December 11, 2023

RMEF Soars to 9th Straight Year of Record Membership

January 17, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Press Release from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:

MISSOULA, Mont.—Riding a wave of conservation success, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation enters 2018 with 227,650 members, marking its ninth consecutive year of record membership growth.

“This continual sustained growth is a reflection of our on-the-ground conservation mission and improved advocacy and outreach efforts,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We are grateful to our members, volunteers, partners and sportsmen and women who are so supportive.”

This new tally marks a 50 percent increase in membership since 2008 and a 2.4 percent increase from a year ago.

Among its 2017 highlights, RMEF erased all long-term debt and remains debt-free for the first time in its 33-plus years. It also launched the Elk Network, a new online digital outreach tool focusing on all things elk and elk hunting. Additionally, RMEF assisted with ongoing elk restoration efforts in Wisconsin and reaffirmed its support of America’s public lands. It also bestowed its highest conservation honor on its 11,000-plus volunteers for their dedicated efforts in boosting RMEF’s mission.

“While we value and appreciate this record growth trend, RMEF vows to do all we can to increase and accelerate our conservation mission of ensuring the future elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage,” added Allen.

Since 1984, RMEF and its partners completed more than 11,000 conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects with a combined value of more than $1.1 billion. These projects protected or enhanced 7.2 million acres of habitat and opened or secured public access to 1.2 million acres.

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RMEF Marks 8th Consecutive Year of Record Membership

January 9, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Press Release from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:

MISSOULA, Mont.—The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation rings in 2017 with an all-time record of 222,235 members.

“We are extremely grateful for all our members, volunteers, partners, and other sportsmen and women who support our conservation mission,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “This continual growth is a strong indicator of the values and importance we all share in maintaining and improving elk and elk country, hunting and public access opportunity, and advocating for issues vital to our hunting heritage.”

The new figure marks the eighth consecutive year of record growth. It also marks a 32 percent increase in membership since 2008.

2016 included several RMEF lifetime milestones such as surpassing 10,000 conservationprojects, topping one million acres of new or improved public access and surpassing a combined seven million acres of wildlife habitat protected or enhanced.

RMEF also provided volunteer manpower and financial support in helping to return elk to their native range in West Virginia for the first time in more than a century.

“We especially appreciate the vital contributions of our dedicated volunteer army that numbers 11,000 across more than 500 RMEF chapters nationwide. They selflessly work countless hours to benefit elk and elk country,” added Allen.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation also expanded its outreach and educational efforts with its#HuntingIsConservation social media campaign which reached more than 24.4 million people in 2016 and will continue into 2017.

RMEF recently topped 485,000 likes on Facebook while the RMEF blog Elk Tracks has approximately 1.45 million page views. Its YouTube channel has more than 1.2 million views plus an additionally 82,000 followers on Instagram. RMEF is also growing on Twitter andLinkedIn.

Coming in early 2017, RMEF plans to launch a new online venture that will serve as a complete source for all things elk, elk country, hunting and conservation.

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RMEF Records All-Time Membership High

January 13, 2016 by 1 Comment

Press Release from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:

MISSOULA, Mont.—The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation marked its seventh consecutive year of record growth by announcing a new membership total of 219,750 as of December 31, 2015.

“We are grateful for so many men and women who support and value conservation and our mission,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We don’t take this influx of new members lightly. We will continue to do all in our power to conserve and enhance elk habitat, create new and improved access opportunities for hunters and remain active in issues impacting the future of wildlife and our hunting heritage.”

The new figure represents a seven percent increase from just a year ago and highlights the largest single year of membership growth since 2010.

Since its founding in 1984, RMEF has carried out more than 9,800 lifetime projects that protected or enhanced more than 6.7 million acres of vital elk habitat. RMEF has also assisted in restoring wild, free-ranging elk herds to their native range in Wisconsin, Kentucky, Tennessee, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Missouri and Virginia, and is an integral part of on-going efforts in West Virginia. The total value of RMEF’s all-time conservation work recently topped the $1 billion milestone.

“We especially need to recognize and commend our volunteers from coast-to-coast for their work with RMEF banquets, membership drives and other events,” added Allen.

RMEF has more than 11,000 active volunteers serving in 500 chapters spread across the United States. They take part in conservation projects and raise funds that are put back on the ground in their backyards to bolster RMEF’s mission of ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is also gaining a greater following through its social media platforms. Facebook recently topped 400,000 likes while the RMEF blog Elk Tracks has approximately 860,000 page views and YouTube has nearly one million views. RMEF is also growing on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

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RMEF Soars to Sixth Consecutive Year of Record Membership

January 14, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Press Release from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:

MISSOULA, Mont.—For the sixth year in a row, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation surpassed its record membership level from the previous year, now totaling 205,249 members.

“This growth indicates that more and more conservation-minded people recognize the good work that RMEF is carrying out and want to be a part of it,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We are grateful to each of them for their support and especially to our diligent volunteers who work tirelessly conducting membership drives, banquet activities and other fundraising events.”

Capping its 30th year as a conservation organization, RMEF’s membership is up 27 percent since its 20th anniversary in 2004 and 57 percent since its 10th anniversary in 1994.

“Our goal has never been to be the largest conservation organization but it is of paramount importance that we remain accountable to our membership for our actions and on-the-ground efforts,” added Allen. “Looking at the bigger picture, we appreciate hunters and recognize the role they play in providing the lion’s share of funding for North America’s wildlife conservation efforts. In a nut shell, Hunting Is Conservation and RMEF will surge forward to the best of our ability in carrying out our mission to ensure the future of elk, elk country and our hunting heritage.”

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RMEF Rides Momentum of Record-Setting 2013 into 2014

February 22, 2014 by 1 Comment

MISSOULA, Mont.–The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation rolls into its 30th year of existence fresh off a fifth consecutive year of record membership, the unveiling of a new endowment to boost its core mission programs and having topped 6.4 million acres of land protected or enhanced.

“There’s no doubt that 2013 was an incredible year for us, perhaps one of the best ever,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We are so grateful to our volunteers and members because their dedication and commitment to elk, elk country and conservation made it all possible.”

2013 highlights:

• Enhanced or protected 112,760 acres of land toward an overall lifetime mark of more than 6.4 million acres

• Opened or secured access to 62,027 acres toward an overall lifetime mark of more than 707,000 acres

• Completed 562 projects bringing lifetime number of projects to 8,651

• Unveiled $30 million Torstenson Family Endowment to further core mission programs of permanent land protection, habitat stewardship, elk restoration and hunting heritage

• Restored a wild elk herd to Missouri

• Fueled continuing elk restoration project in Virginia

• Recorded fifth straight year of record membership, now at 203,703

• Provided 357 grants in 44 states for hunting heritage and conservation outreach, directly reaching more than 184,000 children and adults

• Maintained the highest rating of 4 stars from Charity Navigator, America’s top charity ratings service

• Announced 100 percent of revenue from national convention tags to be awarded to individual states to benefit wildlife conservation

• Topped 100,000 Facebook followers With scores of on-the-ground conservation projects planned or already in the works across the nation, hundreds of local banquets and fundraisers scheduled in the coming months, and the unveiling of an exciting, new RMEF endeavor later this year, expectations are soaring for 2014.

“We recognize RMEF’s 30th anniversary as the ‘Year of the Volunteer’ and we’re working with a full-speed-ahead mentality to accelerate our mission like never before,” added Allen. “We also look forward to capping off 2014 at Elk Camp in early December when we unveil the new Hunter Christmas Exposition in conjunction with the National Finals Rodeo.”

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RMEF Membership Tops 200,000

January 13, 2014 by Leave a Comment

MISSOULA, Mont.–For the first time in its 30-year history, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation surpassed the 200,000 member mark. Membership now stands at an all-time high of 203,703. The new total, as of the final day of 2013, is 7,624 higher than the end of 2012. It also marks record growth for the fifth year in a row.

“We are extremely thankful for all our members and volunteers who believe and invest in our mission to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO.

The surge in membership continues a trend that began in 2008. Since then, hunters and conservationists joined RMEF to increase overall membership by more than 25 percent.

Evidence of RMEF’s growing membership also exists in its growing social media presence. RMEF recently passed 100,000 likes on Facebook and set an organization record by reaching more than 2.1 million Facebook users over a seven day period in late 2013. RMEF is also active online via its website and blog as well as Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.

“More and more people are finding out that RMEF stands tall alongside sportsmen and women in support of conservation, wildlife management and hunting,” added Allen. “Hunters remain the driving economic force that funds land and wildlife conservation in North America. We will continue to press forward in our quest to conserve and enhance vital habitat, create and secure public access, restore elk to their native range, strengthen and ensure the future of our hunting tradition, promote the management of all wildlife including predators and spread the fact that hunting is conservation.”

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RMEF Launches Youth Membership

November 12, 2013 by Leave a Comment

MISSOULA, Mont.–In an effort to better promote and protect the present and future of conservation, a love of the outdoors and hunting, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation initiated a new youth membership category.

“We remain committed to ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat, and our hunting heritage. And who holds the keys to that future if not our sons and daughters and grandchildren?” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “As far as gifts go, this membership ranks right up there with your first rifle or bow. It will attract, engage and help young hunter-conservationists fall to love with elk, the places they live and the challenge of hunting them.”

The new RMEF Youth Membership costs $20 per year and is designed for girls and boys age 17 and under. It will offer six digital issues of Bugle magazine, e-newsletters, an RMEF hat, a membership card, member discounts and decals. Members will also have access to social media sites specifically designed for them that include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and a blog to share their photos and videos. There will also be online contests for outdoor gear and other interactive activities.

Since its founding nearly 30 years ago, RMEF invested in tomorrow’s future by reaching thousands of youth through the sponsorship of quality programs like the National Archery in the Schools Program, 4-H Shooting Sports, state hunter education courses, the Boy Scouts of America, the Future Farmers of America and scores of hunting, shooting, archery, fishing and other outdoor-related camps and programs.

In 2013 alone, RMEF promoted and sponsored more than 200 youth activities and programs across the country and introduced thousands of young and novice shooters to safe, responsible and enjoyable firearm use at nearly 60 SAFE Challenge (Shooting Access for Everyone) events.

“Right now, we’re busy passing on our hopes and dreams and the things we love most to our youth,” said Allen. “Before we know it, though, we’ll be passing on the reins to this next generation of hunters and conservationists. We need to make sure their ranks are strong.”

RMEF welcomes Remington as the first sponsor of the youth membership category.

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Stellar 2012 Leads to Higher Hopes for RMEF in 2013

February 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment

MISSOULA, Mont. – ?Fresh off a fourth consecutive year of record membership, growing total acres conserved to more than 6.2 million and placing an increased emphasis on hunting heritage, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation now ambitiously eyes 2013.

“?We are grateful for what was a successful 2012 on many different fronts,?” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “?Our volunteers and members continue to amaze with their passion and hard work in furthering our mission, but we have even bigger plans to do more for conservation in 2013.”?

2012 highlights:

*? Reached a lifetime mark of habitat enhanced or protected of 6,287,980 acres.
*? Continued priority focus and funding of public access projects. To date, RMEF has opened nearly 650,000 previously inaccessible acres for the public to hunt, fish or otherwise enjoy.
*? Completed 544 projects in 2012, bringing the total lifetime number of projects to 8,096.
*? Restored a wild elk herd in Virginia.
*? Fueled continuing elk restoration projects in Missouri, Wisconsin and Maryland.
*? Recorded fourth straight year of record membership, now at 196,079.
*? Provided 312 grants in 43 states for hunting heritage and conservation outreach, reaching more than 393,000 children and adults.
*? Enhanced mission statement to ?ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage? (new addition in italics).
*? Maintained strong fiscal performance with budget positive organizational performance.
*? Maintained the highest rating, 4 Stars, from Charity navigator, America’?s top charity ratings service.

With dozens of on-the-ground conservation projects already in the works in many states, hundreds of local banquets and fundraisers scheduled in the coming months, and RMEF?’s upcoming annual national convention later this month, excitement and expectations are sky-high for 2013.

?”We will unveil news at Elk Camp that will propel RMEF into a realm not previously known,”? added Allen. ?”This game-changing announcement will allow RMEF to do more conservation work, focus more effort on passing on our hunting heritage to our children and grandchildren, and free up more land for public access than ever before.”?

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