Sportsmen's Conservation Project

Wild Land for Wildlife

Today, the best hunting and fishing in the West is found on public land where intact habitat provides all the necessities for large populations of wild and native fish as well as healthy herds of trophy elk, deer and other big game animals. Unfortunately, some of the best habitat in the West is under attack. The Sportsmen’s Conservation Project (SCP), a cadre of anglers and hunters who work with their fellow sportsmen to protect irreplaceable habitat, has identified several threats that, if unchecked or unchallenged, could harm our sporting heritage.

• Backcountry Development: The best fish and game habitat in the West is found on land that hasn’t been developed or degraded by human activity. Classified as “roadless” areas, these large backcountry tracts remain the best to hunt and fish.
   
• Energy: Traditional oil and gas exploration and extraction has taken a toll on places dear to Western sportsmen.  Industry is threatening prime habitat where hunters stalk big game and anglers pursue wild trout in clear, untouched streams.
   
• Off-Road Vehicles: The irresponsible use of off-road vehicles (ORVs) comprises a frontal assault on some of the best hunting and fishing country in the West. A growing number of off-road riders are encroaching on prime fish and game habitat.

To counter these threats, the Sportsmen’s Conservation Project is responding with action. Throughout the West, our staff members are working to protect the nation’s best big game and fish habitat. We invite you to explore these pages to learn more about our efforts, and to join us to ensure our irreplaceable public lands provide top-quality sporting opportunities now, and for generations to come. 

Latest News

TU Welcomes Renewable Energy Legislation

New legislation introduced in both houses of Congress on renewable energy development is a positive step in the eyes of TU and its membership. While it's not the answer to every challege a move to renewable energy poses to fish and wildlife habitat in the West, the Clean Energy, Community Investment and Wildlife Conservation Act is a great step in the right direction. Most notably, the bill would require public land managers to sell renewable leases on public land, much like the land is now leased for oil and gas development. The proposed legislation also mandates that a substantial portion of the revenue from lease sales be reserved for mitigation work on habitat that is damaged by development.

The SCP and other sportsmen's organization hope to take this legislation one step further by ensuring that renewable development begins on land that is already developed, sparing pristine habitat in the West from damage as the move to renewable energy gains momentum. The use of existing towers, powerlines, corridors and other energy distribution equipment will minimize the footprint renewable energy sources will make on some of the best places to hunt and fish in the West.

Read TU's press release on the bill, read the fact sheet, and then view the list of sportsmen's organizations that have signed on to support this legislation.

Best Wild Places Tour Kicks Off in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming

Trout Unlimited's Sportsmen's Conservation Project has teamed with Field and Stream for the 2010 Best Wild Places tour. This year, the tour will feature six of the West's best fish and game habitats, all of which face threats to their future productivity from irresponsible oil and gas development, backcountry development or the misuse of off-highway vehicles.

TU members and other hunters and anglers across the country are encouraged to visit these places, take advantage of their unmatched sporting opportunities and then get involved with the SCP to help protect them for future generations. Learn more about the Best Wild Places here.