Here's what happens when grassroots conservationism finds fertile soil: The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), along with a group of cherished partners, just raised and supplied just about $4.2 million dollars ($4,197,169, to be precise). These dollars, raised in Idaho, will go to improving wildlife habitat, wildlife management efforts, youth archery and trap shooting programs, as well as mentored hunting and educational conservation programs across the state.
RMEF accomplished this along with the Caribou-Targhee, Idaho Panhandle, Payette and Salmon-Challis National Forests, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Bureau of Land Management, private landowners and conservation, sportsmen, government, business and civic organizations. What's more, the organization did this with 18 separate chapters and only about 7,000 RMEF chapter members ... proof of the power of dedicated volunteers working hard to achieve a common goal.
"These 27 projects stretch across the state and enhance more than 80,000 acres of habitat for elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, sage grouse, and many other wildlife species. That’s good news for animals and the landscapes they rely on," said Jameson Sharp, RMEF regional director for southern Idaho.
RMEF has a long history of conservation accomplishment in Idaho. Since 1985, it collaborated with partners to complete 720 conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects with a combined value of more than $97.7 million. These projects conserved or enhanced 807,237 acres of habitat and opened or improved public access to 45,952 acres. Click here to view a listing of the projects. (*Idaho received the funding allocation in 2024 but its impacts carry over into 2025 and beyond.)
