further the confusion by often referring to environmental groups as conservation groups .
Merriam-Webster defines conservation as “ planned management of a natural resource to prevent exploitation , destruction or neglect .” Conservation , then , is the hands-on stewardship of natural resources such as habitat enhancement and permanent protection of vital migration corridors and winter ranges .
Environmentalism on the other hand is “ advocacy of the preservation of the natural environment .” Preservation often refers to a hands-off approach or preventing any type of management activity .
There are swaths of designated wilderness and other backcountry areas that remain relatively untouched for very good reason . However , millions of acres of public forests are overly dense with heavy fuel loads and downed deadfall due to decades of fire suppression . These overgrown forests throttle the growth of grasses and forbs vital for elk and other wildlife , and are susceptible to disease , beetle kill and elevated risk of catastrophic wildfire that can decimate an ecosystem .
WHAT TRUE CONSERVATION LOOKS LIKE The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation ’ s mission is to ensure the future of elk , other wildlife , their habitat and our hunting heritage . The RMEF does so by working collaboratively with federal and state agencies as well as other partners to provide both funding and volunteer manpower to carry out prescribed burning , forest thinning , noxious weed treatments , repairing or constructing wildlife water developments , fertilizations , planting seedlings and other actions to maintain or improve habitat for elk and other wildlife .
The RMEF also provides grant funding for wildlife management , scientific research and predator management . Additionally , the RMEF seeks to permanently protect and open access to elk winter and summer range , migration corridors and calving grounds via land acquisitions , access agreements and easements , conservation easements , land donations and other means . The RMEF also works to reestablish elk in historic ranges where habitat and cultural tolerance create a high potential for self-sustaining wild , free-ranging herds .
Any objective look at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation ’ s lifetime conservation accomplishments shows the immense impact the organization has had on elk , other wildlife and habitat . As of Jan . 1 , 2021 , RMEF conserved or enhanced more than 6.8 million acres of wildlife habitat and permanently protected 1.3 million acres of land . That amounts to more than 8.1 million acres of combined conservation work . On top of that , the RMEF played a pivotal role in restoring wild , free-ranging elk to Kentucky , Missouri , North Carolina , Tennessee , Virginia , West Virginia , Wisconsin and Ontario , and the RMEF has invested millions of dollars to help fund wildlife research key to delivering the most effective management . All that adds up to a lot of work and a lot of conservation .
As opposed to environmental preservationists who seek to fill their coffers through litigation , conservation groups such as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation work to benefit wildlife through volunteer projects , land acquisitions and easements that enhance and protect vital habitat .
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