WSF Chapters and Affiliates Join Together in Denver for Wild Sheep
OutdoorHub 07.07.11
Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) WORLD HEADQUARTERS-Cody, Wyoming USA – June 29, 2011. More than sixty delegates from eighteen WSF Chapter and Affiliates plus representatives from state and federal wildlife and resource agencies assembled June 10-12, 2011 in Denver, Colorado to work together for wild sheep, their habitat, their wild sheep hunters and wild sheep enthusiasts, and to coordinate their wild sheep advocacy efforts at the Chapter & Affiliate Summit IV meeting, hosted by WSF and the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society (RMBS).
In May 2008, the Wild Sheep Foundation brought its chapters to the Cody headquarters to work towards establishing better communication and cooperation, with an overall objective to improve effectiveness in the Foundation’s purpose of “Putting & Keeping Sheep On the Mountain™.” The process coined “One Tent – One Campfire” by WSF President & CEO, Gray N. Thornton, improved intra-chapter communication, cooperation, issue and policy development and coordination between the Wild Sheep Foundation chapter community. After a second WSF chapter-only meeting in summer 2009, WSF Affiliates were invited to participate in the first WSF Chapter and Affiliate Summit meeting hosted by WSF Alberta Chapter in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in June 2010, The 4th Chapter and Affiliate Summit hosted by RMBS in Denver proved equally productive, bringing even more wild sheep advocates to the table to discuss issues, challenges, and opportunities facing wild sheep, their regional organizations, fundraising, governance, marketing and communications.
The event included a kick-off social and networking opportunity Friday evening sponsored by Washington WSF, Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia, WSF Alberta, Wyoming WSF and Brenton and Tammy Scott. The all-day Saturday Summit meeting sponsored by California WSF, Nevada Bighorns Unlimited, and the Wild Sheep Foundation featured informative presentations by Larry Jacobs and George Houston of Oregon FNAWS who spoke on their chapter’s model of bighorn sheep advocacy on the Payette National Forest, a US Forest Service overview and bighorn/domestic sheep interaction and status on USFS lands by USFS Region 2 Biologist and Full Curl Coordinator Melanie Woolever, an overview on bighorn and domestic sheep status on Bureau of Land Management lands by BLM Idaho State Biologist Tom Rinkes, and an overview of bighorns in Colorado by Division of Wildlife Biologist Janet George and RMBS President Robert Ong. Following an afternoon of open forum and organizational presentations led by WSF President Gray Thornton, and WSF Conservation Director Kevin Hurley, delegates departed by bus for a pregame social and dinner sponsored by New Mexico WSF, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society, Utah FNAWS, Eastern WSF and Montana WSF, then enjoyed the mile high evening at Coors Field watching the Rockies play the Dodgers.
A Sunday field excursion to Colorado Division of Wildlife’s disease research facility near Fort Collins and bighorn sheep disease research program overview by facility director CDoW’s Dr. Mike Miller rounded out a productive and informative weekend. WSF salutes the Chapter & Affiliate Summit IV host the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society and its fine members, and all Chapter and Affiliate event sponsors who helped ensure the event was a success.
Plans are already underway for the Wild Sheep Foundation’s Chapter & Affiliate Summit V scheduled for June, 2012 in/around Lewiston, Idaho, in conjunction with the annual Hell’s Canyon Bighorn Days hosted by Idaho WSF, Washington WSF and Oregon FNAWS.
The Wild Sheep Foundation, formerly the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, was founded in 1977 by sheep and mountain hunting enthusiasts and conservationists. With a membership of more than 6,000 worldwide and a chapter network in North America, WSF is the premier advocate for wild sheep, wild goats, other mountain wildlife, and their habitat. Since forming in 1977, the Wild Sheep Foundation has raised and expended more than $85 million on conservation, education and mission advocacy programs in North America, Europe and Asia. During the July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011 fiscal year, WSF raised and put on the ground more than $3.2 million in mission programs benefitting wild sheep, other mountain wildlife, their habitat and those who hunt and enjoy them.
For more information on WSF, the January 18-21, 2012 annual convention in Reno, Nevada, WSF’s many conservation and education programs, or to join as a member, please visit www.wildsheepfoundation.org or contact WSF at 720 Allen Avenue, Cody, Wyoming 82414 USA. Telephone 307-527-6261. Email info@wildsheepfoundation.org. Follow us on Facebook™ at Facebook.com/wild sheep foundation.
