BOISE, Idaho — The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and its partners have $750,639 of grant funding to benefit conservation efforts in Idaho.
The grant funding has been allocated to assist in wildlife habitats and hunting heritage projects in the state. Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) contributed $202,550, with an additional $548,089 coming from their partners.
"This funding addresses a mix of projects that lie at the root of our mission of ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage," RMEF chief conservation officer, Blake Henning said.
Nearly two dozen planned projects impacting 17,000 acres of habitat across the state will be funded using the grant.
"Among them are efforts to enhance wildlife forage by removing encroaching conifers, applying prescribed burns, treating noxious weeds, rehabbing landscapes impacted by severe wildfires and removing old fencing and other debris that limit the movement of wildlife," Henning said.
Multiple counties across the state will benefit from the additional funding. Past projects conducted by RMEF in 2021 are listed on its website.
In Idaho, there are 18 chapters and nearly 8,800 RMEF members.
"We thank and salute our volunteers. It's because of their efforts that we have this funding to spruce up Idaho elk country," said Kyle Weaver, RMEF president and CEO.
RMEF and its partners have completed 641 conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects in Idaho, dating all the way back to 1984. The projects, with a combined value of $85.4 million, protected 592,324 acres of habitat and opened or improved public access to 28,895 acres.
Project partners include the Caribou-Targhee, Idaho Panhandle, Nez Perce-Clearwater, Payette, Salmon-Challis and Sawtooth National Forests, Bureau of Land Management, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and conservation, sportsmen, civic and other government organizations and individuals.
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