Zinke Receives Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Excellence in Advocacy Award

Missoula, M.T. - Today, Western Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke received the Excellence in Advocacy Award from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), recognizing his work to advance conservation, wildlife management, public access to public lands, and America's hunting heritage.

"RMEF has been one of the strongest conservation partners in Montana and across the West, and I'm honored to receive this award," said Zinke. "From keeping public lands in public hands to improving elk migration corridors and restoring healthy forests, we share a belief that conservation works best when hunters, landowners, states, tribes, and federal managers are at the table. I'm proud of what we've accomplished together and look forward to the next generation of leadership in this effort."

"Congressman Zinke has proven time and again through legislative leadership and action that he is committed to real conservation and America's public lands," said Kyle Weaver, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation president and CEO. "His work crafting and advancing critical legislation resulted in impactful conservation outcomes, making him an invaluable ally to hunter-conservationists throughout our nation."

The partnership between Zinke and RMEF extends back to his first term in the House of Representatives, when they worked together on federal forest management reforms that would later help shape provisions included in the House-passed Fix Our Forests Act. Zinke and RMEF also worked to oppose the sale of public lands and protect funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

That partnership expanded during Zinke's time leading the Department of the Interior. In 2018, Zinke signed Secretarial Order 3362, launching a federal effort to improve western big-game winter range and migration corridors for elk, mule deer and pronghorn through partnerships with states, private landowners and conservation organizations. The initiative remains a major RMEF conservation priority and laid the groundwork for ongoing migration corridor work across the West.

Building on that effort, Zinke introduced the bipartisan Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act, which strengthens voluntary, state and tribal-led efforts to conserve big-game migration corridors, improve habitat connectivity and support research and mapping. RMEF hosted the original rollout of the legislation at its Missoula headquarters and praised the bill as directly aligned with its conservation mission.

Zinke and RMEF have also worked together in support of several other major conservation and public lands priorities, including the bipartisan Public Lands in Public Hands Act, the House-passed Fix Our Forests Act, the Wildlife Road Crossings Program Reauthorization Act and the Grizzly Bear State Management Act. RMEF also endorsed the bipartisan Public Lands Caucus co-founded by Zinke, furthering their work on conservation, wildlife habitat, public access and responsible land management and creating a platform for future conservation minded legislators to continue the progress made by their partnership.

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