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 [1] (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: [2] 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: [3] 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 [4]: 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 [5] 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 [6] to ensure our irreplaceable public lands provide top-quality sporting opportunities now, and for generations to come. 

Best Wild Places Tour Continues for 2011

Trout Unlimited's Sportsmen's Conservation Project has teamed with Field and Stream once again for the 2011 Best Wild Places tour. This year, the tour features six more of the best fish and game habitats in the country, all of which face threats to their future productivity from irresponsible energy or backcountry development or the misuse of off-highway vehicles.

TU members and other hunters and anglers across the country are encouraged to visit these places, take advantage of their unmatched sporting opportunities and then get involved with the SCP to help protect them for future generations.