Jim Range Wins 2010 Budweiser Conservationist Award

TRCP co-founder and former chairman Jim Range, a preeminent American sportsman-conservationist, has been posthumously honored as the 2010 Budweiser Conservationist of the Year.

The award, presented by Budweiser and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation at the 2010 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show, recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to perpetuating the American outdoor way of life.

"The TRCP is proud to be guided by the vision and legacy of Jim Range, one of the country's greatest sportsmen-conservationists," said TRCP Chairman Jim Martin, "and we are profoundly honored to have this legacy recognized through his selection as Budweiser Conservationist of the Year.

"In the 12 months since Jim was so suddenly taken from us, the thousands who knew him and supported his conservation work have struggled to find ways to express our sorrow at his loss - and sought ways to pay tribute to his tireless efforts to ensure responsible management of our natural resources," Martin continued. "Budweiser and NFWF have given us the means to acknowledge all that Jim has done."

In addition to his leadership in establishing and chairing the TRCP, Range served on the boards of directors for numerous organizations, including Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, the Wetlands America Trust, the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, the American Sportfishing Association, the American Bird Conservancy, the Pacific Forest Trust, the Yellowstone Park Foundation and the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust. He also was an original NFWF board member.

During his 11 years on Capitol Hill, Range played a central role in the passage of several landmark laws, including the Clean Water Act. In 2003, Jim received the U.S. Department of the Interior's Great Blue Heron Award, the highest honor given by the department to an individual at the national level.

"On behalf of the family of Jim Range, we want to thank Budweiser and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for their recognition of Jim's efforts to preserve and protect the notion that all Americans will have access to America's natural resources for future generations for hunting and fishing," said John Neel Range, Jim's brother, who was on hand to accept the award. "Jim was keenly aware that 'we gotta save this thing we love 'cause ain't nobody else gonna do it.' With this generous award, we can ensure that others will be able to continue his efforts."
For more information on the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, visit www.trcp.org.