Daines, McCollum, and Speciale Receive TRCP’s Conservation Awards

May 4, 2022

MeatEater’s Steven Rinella hosted this year’s gala event with D.C. luminaries, outdoor industry leaders, and TRCP supporters

Washington, D.C. — At its 14th annual Capital Conservation Awards Dinner, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership was proud to celebrate the conservation achievements of Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Representative Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), and Ben Speciale, president of Yamaha’s U.S. marine business unit and a tireless advocate for fisheries management.

“Tonight, we proudly honor three leaders whose commitment to conservation has had real and lasting on-the-ground results for hunters, anglers, and all Americans,” said Whit Fosburgh, TRCP president and CEO. “We also reflect on the legacy of TRCP’s late co-founder Jim Range, who believed in the strength of the hunting and fishing community to advance conservation policy solutions. Recent legislative victories for habitat, access, and conservation funding are strong evidence of the efforts of individual sportsmen and sportswomen as well as champions in Congress and outdoor recreation business.”

The event was hosted at the National Building Museum by MeatEater’s Steven Rinella, a TRCP Board member. He presented the awards and announced the winners of a spring turkey hunt in Michigan, where Rinella and MeatEater podcast co-host Janis Putelis will serve as hunting guides. The dinner also featured a silent auction and raffle in support of TRCP’s mission to guarantee all Americans quality places to hunt and fish.

As a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Sen. Daines championed the Great American Outdoors Act and the Flathead Water Compact, and he has been a leading voice for legislation to improve public land access, address the threat of chronic wasting disease, and clean up abandoned hardrock mines.

Rep. McCollum is vice chair of the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee and has led efforts to permanently protect the Boundary Waters, combat chronic wasting disease, ensure full and permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and restore the Mississippi River.

Ben Speciale has been a leader in the fight to improve management of marine recreational fishing, conserve the ocean’s forage base, and tackle the threats posed to our fisheries by aquatic invasive species.

“As TRCP enters its 20th year, we believe more than ever that conservation has the power to unite both sides of the political divide and safeguard the natural resources that are part of our American identity,” said Fosburgh. “We’re grateful to be able to gather in celebration of these ideals and the individuals who make a tangible difference for hunting and fishing.”

Learn more about the event here.

Photos by Jessica Yurinko.

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by: Kristyn Brady

posted in: Press Releases

May 3, 2022

TRCP Again Ranked as One of America’s Top Charities

The organization has earned its seventh consecutive exceptional rating from the leading charity evaluator in the country

The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is very proud to announce it has been awarded its seventh consecutive four-star rating from Charity Navigator—the highest possible ranking from the nation’s largest independent charity evaluator.

This repeated recognition of TRCP’s financial health, accountability, and transparency puts the organization in the top 10 percent of American charities rated.

While a four-star rating sets the TRCP apart from its peers, according to Charity Navigator president and CEO Michael Thatcher, our long track record of success indicates that we also outperform most charities—not just in our area of work, but in the country overall.

“We’re honored to be recognized as a solutions-oriented organization that sportsmen and sportswomen can trust to represent their needs with decision-makers who are debating the very policies that will decide the future of hunting and fishing,” says Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “Of course, rankings aren’t everything. We will continue to hold ourselves to the highest standards and work hard to exceed the expectations of our members, donors, and partners, while advancing innovative conservation policy solutions.”

TRCP has also earned a Platinum ranking from GuideStar and the top accreditation from the Better Business Bureau.

Learn more about TRCP’s financial accountability here.

Top photo by Bob Wick/BLM via flickr

by: Randall Williams

posted in: Press Releases

TRCP Applauds Advancement of America’s Outdoor Recreation Act

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee moves legislation important to public land recreation

Hunters and anglers lauded today’s passage in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee of the America’s Outdoor Recreation Act of 2022, a legislative package related to public land access and outdoor recreation. In addition to this important legislation, introduced by committee chairman Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and ranking member Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the committee considered other bills pertaining to public land conservation, including the Colorado Outdoor Recreation & Economy Act.

“America’s Outdoor Recreation Act will make our public lands more accessible to all Americans by modernizing agency rules and processes and enhancing recreation infrastructure across the country,” said Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “This bipartisan bill reflects the importance of these shared spaces to outdoor recreation. Hunters and anglers thank leadership and members of both parties in the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee for moving this legislation forward.”

Top photo courtesy of BLM Colorado via Flickr.

by: TRCP Staff

posted in: Press Releases

April 29, 2022

Pogie Bill Passes House in Louisiana

Rep. Joe Orgeron’s HB 1033 earns strong bipartisan support, now moves to Senate

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed House Bill 1033 by Representative Joe Orgeron (R-La.), a bill that will require regular reporting on menhaden harvested in Louisiana state waters, and will create an annual catch limit. The bill passed with strong bipartisan support, with a vote of 75-22, while picking up 10 new co-authors.

This map shows the intense harvest pressure put on the Louisiana coast by the menhaden reduction industry. Each year, hundreds of millions of pounds of this critical forage species are taken from Louisiana state waters, along with tens of millions of pounds of bycatch. *CCA Louisiana.*

Thank you to the following state representatives who chose conservation over politics, and voted YES to HB 1033:

The bill will now move to the Louisiana Senate.

Click here to learn more about the importance of menhaden in the Gulf and Atlantic and take action in support of conservation.

Top photo courtesy of Healthy Gulf via Flickr.

by: Kristyn Brady

posted in: Press Releases

April 27, 2022

Senators Introduce Legislation to Study and Stop the Spread of CWD

The Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act moved swiftly through the House last fall and hunters have urged the Senate to pass its version without delay

In an important step forward for chronic wasting disease solutions today, Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced legislation to address a host of state and federal needs in the fight to contain CWD, which is a serious threat to the future of deer hunting in the U.S.

The Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act calls for an annual $70-million investment through fiscal year 2028 split between CWD management and research priorities.

“For years, hunters have been calling for a comprehensive legislative solution to help combat the rapid spread of chronic wasting disease, which threatens the very future of wild deer and deer hunting in America—this bill addresses multiple facets of this complex problem,” says Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “We were thrilled to see it move so quickly through the House this fall and we’re proud to see the bipartisan support this legislation already has in the Senate. Sportsmen and sportswomen look forward to working with lawmakers to see it through to the finish line, so we can support states in their ongoing response to CWD, while conducting research that will lead to better long-term solutions.”

Introduction, debate, and floor passage of the House version all occurred between October and December of last year. Since that time, hunters have been calling on senators to step up and act swiftly to send legislation to the president’s desk.

In both bills, $35 million per year for research would focus on:

Methods to effectively detect CWD in live and harvested deer and the surrounding environment
Best practices for reducing CWD occurrence through sustainable harvest of deer and other cervids
Factors contributing to spread of the disease locally, such as animal movement and scavenging

Another $35 million per year for management, including surveillance and testing, would prioritize:

Areas with the highest incidence of CWD
Areas responding to new outbreaks of CWD
Areas without CWD that show the greatest risk of CWD emerging
Jurisdictions demonstrating the greatest financial commitment to managing, monitoring, surveying, and researching CWD
Efforts to develop comprehensive policies and programs focused on CWD management

The bill also includes authorization for federal, state, and Tribal agencies to develop educational materials to inform the public on CWD and directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to review its Herd Certification Program, which accredits captive operations as “low-risk” for CWD contamination but has proven inadequate to stem the spread of the disease.

Other Senators supporting the bill include Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).

Learn more about chronic wasting disease and what’s at stake for wild deer and deer hunting here.

Top photo courtesy of Russell Wooldridge / Maryland DNR via Flickr.