Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Announces Four New Board Members

posted in: General

January 9, 2025

Experts in conservation, finance, and community building join the leadership team

(Washington D.C.)—The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is pleased to announce the appointment of four new directors to its leadership team. George Cooper, Nick Seidenberg, Ashley Smith, and Bob Ziehmer join the 27-member board that oversees TRCP. 

“TRCP is fortunate to welcome these four individuals as new members of our Board of Directors,” said Alston Watt, TRCP board chair. “Their wide range of expertise will help us build upon our organizational strengths and help conserve hunting, fishing, and the wild places we cherish for future generations.”

Bios for the incoming board members can be found below. To read more about TRCP’s full Board of Directors and leadership team, click HERE.

“We are thrilled to welcome these industry leaders and dedicated conservation advocates to the TRCP family,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of the TRCP. “Our Board of Directors plays a pivotal role in guiding our organization and empowers us to continue uniting and amplifying our partners’ voices to advance America’s legacy of conservation, habitat, and access. With the addition of George, Nick, Ashley, and Bob to the Board, TRCP is well positioned to achieve our mission of guaranteeing all Americans quality places to hunt and fish.”

George Cooper

George Cooper is a Partner at Forbes Tate Partners leading the firm’s natural resources and outdoor recreation government affairs practice, representing nonprofits, corporations, and trade associations on policy related to natural resource conservation, public lands, marine fisheries, agricultural land, tax, trade, and appropriations issues. George leverages his extensive network in DC to connect clients with the right people on Capitol Hill and in pertinent federal agencies and guide them in delivering messages and creating conversations that produce meaningful results.

Prior to joining FTP, George served as President and CEO of TRCP. Throughout his nearly eight years at TRCP, both as CEO and as vice president for policy and communications, he helped create a new strategic advocacy niche in Washington for the nation’s 40 million hunters and anglers. George’s political experience is rooted in Washington, DC political media. Before joining TRCP, he worked for CNN serving as Senior Producer for prominent public affairs shows like “Evans and Novak,” “Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer,” and “Reliable Sources.” George also served as a Senior Producer on the White House and Capitol Hill beats. An alumnus of Denison University, Mr. Cooper earned a bachelor’s in history. He and his wife and their two children live in Chevy Chase, Maryland

Nick Seidenberg

Nicholas Seidenberg is a Managing Director at Eastdil Secured, a privately held real estate investment banking firm headquartered in New York. Nick co-leads Eastdil Secured’s Debt Capital Markets division and serves as a member of the nine-person Executive Committee.

Growing up in Minnesota, Nick developed a deep appreciation for the outdoors. From autumn weekends in duck blinds with his father and brother to summers spent fishing on Minnesota’s lakes, these early experiences instilled in him a lifelong love for nature and quality time in nature with loved ones.

Nick and his wife, Casey, have been married for 29 years and reside in Washington, D.C. They have three children whom Nick enjoys taking on hunting and fishing trips to Minnesota, Montana and Rhode Island, continuing a family tradition of bonding through the outdoors.

In addition to his professional achievements, Nick has been actively involved in nonprofit work in Washington, D.C. Most recently, he served on the board of Children’s National Medical Center. Nick earned a B.S. in Applied Economics from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from NYU’s Stern School of Business.

Ashley Smith

Attorney Ashley Smith is a bi-lingual thought leader, group cohesion expert, writer, and national public speaker. Ashley co-founded The Minority Outdoor Alliance with the mission of uniting communities for the enjoyment and conservation of our natural resources. Ashley is also the founder of NOS Global, LLC, which helps organizations uncover how to benefit from an ever-changing world through data-driven strategic planning and organizational cohesion programs.

Ashley has had the honor of giving speeches, facilitating workshops, and hosting large outdoor recreational and educational events for a number of state agencies, conservation organizations, and corporations across the nation.

Ashley completed her undergraduate education at the University of Georgia with degrees in journalism and Spanish. After college, Ashley completed her law degree at Georgia State University College of Law.

Ashley seeks the outdoors as a place to renew and rejuvenate. Ashley likes to meditate, pray, and exercise outdoors. She also enjoys archery, biking, hiking, and fishing. Ashley believes that there is so much more that unites us as human beings than divides us and believes that being outdoors is the perfect setting for memory making, tradition keeping, and connecting with others. Ashley and her husband have a young daughter and son.

Bob Ziehmer

Bob Ziehmer currently serves as the Senior Director of Conservation for Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s where he is responsible for providing direction to advance priorities of protecting wildlife and habitat, connecting new audiences to the outdoors, and advocating for sportsmen’s rights and the outdoors. Bob serves as a liaison with state and federal agencies and over sixty national non-governmental groups to encourage advancement of projects, policy, and regulations advancing conservation and protecting our outdoor heritage.

Prior to joining Bass Pro Shops, Bob served over 25 years (6 ½ years as Director) with the Missouri Department of Conservation, where his work included: ensuring Missouri remained a national leader in forest, fish and wildlife research, management, and education; and served as a member of the Governor’s Cabinet, among others.

Bob has an unwavering passion for hunting, angling, and other outdoor adventures. His father’s commitment to spending time afield with him instilled the importance of conservation and our individual responsibilities to manage fish and wildlife for future generations, which he has passed along to his children.

Bob is a professional member of the Boone & Crockett Club. He currently serves as a national board member of: Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation; Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports; and National Deer Association.

Four members also concluded their time with the TRCP Board of Directors in December: James A. Baker IV, who served as TRCP board chair from 2021 – 2023; Bill Demmer, who helped establish the Bill and Linda Demmer Chief Conservation Officer position; Tod Sedgewick; and Aileen Lee. Their dedication to the TRCP mission and efforts to help advance America’s legacy of conservation, habitat, and access are to be applauded.

The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.

by: TRCP Staff

posted in: General

January 6, 2025

TRCP Announces New Development and Conservation Leadership

Key positions filled to strengthen conservation and development programs

Today, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership announces changes to leadership positions that will help the organization achieve its mission to guarantee all Americans quality places to hunt and fish.

Al Clark joins TRCP as the organization’s chief development officer, bringing over 21 years of development and conservation experience to the organization. In his most recent role as national director of development of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Clark advanced the nonprofit’s fundraising activities and major gift development. His professional background includes development leadership roles at Ducks Unlimited as well as in higher education at Furman University and Wofford College.

At TRCP, Clark will lead a talented team of development managers for growth in philanthropic and foundation giving, build corporate partner relationships, and oversee the organization’s hallmark annual event, the Capital Conservation Awards Dinner.

TRCP is also proud to announce the promotion of tenured staff to two senior leadership positions in the conservation program.

Joel Webster will serve as the Bill and Linda Demmer Chief Conservation Officer. In this role, he will work with TRCP’s policy team, external partners, and decision makers to further conservation and access priorities for private lands, public lands, marine fisheries, and water.

Webster has helped advance TRCP’s conservation portfolio since 2007 and is a member of the federal Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council, where he advises the secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture on habitat and access policy. He also serves as the vice chair of American Wildlife Conservation Partners, a coalition of 50 leading hunting and wildlife conservation organizations.

Madeleine West will lead as vice president of western conservation. First joining TRCP in 2019, West will work to advance a wide range of federal and state policies, including those focused on wildlife migration and winter range conservation, forest management, backcountry area conservation, energy policy, special places conservation, and expanded public access.

“I am pleased to announce these additions to TRCP’s leadership team. Al, Joel, and Madeleine each bring a strong passion for conservation and the TRCP mission and are proven leaders in our conservation community,” said Joel Pedersen, TRCP president and CEO. “I look forward to working with them as TRCP continues to build on our past successes. They will provide excellent stewardship to TRCP’s partners and community of hunters and anglers as we continue to advance America’s legacy of conservation, habitat, and access.”

Learn more about TRCP’s leadership HERE. 

by: Ian Nakayama

posted in: General

December 20, 2024

Why the ACE Reauthorization Act Becoming Law is Important for Hunters and Anglers

The legislation passed the U.S. Senate on December 18, 2024, and will reauthorize multiple programs that benefit hunting and angling.

The America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Reauthorization Act of 2024 passed the Senate by unanimous consent on Wednesday December 18, 2024. The legislation was sponsored by Senators Carper (D-Del.) and Capito (R-W.Va) and Representatives Wittman (R-Va.), Kiggans (R-Va.), Dingell (D-Mich.), and Thompson (D-Calif.) and will reauthorize multiple programs that benefit hunting and angling including:

The National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP), which focuses on state-led, science-based, collaborative efforts to protect, restore, and enhance aquatic ecosystems across the United States. Since its founding in 2006 NFHP has provided over $320 million in funding support for fish habitat conservation projects.

The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), which authorizes grants to public-private partnerships to protect, enhance, restore, and manage waterfowl, and the wetlands they rely upon. NAWCA has provided $2.28 billion in grants that have helped conserve more than 32.6 million acres of vital habitat.

The Chesapeake Bay Program, which is a regional partnership that guides the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. Since its inception in 1983 there have been billions of dollars in leveraged funds that have reduced nutrient pollution in the bay.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a non-profit organization chartered by Congress, is dedicated to sustaining, restoring, and enhancing the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats. Since its founding in 1984 it has grown to become the nation’s largest private conservation foundation.

The ACE Reauthorization Act also helps address threats like chronic wasting disease (CWD) by reauthorizing the CWD task force, which coordinates state, tribal, and federal efforts to limit the spread of CWD.

“America’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act benefits fish and wildlife while enhancing outdoor recreation opportunities for millions of hunters and anglers,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “We look forward to this important bipartisan legislation becoming law and ensuring the continued success of crucial conservation programs that will benefit hunters and anglers for generations to come.”

The original ACE Act was passed in 2020 and portions of it were sponsored by Representatives Wittman, Dingell, and Thompson. Many of its authorizations were expiring in 2025, necessitating the passage of the ACE Reauthorization Act of 2024 to ensure these programs can continue to operate in good legal standing.

The legislation was endorsed by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Ducks Unlimited, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the National Wildlife Federation, American Sportfishing Association, the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and the National Audubon Society.

TRCP works to maintain and strengthen the future of hunting and fishing by uniting and amplifying our partners’ voices in conserving and restoring wildlife populations and their habitat as challenges continue to evolve. Learn more about TRCP’s commitment to healthy habitat and clean water HERE.

by: Noah Davis

posted in: General

In The Arena: Taylor Sledge

TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.

Taylor Sledge

Hometown: Ridgeland, Mississippi
Occupation: Business Owner / Financial Adviser
TRCP Role: Flyway Leadership Council member

Sledge has hunted in the far north for Dall sheep and fished the mouth of the Mississippi River. These diverse experiences in wild places have instilled a desire to help conserve wild places so his children and future generations might have the same experiences.

Here is his story.

TRCP: How were you introduced to hunting, fishing, and the outdoors? Who introduced you?

Sledge: I grew up being constantly taken into the woods and waters by my dad and both of my grandfathers. Hunting and fishing are certainly legacy items for me.

TRCP: Tell us about one of your most memorable outdoor adventures.

Sledge: There are so many to come to mind, but one that sticks with me happened when I was about ten years old. My dad, my brother, and I were fishing at the mouth of South Pass, right where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf of Mexico. It was springtime, and the river was high, running cool and fast. I set the hook on a redfish, and just as I did, I stepped right off the edge of the boat and fell into the river. Lucky for me, I was wearing a life jacket. My dad pulled up the anchor, fired up the motor, and had to chase me down—I’d been swept a good ways by the current! When he finally got me back on the boat, still clutching my rod, I cranked the reel and found that fish was still on. A few minutes later, I brought it in, and we had fresh redfish and speckled trout for supper that night. By morning, my clothes were dry on the railing of our houseboat’s porch, and at sunrise, we went out and caught ‘em all over again.

Sledge and his son Solomon with a trophy crappie.

TRCP: How does conservation help enhance your outdoor life? Why should conservation matter to the next generation?

Sledge: I’m focused on stewardship. The outdoors are a gift, and we get to enjoy it every day. I’m about legacy. Being thoughtful of the environment, the species at hand, and the overall experience of being a conservationist gives me a more grand perspective on what we are leaving for other generations. Being a conservationist has given my life more meaning, and I want that for the people that come after me.

Conservation should matter to the next generation of hunters and anglers because we’re all meant to live alongside nature, not apart from it. That’s a truth that doesn’t change. Passing down our respect and love for the outdoors means teaching the next generation to carry this legacy with purpose. Even in a world that feels more artificial every day, nature has the final say—she’ll always have her way in the end.

Photo credits: Taylor Sledge

by: Noah Davis

posted in: General

Hunters and Anglers Cheer EXPLORE Act Passage

Bill will expand access opportunities to a variety of public land users

The United States Senate passed the EXPLORE Act through unanimous consent, building on House passage from April and advancing the legislation to the President’s desk. The EXPLORE Act is a comprehensive legislative package that would expand access opportunities to a variety of public land users, streamline permitting processes for businesses focused on providing recreation opportunities, and modernize outdoor infrastructure. 

“TRCP joins hunters, anglers, and the millions of other Americans who recreate on public lands and waters in thanking the House and Senate for passing this important bipartisan legislation,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “As recreation continues to evolve in the 21^st century, the EXPLORE Act ensures both the agencies and the public have the support and tools they need to make the most of their days outdoors.”

The EXPLORE Act was originally introduced by House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Ranking Member Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz) and advanced in the Senate by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Joe Manchin (I-WV) and Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).

The EXPLORE Act will:  

Expand availability of public target shooting ranges on BLM and Forest Land.

Allow states, counties, and Tribes to conduct recreation infrastructure enhancement or improvements on public lands through Good Neighbor Agreements.

Improve federal coordination and provide assistance to non-federal partners in preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species.