work being done in the name of conservation by agencies, individuals and groups such as the TRCP,” said Dave Perkins in accepting the award. “We are proud to help advance these efforts that help sustain America’s fish and wildlife resources and long-held outdoor traditions.”

“Theodore Roosevelt once said, ‘I am only an average man, but, by George, I work at it harder than the average man,” said TRCP Board Chair Jim Martin, conservation director of the Berkley Conservation Institute. “Our 2010 honorees give credence to Roosevelt’s belief that our most valuable contributions arise from a simple desire to ‘work hard at work worth doing.’”

Lead sponsors of the 2010 Capitol Conservation Dinner included Bass Pro Shops and the High Lonesome Ranch.

A hero of modern conservation, Jim Range was instrumental in the crafting and passage of a string of landmark natural resource laws, including the Clean Water Act, and served on the boards of directors for numerous conservation groups. Range’s dedication to the conservation of fish and wildlife in support of the nation’s sporting traditions remains entrenched in sportsmen’s lives through the TRCP. Launched in October 2009, the two-year Jim Range Conservation Fund has raised more than $500,000.

Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the traditions of hunting and fishing.

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Jim Range Wins Budweiser Conservation Award

TRCP co-founder and former chairman Range selected 2010 recipient by public vote; honors Range’s lifetime of conservation achievements

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

WASHINGTON, DC –-(AmmoLand.com)- Jim Range, a preeminent American sportsman-conservationist whose lifetime of accomplishments included co-founding and leading the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, has been posthumously honored as the 2010 Budweiser Conservationist of the Year Award, the TRCP announced today.

The Conservationist of the Year Award, presented last night by Budweiser and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation at the 2010 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show, recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to perpetuating the American outdoor way of life. The winner receives $50,000 to direct to his or her conservation organization of choice. In addition, the award can be matched, and its value could reach as much as $200,000. Range’s family has designated the TRCP to receive the proceeds from this honor.

“The TRCP is proud to be guided by the vision and legacy of Jim Range, one of the country’s greatest sportsmen-conservationists,” said TRCP Chairman Jim Martin, “and we are profoundly honored to have this legacy recognized through his selection as Budweiser Conservationist of the Year.

“In the 12 months since Jim was so suddenly taken from us, the thousands who knew him and supported his conservation work have struggled to find ways to express our sorrow at his loss – and sought ways to pay tribute to his tireless efforts to ensure responsible management of our natural resources,” Martin continued. “Budweiser and NFWF have given us the means to acknowledge all that Jim has done to uphold our outdoor way of life.”

Former TCRP Chairman Jim Range

In addition to his leadership in establishing and chairing the TRCP, Range served on the boards of directors for numerous organizations, including Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, the Wetlands America Trust, the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, the American Sportfishing Association, the American Bird Conservancy, the Pacific Forest Trust, the Yellowstone Park Foundation and the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust. He also was an original NFWF board member and worked directly with many other hunting, fishing and conservation groups to advance conservation and sportsmen’s interests in Washington and around the country.

During his 11 years on Capitol Hill working for Sen. Howard Baker, Range fought tirelessly to conserve our natural resources with a bipartisan approach that became his trademark. He played a central role in the passage of several landmark laws, including the Clean Water Act. In 2003, Jim received the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Great Blue Heron Award, the highest honor given by the department to an individual at the national level.

“On behalf of the family of Jim Range, we want to thank Budweiser and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for their recognition of Jim’s efforts to preserve and protect the notion that all Americans will have access to America’s natural resources for future generations for hunting and fishing,” said John Neel Range, Jim’s brother, who was on hand to accept the award. “Jim was keenly aware that ‘we gotta save this thing we love ’cause ain’t nobody else gonna do it.’ With this generous award, we can ensure that others will be able to continue his efforts.”

Since Anheuser-Busch was founded in 1852, the company has committed to conserving natural resources. Budweiser, its partners and consumers have raised $8.7 million over the past 10 years to conserve vital habitat and wildlife across the country. Visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

Established by Congress in 1984, NFWF sustains, restores and enhances the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats and has awarded more than 10,000 grants to 3,500-plus organizations. Its work has resulted in more than $1.5 billion invested in conservation. Visit www.nfwf.org.

Learn more about Jim Range, his efforts on behalf of America’s sportsmen-conservationists and the fund established in his memory.

Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the traditions
of hunting and fishing.

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