Vote for TRCP Co-founder and Former Chairman Jim Range as 2010 Budweiser Conservationist of the Year.

Jim Range, one of the country’s greatest champions for sportsmen-conservationists, has been honored with a posthumous nomination as a finalist for the Budweiser Conservationist of the Year award. This annual program recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to perpetuating the American outdoor way of life. Budweiser and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will donate $50,000 to the 2010 winner’s conservation organization of choice, with the money to fund the group’s conservation efforts. The three runners-ups will receive $5,000 grants for the conservation organization of their choosing. Jim’s family has designated the TRCP to receive the proceeds from this honor.

Since losing Jim so suddenly 10 months ago, we at the TRCP, along with the  thousands who loved Jim and worked with him for better conservation of our natural resources, have sought out ways to honor his legacy and leadership. Budweiser and NFWF have given us all an opportunity to say “thank you” again to Jim for everything he did to help guarantee us all quality places to hunt and fish.

Jim spent his entire professional life conserving and enhancing Americans’ hunting and fishing opportunities. His cumulative efforts stand as a very high benchmark to those of us who care about our outdoor sporting heritage – and the lands and waters on which we pursue these traditions. His ability to inspire passion in others through his words and actions rallied countless supporters around his conservation vision.

In addition to his critical role in establishing and chairing the TRCP, Jim served on the boards of directors for Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, the Wetlands America Trust, the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, the American Sportfishing Association, the American Bird Conservancy,  the Pacific Forest Trust, the Yellowstone Park Foundation and the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, among others. He also was an original NFWF board member and worked directly with many other hunting, fishing and conservation groups to advance conservation and sportsmen’s interests in Washington and around the country. During his 11 years on Capitol Hill working for Sen. Howard Baker, Jim fought tirelessly to conserve our natural resources with a bipartisan approach that became his trademark. He played a critical role in the passage of several landmark laws, including the Clean Water Act. In 2003, Jim received the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Great Blue Heron Award, the highest honor given by the department to an individual at the national level.

The deadline for voting is December 15^th – vote today.

To vote, go to www.budweiser.com – after logging in, click on the “vote” link on the home page and select Jim from the four finalists.

Votes also can be submitted via mail. On a 3-inch by 5-inch card, print your name, address, age and name of candidate (“Jim Range”). Mail the card to 2010 Budweiser Conservationist of the Year, P.O. Box 750026, El Paso, TX 88575-0026.

Voters must be aged 21 or older, and voting is limited to one vote per person. The 2010 award will be presented at an event during the SHOT Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 21.

Since Anheuser-Busch was founded in 1852, the company has been committed to conserving natural resources. Budweiser, its partners and consumers have raised $8.7 million over the past 10 years to conserve vital habitat and wildlife across the country. Visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

A nonprofit established by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation sustains, restores and enhances the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Since its establishment, NFWF has awarded more than 10,000 grants to more than 3,500 organizations, and its work has resulted in more than $1.5 billion invested in conservation. Visit www.nfwf.org.

Learn more about Jim Range, his efforts on behalf of America’s sportsmen-conservationists and the fund established in his memory.

Vote for Jim Range as the Budweiser Conservationist of the Year!“

Full Disclosure: I am a consultant to the TRCP. TRCP provided this material. I received no compensation for posting it. Any one who knows me knows Jim was one of my closest friends for nearly 20 years. Here is a link to the tribute i wrote when he died earlier this year.