Symbols of WSFR's 75 Years of Success

Everyone should know the story of how America created the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration initiative that has returned many species, including the Rocky Mountain Elk, to abundance, protected millions of acres of habitat and served as a model of conservation for countries around the world. WSFR is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and to honor the milestone NSSF will feature examples of "un-endangered" species that have been rescued from severe population decline, and some from near extinction, through state and federal wildlife management programs whose WSFR funding has been maximized by firearms and ammunition industry companies.

As new species are presented, we hope you'll notice a favorite and be moved to reflect on this 75-year success story, which all began with passage by Congress of the Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act. We urge you to educate others about this uplifting story, too, so that the conservation efforts of our industry and the hunting and shooting sports community are appropriately recognized. For decades, NSSF has been telling this story to many audiences, including to students through its award-winning education video "The Un-endangered Species." The video teaches students about America's conservation ethic and the hunter's role in conservation.

Rocky Mountain Elk

Population then: 40,000

Population now: 1,000,000

The Rocky Mountain Elk: Prior to European settlement, more than 10 million elk roamed what is now the United States and Canada. By the late 1800s, market hunting and habitat degradation had caused a serious decline in elk populations. Initial efforts to stop the decline were made by hunter-conservationists. Eventually, those in the new field of wildlife management helped to reintroduce animals to their historical habitats and restore the species to healthy population levels. Today, about one million elk live in the western United States, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina, and from Ontario west in Canada.

Learn more about the history of elk in this article from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Video: NSSF President on WSFR
Learn more about WSFR 75 at www.wsfr75.com.
View "The Unendangered Species" education video.
Read "The Hunter and Conservation" educational brochure.
Put the Hunter's Pocket Fact Card in your pocket.