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posted in: General

January 22, 2025

The Growing History of a Hunting Camp

In the second installment of her family hunting camp stories, TRCP’s energy policy advisor McKay Fleck shares how the history of hunting camp expands with every shared season

It had been six years since my dad and brother came deer hunting with me in Wyoming, and the itch for another family hunting trip needed to be scratched. We decided to go for elk this time, so we needed to make sure that my family had their cow elk tags well in advance. Luckily, they drew, and the hunt was planned. But it wouldn’t just be the three of us this time. My partner, Irah, and his father would be in camp with us.

Irah also has a 10×12 foot wall tent with a wood stove, similar to the one we bought in 2018. As fate would have it, the tents fit together perfectly and could be conjoined by the awning that tied to my wall tent. Our camp was growing.

The author’s father enjoying his tent.

We chose a campsite on BLM land close to the end of the road. Because of the type of tags my dad and brother had drawn, they were only able to hunt “off forest service land.” We did not have access to hunt on the patchwork of private land that checkers the mountain, so they were relegated to hunting opportunities on BLM and state trust land.

My dad arrived a few days earlier than my brother, giving us time to finish setting up camp and allowing my dad to acclimate to the altitude. We hunted from the house for a few days until my partner and his dad could join us on the mountain.

Unlike our first hunting camp in Wyoming, it was unseasonably warm and dry. Wildfires had burned over half a million acres in Wyoming by hunting season, and there was a fire ban preventing us from evening campfires. We made do with propane heaters at night and hunted in t-shirts during the day.

Dad filled the first tag with a cow elk, and when my brother arrived at camp the next night, he was happy to see that we had already been successful. Packing the same rifle we had all hunted with in 2018, he was eager to head to the mountain the next day. It was going to be quite a hike: two miles along an easement through private land, bushwhacking up a steep slope, skirting the face of a cliff, and scrambling up a scree field just to stay on BLM land to reach a place that sometimes holds elk.

The elk weren’t there.

That evening in camp, with all five of us crammed around the propane heater of the wall-tent, we brainstormed strategies for the next day. Over our steaming bowls of chili, we cussed and discussed our options. My brother was surprisingly optimistic after the 12-mile hike, and our dad volunteered to take him on an easier hunt the next day. Irah and I would hunt on Forest Service land where our tags were legal. We squeezed past each other in the tent as we packed our lunches for the next day. It was crowded, but comfortable, as we filled it with new memories.

Late nights lead to lasting memories in hunting camp.

Because of the unusually hot and dry weather, tracks littered the pine needle duff of the forest, refusing to decay under the parched conditions. The tracks were unbothered by moisture, so it was difficult to identify a track as fresh or weeks old. Irritation grew as Irah and I followed spur trails that at first looked so promising, only to wither into obscurity. Combine our hunting frustration with being hungry and tired, and we were both ready to abandon the mission by noon.

We were walking back to the truck when I saw a pile of big, black nuggets shining in the duff.

“Poop!” I whispered excitedly to Irah as he walked around me.

“That’s the freshest thing we’ve seen all day,” he said as he continued walking.

“There could be a bull close by! We need to slow down!” All my weariness had dissipated with the possibility of elk.

“Well, good thing he’s headed back to the truck, because that’s where I’m going!” Irah said, not bothering to whisper.

Suddenly, he dropped to one knee and brought up his rifle. I dropped, too, not sure what he was seeing. I heard the crash of an elk running through the timber and we both ran for a short distance, listening for which direction it had gone.

Hunting isn’t just a hobby in our family. It pervades generations, providing food and bonding experiences across time. The tents that keep us warm and dry, the rifles that shoot straight, and the traditions we share nourish us like the meat from the animals we harvest.

“That was a big bull! All I saw was his butt, and then he turned his head,” Irah said.

“Why didn’t you take a shot?”

“Because I didn’t have a good target. I wasn’t going to take an unethical shot and risk losing a wounded animal,” he explained. My partner is one of the most careful hunters I’ve ever met.

“Well, then let’s go find him!” I urged excitedly.

“No way. He’s gone. I’m tired, hungry, and there’s no way we’re going to catch him now.”

I looked Irah square in the eyes and said, “Then don’t ruin it for me.”

“I won’t.” He turned and walked away.

I wasn’t about to let someone else’s attitude impact my hunt, so I turned and started to follow the elk’s tracks.

I tracked the bull for an hour and a half. He weaved in and out of the trees, up and down slopes, stopping and doubling back on his tracks, trying to lose me. His path was erratic, winding around the forest like Christmas lights in storage. It was exhausting, but I continued to follow out of sheer curiosity.

Tracking is one of my favorite things to do in the woods. Everywhere we went, my dad and grandad pointed out the different tracks we saw from the coast to the Cascades. Even outside of season, I practice following tracks. It’s a great way to learn about animal behavior. I decided that I wouldn’t give up until he walked on private land, or it grew too dark to see.

Eventually, he led me to a bold trail that contained a multitude of elk, deer, and hunter’s tracks. I feared I would lose him amid the myriad symbols in the sand, but sporadically I would see his track, large, round, and fresh in the dirt. I felt a sense of urgency as the bull entered this trail, and I quickened my pace. I was able to travel quietly on the path, but I was also more visible. The tracks suddenly veered off the trail, and that’s when I finally saw him.

We weren’t that far off the trail when I caught up to him, standing broadside looking at me about 50 yards away through the dense lodgepole pine forest. I couldn’t see how big he was, only that he was alone and had antlers. Kneeling, I waited for the split second when I had enough of a target between the trees. When I took my opportunity, he dropped.

All smiles on a long packout.

I met Irah back at the truck, carrying my rifle and what I could of the elk. It was about 3:30 p.m. and there was still a lot of work to do and not much daylight left. I gave Irah the coordinates for where I had left the carcass so he could finish butchering the elk while I went back to camp to get my brother.

When I rolled into camp, everyone was excited to hear that I had a bull down, but now the real work had begun. My brother grabbed his pack, I refilled my water bottles, and our dad packed us snacks to bring back to Irah. As I pulled away, I leaned out of the truck window and shouted back to my dad.

“Don’t start worrying about us until after midnight!” As if I could ever convince him to quit worrying about us for any length of time. With that, my brother and I left in a cloud of dust.

Irah already had the elk completely boned out and in game bags by the time my brother and I reached him. His mood had greatly improved since he left me in the forest, but his penance was not fully paid until we put about 100 pounds of meat in his backpack and hiked three miles to the truck. We finally arrived back at camp at 9 p.m., hungry and exhausted. Our dads had dinner on the stove and drinks poured before we could unload the game bags. We settled back under the awning of the tent like we had the night before, this time celebrating a hard-earned success. The tent was filled with stories of elk that night as my brother and partner repacked their bags for another morning hunt.

The next day we looked at the bull’s antlers in the daylight. He had a tiny devil’s point on his right side, and a small whale-tail on the left, making him an atypical 7×7.

“That’s the biggest bull anyone in our family has ever harvested,” my dad told me the next day as we drank our coffee from tin cups. He spoke from 50 years of experience hunting Roosevelt elk in the Cascade Range of Oregon.

The author’s 2024 Wyoming public land bull.

Hunting isn’t just a hobby in our family. It pervades generations, providing food and bonding experiences across time. The tents that keep us warm and dry, the rifles that shoot straight, and the traditions we share nourish us like the meat from the animals we harvest. They all have their histories, they all contain lessons, and those lessons teach us, generation after generation.

Read Part I of this story HERE.

Photo credits: McKay Fleck


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.

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Anglers and Hunters Cheer House Passage of MAPWaters Act

Bill would direct agencies to digitize recreational access information on federal waterways 

The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership joins anglers and hunters in cheering House passage of the Modernizing Access to Our Public Waters Act (H.R. 187).

The MAPWaters Act would improve recreation on federal waterways by investing in modern technology to provide anglers, hunters, boaters, and other water users the information they need to safely and legally access and utilize public waters administered by federal agencies.

The bipartisan legislation is led by Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah), Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho), and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.).

“The MAPWaters Act will help Americans make the most of their days on the water by directing federal agencies to clarify the complex rules of public waterways and making them readily available,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “This bipartisan legislation will ensure Americans recreate safely and legally as they enjoy our nations waters.”

The MAPWaters Act builds on the success of the MAPLand Act by directing federal agencies to digitize water and fishing access and recreational use information on federal waterways and to make those resources readily available to the public. Federal waterways include any portion of a body of water managed, or partially managed, by one or more of the following federal agencies: the Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Forest Service.

This newly digitized public information would include:

• Status information on which waterways are open or closed to entry or watercraft, including watercraft inspection or decontamination requirements.

• The areas of waterways with restrictions on motorized propulsion, horsepower, or gasoline fuel.

• Types of watercraft that are restricted on each area of a waterway, including the permissibility of canoes, rafts, motorboats, airboats, oversnow vehicles on frozen bodies of water, etc.

• The location and geographic boundaries of fishing restrictions on recreational and commercial fishing, including full or partial closures, no-take zones, and fishing restrictions within or surrounding marine protected areas.

• Fishing restrictions concerning specific types of equipment or bait, such as restrictions on the use of barbed hooks or live bait and requirements with respect to catch and release.

Much of this information is housed in agency documents and difficult for the public to discover and access. For example, in the Code of Federal Regulations, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service includes 42 pages worth of National Wildlife Refuge specific recreation rules, many of which are tied to waterway navigation, use, and fishing.

The clarity and accessibility of regulations for both the public and the agencies entrusted to manage these waters will result in more Americans confidently accessing and enjoying their public waters.

Learn more about TRCP’s commitment to public access HERE.

Photo credit: Gregg Flores 

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January 14, 2025

The Wall Tent and the Rifle 

In this first installment of her two-part story, TRCP’s energy policy advisor McKay Fleck writes how the equipment a family shares in the woods, and the public land that makes it all possible, binds them and adds to the long tradition of hunting camp 

In 2018, I earned my hunting guide’s license. I’d be guiding for a fledgling company that a friend established, and my dad and brother decided to drive out from Oregon to be my first clients.  I hadn’t been able to hunt with them since 2008, so this 10-year reunion was bound to be special.  

I’d been living in Wyoming for several years at this point and had reasonable success hunting on public land in my new home, so I felt confident in my ability to find them some deer. My dad had raised my older brother and me in hunting camps on Forest Service land since we were six-years-old, and one of my earliest memories is being absolutely furious that my brother was old enough to go hunting with my dad before me. But I suppose there’s no easy way to explain linear time to a toddler. 

Growing up, our hunting camps were filled with relatives, stories, and tents used long before I was born. Generations had passed down guns, gear, and hard lessons year after year until the sedimentary layers of stories had solidified into traditions that stood the test of time. We carved our tactics out of these stories, learning from the mistakes made by young hunters chasing mature deer and elk since time immemorial. Now, it was my turn to run the camp. 

Bonnie Maplesden (left) and Ryan Fleck, brother and sister, shot the same bull in 1996 outside of John Day, Oregon.

We planned the trip four months in advance. My dad and brother Adam had to figure out what they could fit in their truck and what gear I already had here in Wyoming. My dad planned to bring an old wall tent for us to sleep in, and I would have to figure out where to put it on the mountain.  

When I say “old wall tent” I mean it. It was made for service in World War I. After the Great War, it was used as a cook tent for cattle camps on their ranch in California, before trucks could make it up into the Siskiyou Mountains. The ranch sold while my dad was in college, but the old tent was still employed. My family continued to use it as a cook tent for hunting camps when they moved north into Oregon. My dad would set up a cot in the corner and be the first one up, heating the tent while coffee boiled on a rusty propane heater. The roof is perforated with starlight, a Milky Way of holes from a century of hot ash, mold, and moths. The ceiling lets in just enough light for sleepy kids to find new constellations in the ancient canvas. Despite the romantic image on clear nights, we had to put a tarp over the holey canvas to keep out the Oregon weather. 

So when I saw that my friends were selling their 10x12ft wall tent with an awning and wood stove for $300 on Facebook Marketplace, I jumped at the chance. I called my brother immediately and asked if he wanted to split the price with me, and he agreed.  

“Hey Dad, McKay’s friends are selling this really nice wall tent. Would you want to buy it?” he asked, showing our dad the advertisement.  

“Absolutely! That’s a good-looking tent for a good price,” he replied, enthusiastically.  

“Oh, too bad…it looks like it already sold. Oh well, maybe we’ll keep an eye out for one next year,” my brother lied. It was a spur of the moment decision. The tent would be a surprise early birthday gift for our dad. We had to conspire quickly. How would he be able to keep Dad from bringing the old wall tent without telling him about the new one?  

Despite our dad’s protestations, we packed him up and hauled him up the mountain amid his cries of “this doesn’t need to be an exercise in survival!” 

The friends we bought the new tent from helped me set up the camp before my family arrived. We cut lodge pole pines in the spring and stripped them of their bark, rotating the poles weekly as they dried. These friends were rendezvous reenactors; they spent decades going to traditional rendezvous wearing old fashioned handmade clothing, shooting flintlock rifles and traditional long bows. This wall tent had raised both of their kids, rode on the back of a pack string, and kept them warm through their own hunting camps. Buying this tent from them and learning how to set it up was like becoming a part of their family.  

It was sunny and warm when my dad and brother arrived at my house in Wyoming. We had the evening to catch up and organize our gear before heading up the mountain the next day. We convinced our dad that I “borrowed” a tent and that it was already set up. The next day we would drive to the camp and get settled before the opening day of hunting season.  

That’s when the storm hit. Wyoming weather at its finest dropped about 18 inches of snow overnight. Sixty mile per hour winds, sub-zero temperatures, and drifted snow weren’t going to prevent my brother and me from delivering the best birthday surprise ever! Despite our dad’s protestations, we packed him up and hauled him up the mountain amid his cries of “this doesn’t need to be an exercise in survival!” 

When we reached the BLM road that turned to the camp, we were completely snow blind. I got out of the truck and led the way on foot, bouncing back and forth between the ditches so that my brother could keep his truck on the road. Our dad was still cussing at us, trying to convince us to turn around. Tears froze on my face as I searched for the white canvas tent in the snowstorm. Finally, we arrived. Dad was still skeptical until we untied the door of the tent, and he saw the sign: “Happy Birthday Dad!!!!” He laughed as we explained how we conspired about the tent and how hard it was to keep the secret. The surprise was a success, though he insisted that the frigid winds were making his eyes and nose water. 

The new wall tent was quite the birthday surprise.

I stayed awake all night feeding the wood stove and listening to the dulcet tones of twin chainsaws snoring on the cots next to me. When it was finally time to get up and hunt, the wind had not subsided. We hiked up the draw close to camp as the sun rose, post-holing through snow drifts and looking for any deer who didn’t have enough sense to escape the mountain before the storm. By lunch time, my dad was certain that we were trying to kill him, so we made the tough decision to abandon the camp and hunt from town.  

Desperate for a backup plan, I called my friend and outfitter, Cindy. She had permission to cross private land to access a state section and graciously offered to take us out there for a mule deer.  

Cindy patiently guides Adam toward some Wyoming mule deer.

The next afternoon, we met Cindy at the edge of the property. My dad could watch from the truck as Cindy, my brother and I scoured the state land for my brother’s fist deer. It wasn’t long before we spotted a group of mule deer about 200 yards away, and a forked-horn buck among them. We crawled to the crest of the hill on our bellies, and I sat back while Cindy coached my brother. She was so patient, reassuring him that if he didn’t feel comfortable with the shot, we could find a different animal. He had our great-uncle’s Remington 721, the only gun he had to hunt with, which was sighted to 100 yards. My brother turned and looked back at me. 

“Where should I shoot him?” he asked.  

I reached up and poked him in the ribs behind his arm. He nodded, settled back into the prone position, and fired. He made an excellent shot, the buck dropped, and our dad watched the whole thing from the truck. 

Adam’s first deer with his great-uncle’s Remington 721.

The next day, we went back out to the same spot with the intention of dad experiencing a similar hunt. It was an easy pack out and we knew there were more deer in the area. However, when we arrived at the state land, two cow elk were nestled in a snowbank about 400 yards away. Cindy asked me if I had a cow tag, which I did. My dad laughed and handed over the same Remington that my brother had used the day before. And just like the day before, my dad watched one of his kids harvest an animal on public lands with his uncle’s rifle. We dragged the elk back to the truck and went home to celebrate. 

The family celebrates McKay’s cow elk.

The next day, the weather had shifted back from winter wonderland to sunny and warm. We decided to go take down the wall tent that we had left on the mountain. We were disappointed that we didn’t spend another night in the tent, but my dad and brother were leaving on Saturday, and they wanted to be organized for the long drive. Most of the snow had already melted, and the road to the camp was a muddy mess. We packed everything up and surfed our way down the mountain on a tidal wave of bentonite clay.  

As we drove back, I asked my brother to stop the truck on the rim of a draw not far from the road on BLM land. “Dad and I both still have deer tags to fill, so let’s take a minute to glass.”  

After a few minutes, I saw a buck bedded down at the bottom of the draw a half mile away. I asked my dad if he wanted to try for it, and we decided to put on a stalk.  

My brother stayed with the truck as Dad and I walked to the edge of the draw. It was a steep scree slope dotted with the occasional mahogany shrub. A lone juniper offered us shelter as we surveyed our route to the buck.  

“Could you make a shot from here?” I asked my dad.  

“Nope, just a little too far for my comfort.”  

We inched our way closer. I moved down the slope, careful not to loosen any rocks or stab myself on a mahogany sticker.  

“How about now?”  

“I can’t even see him from this spot!”  

I was beginning to see why he hadn’t harvested a deer in so long. I picked my way to a new spot, about 80 yards from the buck and my dad eased his way over to me.  

“How about now?” I asked, as he looked through the scope of the Remington 721.  

“This ought to do. Just let me take my glasses off real quick.” He lowered the gun to remove his glasses. I continued to watch the buck through my binoculars. The deer was bedded down at the edge of the mahogany and hadn’t moved since we began our decent. The wind was in our favor as I waited for the report of the rifle.  

“Dad, hurry up.” I was not as patient as Cindy.  

“Hang on, I’m just making sure,” he said as he brought the rifle up again. I waited.  

“DAD.”  

“I want to take my hat off first.” He fumbled with his wool cap, and I began to wonder if the buck could see the sun shining off his bald head. I watched through my binoculars as the shot rang out and the buck disappeared from my vision.  

I jumped up and ran to rock outcropping and saw the buck, still laying in his bed. My dad had made an excellent shot, and the buck never woke up from his nap.  

The Remington 721 completed the Fleck trifecta with this buck taken by McKay’s father.

Packing this deer out was more difficult than the last one, as we had to go straight up the slope. I ran back to the truck to retrieve my brother and we carried the deer out of the draw for our dad. We loaded our harvest on top of the wall tent in the back of the truck and headed back to town to celebrate once again. Three days, three tags filled on public land, and one rifle. 

The next time my brother and dad would see that tent would be 2024.  

Read Part II of this story HERE.

Photo credits: McKay Fleck


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.

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January 9, 2025

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Announces Four New Board Members

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.

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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.  


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.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

TRCP has partnered with Afuera Coffee Co. to further our commitment to conservation. $4 from each bag is donated to the TRCP, to help continue our efforts of safeguarding critical habitats, productive hunting grounds, and favorite fishing holes for future generations.

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