Boone and Crockett Club Partners with UW to Fund Conservation Professorship

The University of Wyoming has partnered with the Boone and Crockett Club to establish the Boone and Crockett Working Lands Wildlife Conservation Professorship in UW's College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources.

This professorship will provide faculty support, graduate student opportunities and applied research focused on sustaining wildlife populations while strengthening the productivity and profitability of Wyoming's working ranch and rangeland landscapes.

The Boone and Crockett professorship will lead the establishment of UW's Working Lands Wildlife Conservation Program, which will advance excellence in research, education and extension in ranch and rangeland management, wildlife habitat conservation and wildlife health. The program directly supports the Boone and Crockett Club's mission to promote the conservation and management of wildlife -- especially big game -- and its habitat, while preserving hunting traditions and the highest ethical standards of fair chase and sportsmanship in North America.

"This partnership reflects the University of Wyoming's land-grant mission at its very best," UW President Ed Seidel says. "Boone and Crockett's investment will strengthen UW's ability to deliver solutions that support ranching communities, conserve wildlife habitat and help sustain Wyoming's iconic big game species."

At the center of the program is the creation of the Boone and Crockett Professor of Working Lands Wildlife Conservation, a faculty position designed to bridge multiple academic units, including the departments of Zoology and Physiology, Botany, Animal Science, Agriculture and Applied Economics, and Ecosystem Science and Management. The position also will collaborate closely with the Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership Program, the Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station, UW Extension, and the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources.

"This program exemplifies the integration of agriculture, natural resources and wildlife that defines our college," says Kelly Crane, the Farm Credit Services of America Dean of the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources. "It will drive practical, on-the-ground conservation that benefits producers, strengthens rural economies and enhances wildlife habitat across Wyoming and the West."

In addition to on-campus collaboration, the program will work extensively with state and federal agency partners, including the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and UW's Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory. A major focus will be the intersection of wildlife disease ecology and wildlife management, including chronic wasting disease (CWD), brucellosis and other diseases affecting big game and livestock. Wyoming has some of the highest CWD infection rates in the nation, making research and management strategies critical to the long-term viability of deer and elk populations.

"The Boone and Crockett Club is pleased to add the University of Wyoming to its network of partnership universities, particularly with the unique focus on enhancing wildlife on working lands that will have application across the West," says Steven Leath, the club's executive vice president and chair of the University Programs Committee. "This research and extension focus, coupled with training our next generation of conservation professionals, will be critical to improving profitability on private lands while also benefiting natural resources."

The Boone and Crockett Professor will lead a vibrant research program focused on voluntary, incentive-based conservation projects that improve both agricultural productivity and wildlife habitat on working lands. The position also will help generate external funding to support wildlife conservation efforts in Wyoming and across the western United States.

A key long-term objective of the program is the development of a UW Center for Wildlife Health, Habitat and Management, which will expand UW's and Wyoming's unparalleled capacity to develop, implement and evaluate practical strategies to ensure sustainable game populations for future generations.

"Boone and Crockett's support will help us leverage additional partners," says John Stark, president and CEO of the UW Foundation. "Together, Boone and Crockett and UW intend to raise additional support to establish an endowed excellence fund that will provide long-term financial stability for this program and ensure it continues to thrive."

Wyoming and UW are global leaders in wildlife research and management, from the conservation of big sagebrush ecosystems to nationally recognized research on mule deer and pronghorn migration. UW's world-class programs, longstanding partnerships with state and federal agencies, and advanced research facilities position the university to make enduring contributions to wildlife conservation.