A consortium of 42 conservation and hunting organizations representing 6 million members will convene Aug. 17-18 in Missoula, Mont.—right where the consortium began 12 years ago in a summit called by Boone and Crockett Club.
The American Wildlife Conservation Partners (AWCP) has met biannually in different locations since 2000, bringing together a diverse array of organizations to focus on issues of mutual interest.
Every four years, concurrent with presidential elections, AWCP drafts a series of recommendations for the incoming administration. These recommendations represent a general agreement of partner organizations and outline steps necessary to promote the conservation and management of wildlife in America. Most importantly, these recommendations represent beneficial and ongoing conservation work that must be allowed to continue under a new administration.
“AWCP has become well recognized and effective at the highest levels of government because it represents the collective voice of 6 million citizens. It gives hunters, anglers, recreational shooters and conservationists a unified voice and political strength that no single organization can match,” said Boone and Crockett President Ben Wallace. “The founding of AWCP is clearly one of the most important conservation accomplishments in the last 10-20 years.”
The 2012 gathering is co-hosted by Boone and Crockett Club and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF). Most meetings will be held at RMEF headquarters in Missoula.
“RMEF helped found AWCP back in 2000 and we’ve been involved ever since,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “The organizations within AWCP don’t line up on the same side of every issue, but when we stand together, our collective voice is very powerful in Washington D.C.”
Wallace said Boone and Crockett called the original summit, and continues to be a leader in AWCP today, because the changing structure of American society is challenging traditional models of wildlife conservation supported by hunting, fishing and shooting.
For more information about AWCP, visit www.wildlifepartners.org.
About the Boone and Crockett Club
Founded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887, the Boone and Crockett Club promotes guardianship and visionary management of big game and associated wildlife in North America. The Club maintains the highest standards of fair-chase sportsmanship and habitat stewardship. Member accomplishments include enlarging and protecting Yellowstone and establishing Glacier and Denali national parks, founding the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and National Wildlife Refuge System, fostering the Pittman-Robertson and Lacey Acts, creating the Federal Duck Stamp program, and developing the cornerstones of modern game laws. The Boone and Crockett Club is headquartered in Missoula, Mont. For details, visit www.boone-crockett.org.