RMEF and USFS partnership improves safety, wildlife habitat

Since 1985, the U.S. Forest Service and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation have partnered to advance land protection, habitat stewardship, public access, wildlife management, conservation education and critical wildlife research across the American west.

Over the last several years, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) has worked with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to create forest management areas that help slow or stop wildfires. Beyond forest management, RMEF also played a key role in ensuring dedicated funding to conservation within the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act.

Making the backcountry safer for humans and wildlife

In 2014, the San Juan fire burned its way through the White Mountains in Arizona, threatening the small town of Vernon. But then it ran into a series of forest thinning projects sponsored by RMEF and its partners. The flames slowed in speed and intensity, allowing firefighters to make a successful stand against the fire and saving the town.

In 2016, the Cold Fire tore through the Black Hills National Forest in western South Dakota. But the flames dropped in length because the fire hit a 2014 RMEF prescribed burn project, giving firefighters time to stop it.

Then in 2024-2025, RMEF partnered with USFS to fund a series of prescribed burns across 3,151 acres of the Bitterroot National Forest in southwest Montana and Idaho. These burns will help reduce the risk of high-intensity fires and increase the quality and quantity of food for wildlife. Prescribed burns in these areas will improve overall forest health, which in recent years has become even more critical as fire seasons have become more intense and unpredictable. This is not only good news for the wildlife that call the landscape home, but also for hunting, wildlife viewing and rural infrastructure protection.

These are just two examples of the power of forest management for wildfire prevention and control taken on by RMEF and its partners.

The Great American Outdoors Act

Beyond on-the-ground management efforts, RMEF played a critical role in the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) five years ago. This landmark bill has supported much-needed maintenance on federal lands including national parks, forests and wildlife refuges. These upgrades have helped protect both natural and cultural resources while bolstering local economies. GAOA also permanently and fully funded the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a program for which the RMEF has advocated for years. RMEF, also a strategic partner of The Wildlife Society, was critical in securing the passage of the bipartisan effort. TWS has also long supported the legislation.

“It cannot be overstated how important this program is for the future of conservation,” RMEF president and CEO Kyle Weaver said at the time. “It is vital for elk, other wildlife, public access and for safeguarding America’s hunting, fishing and other outdoor-related recreational traditions.”

The GAOA authorized $900 million in permanent annual funds to the LWCF. Prior to 2020, LWCF funding was based on annual congressional appropriations. To date, RMEF used millions of dollars in LWCF funding for 114 projects across 14 states to conserve and protect 240,851 acres of America’s most important elk (Cervus canadensis) habitat and open or improve public access to 474,229 acres for hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, wildlife viewing and other outdoor recreation.

“The protection of forested lands is made possible by diverse stakeholders sharing a conservation vision,” said Tami Sabol, the USFS National Liaison to RMEF. “Bringing projects to the finish line is so much more rewarding with partners because it is all about dedication and relationships.”

For more information about U.S. Forest Service’s partnership with RMEF, please reach out to Tami Sabol at tami.sabol@usda.gov.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service are Strategic Partners of TWS.