MISSOULA, Mont. — The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation recently hosted members of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) for a two-day Western elk summit.
Presentations and case studies ranged from hunting, research and elk management to disease, drought, wildfire and other issues.
“It is invaluable for us as a conservation organization and a partner of state and federal agencies to both witness and take part in so many discussions that are relevant to our mission, including the wide-ranging challenges of implementing and overseeing wildlife management from state to state,” said RMEF Chief Conservation Officer Blake Henning.
Participants included wildlife agency leadership from Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, the Department of Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service.
“This was an opportunity for Western state wildlife agencies to share and contrast their management challenges and innovative solutions. WAFWA’s role was to work with RMEF to arrange the opportunity, prioritize the most pressing topics and let the states lead the discussion,” said WAFWA Executive Director Zach Lowe.
RMEF has a longtime, productive relationship with WAFWA. In addition to providing collaborative support, the two organizations teamed up in 2023 in a partnership that is delivering a combined $1.2 million to accelerate Western states’ big game migration corridor conservation priorities. It emerged at a critical time to help address state-led planning for big game migration and connectivity strategies and facilitated the launch of WAFWA’s Wildlife Movement and Connectivity Initiative in January 2025.
About the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies:
Founded in 1922, WAFWA represents fish and wildlife agencies from 23 states and Canadian provinces with a goal to support sound resource management, advance the best available science and build partnerships at all levels to conserve wildlife at a landscape scale.
About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Now in its fifth decade of conservation accomplishment and fueled by hunters, RMEF has conserved more than 9.1 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.