MISSOULA, Mont.—A strong, vibrant membership continues to support the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and its mission. RMEF ended 2019 maintaining an all-time high of more than 234,000* members.
“Simply put, we could not do what we do without our dedicated members, volunteers and partners,” said Kyle Weaver, RMEF president and CEO. “We are grateful to maintain the strength and momentum of a membership base whose support propelled us to reach many accomplishments in 2019 by putting more money on the ground all across America to benefit elk, other wildlife our hunting heritage.”
2019 Highlights:
- Surpassed 12,000 lifetime conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects
- Opened/improved public access to 59,682 acres across nine states
- Enhanced 366,678 acres of wildlife habitat in 23 states
- Permanently protected 25,376 acres of habitat across 12 states
- Topped $1 million for elk-related research in 2019 alone
- Provided funding/volunteer manpower to help complete Wisconsin elk restoration efforts
- Advocated Congress and state legislatures, on behalf of our membership, for many issues including forest management reform, Land and Water Conservation Fund reauthorization, predator management & more
- RMEF, partners successful in court case maintaining game retrieval access in Arizona
- Hosted state, federal agency leaders at the Elk Summit III
- Reached 108.5 million people via social media platforms, had 914,956 followers & nearly 45 million minutes watched of RMEF videos
- Totaled nearly 4.8 million website page views
- Unveiled updated RMEF branding
- Hosted an all-new Elk Camp and inaugural Mountain Festival in Park City, Utah
“Our goal is to harness the 2019 synergy of this conservation movement by successfully working alongside our members, volunteers and partners to do even more in 2020 to benefit elk and elk country,” added Weaver.
*2019 membership total does not include RMEF youth members
About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Founded more than 35 years ago, fueled by hunters and a membership of nearly 235,000 strong, RMEF has conserved more than 8 million acres for elk and other wildlife. RMEF also works to open and improve public access, fund and advocate for science-based resource management, and ensure the future of America’s hunting heritage. Discover why “Hunting Is Conservation™” at rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.