Sportsmen's Conservation Project

 
Wild Land for Wildlife

Today, the best hunting and fishing in the West is found on public land where intact habitat provides all the necessities for large populations of wild and native fish as well as healthy herds of trophy elk, deer and other big game animals. Unfortunately, some of the best habitat in the West is under attack. The Sportsmen’s Conservation Project (SCP), a cadre of anglers and hunters who work with their fellow sportsmen to protect irreplaceable habitat, has identified several threats that, if unchecked or unchallenged, could harm our sporting heritage.

• Backcountry Development: The best fish and game habitat in the West is found on land that hasn’t been developed or degraded by human activity. Classified as “roadless” areas, these large backcountry tracts remain the best to hunt and fish.
   
• Energy: Traditional oil and gas exploration and extraction has taken a toll on places dear to Western sportsmen.  Industry is threatening prime habitat where hunters stalk big game and anglers pursue wild trout in clear, untouched streams.
   
• Off-Road Vehicles: The irresponsible use of off-road vehicles (ORVs) comprises a frontal assault on some of the best hunting and fishing country in the West. A growing number of off-road riders are encroaching on prime fish and game habitat.

To counter these threats, the Sportsmen’s Conservation Project is responding with action. Throughout the West, our staff members are working to protect the nation’s best big game and fish habitat. We invite you to explore these pages to learn more about our efforts, and to join us to ensure our irreplaceable public lands provide top-quality sporting opportunities now, and for generations to come. 

Latest News

New York Times video reporter Sean Patrick Ferrell visited Colorado's Roan Plateau to report on the oil and gas industry's plans to drill on top of the plateau, and efforts by the Sportsmen's Conservation Project and other conservation groups to keep this high-altitude island of prime fish and wildlife habitat free of energy development. See his report on the issue here. 

For another update on the battle for the Roan Plateau, and the political ramification the issue carries in Colorado, read this report from the Colorado Independent.