Reflections from the TRCP board, staff, and friends

“Jim Range was the most ardent conservationist I’ve ever known, as he never restricted problem solving to traditional means. Jim was about producing results for the American sportsman, period. And you never had to guess what he was thinking!” –Marc Pierce, TRCP Board Member

“While Jim had the formal training of biology and law, he never practiced either profession but parlayed that training and knowledge with his remarkable skills as a craftsman of public policy. What distinguished him from everyone else was his ability to take natural resource management concepts and transform them into enacted laws and funded programs. His considerable intellect and magnetic personality enabled him through his fierce loyalty to science based conservation to be the most important ‘outside’ influencing factor on what goes on in the ‘inside.’ His ability to see around political corners was epic. Jim pursued the chase of the best interests of the American sportsman in the halls of government with the same gusto, passion and determination he did when chasing after sharp-tailed grouse on the golden autumn hills of the Great Plains. In a word Jim Range is irreplaceable!” --Matt Connolly, TRCP President Emeritus

“The measure of any man’s life is did he leave things better than he found them. There is simply no debate that Jim Range has left things far better than he found them. The conservation community has lost a giant and we have lost a dear friend.” –Matt Hogan, TRCP Board Member

“Jim saw a changing world in which the voices of hunters and anglers were being overshadowed by people and interests who don't hold the same reverence for ducks in flight at sunrise or elk bugling in the fall. With his characteristic energy, he convinced colleagues and friends to form the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership in the tradition of our 26^th president to speak with a louder voice to assure the future of fish and wildlife and hunting and fishing. This will be one of Jim's most enduring legacies.” –Dr. Rollin Sparrowe, TRCP Board Member

“Jim was one of the most remarkable men I ever met. He had a passion for hunting, fishing, and wild places that was beyond measure, and that passion was contagious. He made you want to fight for conservation, and like any great general, he made you want to follow him into battle. It may be a longtime before we truly appreciate the impact he had on our lands and waters, but for now it's clear that hunters and fishermen have lost a great friend, and so have I.” –Sid Evans, TRCP Board Member

“Jim Range was one of the most effective conservation leaders of our time. Throughout his career he worked passionately for the nation's hunters and fishermen and everyone who loves our environment. He brought an exceptionally inclusive,pragmatic and sophisticated approach to conservation without care for personal recognition or acclaim. No one was a better companion in the stream or field. I will miss him deeply and so should everyone who loves the outdoors.” –Charles Collins,TRCP Board Member

“Jim Range mad ehunting and fishing better for every American. He did not seek personal accolade or fame. Every day had the purpose of making it possible that each person who wanted to be in the field or on the water would have that opportunity. We think of Teddy Roosevelt and Aldo Leopold as legendary conservation visionaries. So too will coming generations recognize that the work and skills of Jim Range were that of a visionary. Jim was a man of action who could be comfortable visiting with those who hold the highest national office and who could also skin a rattlesnake with a cowboy or net shad with a waterman. Jim’s legacy will live on the prairie and the waters of America for all of us to enjoy.” --Charles S. Potter Jr., TRCP Board Member

“Jim Range was the best hunting buddy and the best fishing partner that any conservationist ever had. I am sorry to say that most of them never came to know of his work on their behalf. A few were fortunate enough to know of his work in the conservation community. Fewer yet knew him personally. A very fortunate few got to count him among their hunting buddies and their fishing partners. I feel really fortunate to have been included in all three groups. I will miss him greatly, but never forget my time and work with him.” --Don Rollins, TRCP Board Member

“Jim Range brought together an industry separated by a common objective. Nowhere else can you have organizations that compete for funding unite together under the TRCP to meld a common message. It is a joy to be a part of this group.” --Christopher Merritt, TRCP Board Member

“Anglers and hunters everywhere owe a debt of gratitude to Jim Range, a man they probably never heard of. Jim was the real deal…he made it his life’s mission to ensure that our outdoors are protected for everyone to enjoy. Jim didn’t believe in failure. It just wasn’t in his vocabulary.He would do whatever it took to safeguard our outdoor heritage. He had a real talent, a true gift, for being able to bring everyone else along with him. And he truly loved being outdoors. He fished and hunted all over the country with a passion for the sport and a respect for the resources that was unparalleled. I will miss him!” --Michael Nussman, TRCP Board Member

“Jim Range, in the tradition of Teddy Roosevelt, was a rough rider. He saw the role of sportsmen as the political center of gravity on the conservation continuum in America. He anchored that role in his personal and professional passion for the future of our sporting traditions. He had a rasty sense of humor and a genuine respect for the tug and pull of policy--at the center of the political tornado, right where he liked it! He called it as he saw it. He fought for what was right,win or lose. And he didn’t lose many because he balanced passion with savvy. And along the way, he taught us all how to move the political needle in a completely unique style.
Roosevelt, Leopold, Grinnell, Pinchot….move on over….make way in your place for another unique and irreplaceable giant of conservation. He’s left our hall and is now in yours.” --Jim Martin, TRCP Board Member

“Jim Range learned early on that good hospitality was the best way to bring together folks who may not see eye to eye on preserving the special places cherished by hunters and anglers. That’s why he cajoled,brow-beat, and charmed sportsmen, environmentalists, union members, and folks of all stripes to come to his table, break bread, and talk about common cause.Personally, this approach satisfied his generous nature and jovial spirit.Professionally, it helped forge strategic political alliances that resonate to this day. His unique ability to form fellowships with disparate people will be sorely missed among sportsmen and the conservation community as a whole.” –Tom St. Hilaire, TRCP Vice President of Campaign Management