MISSOULA, Mont. – Last night, the Boone and Crockett Club presented the Water for Wildlife Foundation with its Conservation and Stewardship Award during the Club's Spring Meeting dinner at the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference. The prestigious award is given annually to the organization or entity that best exemplifies excellence in natural resource conservation and stewardship – core values of the Boone and Crockett Club and its founder, Theodore Roosevelt. Tom Price, Boone and Crockett member and co-chair of the Land Conservation and Stewardship Committee, presented the 2026 Award to the Lander, Wyoming-based organization honoring their 50-year history of conservation work.
"The Water for Wildlife Foundation has improved and provided critical water habitat benefiting multiple wildlife species," commented Price during his remarks. "The dedicated leadership and volunteers of the Foundation have clearly demonstrated a commitment to stewardship of private and public lands. The associated One Shot Antelope Hunt has provided ongoing financial support for over 500 conservation projects working with 50 agencies in 12 western states."
The Water for Wildlife Foundation (WFWF), established in 1975, has been in the conservation and stewardship arena for over 50 years. WFWF continues to protect and improve critical habitat and wildlife in areas that lack the most vital resource of all – water. As of 2025, WFWF has supported projects valued at $2.8 million that have benefited multiple species of wildlife and their habitat. In addition, each year WFWF funds an internship program in partnership with the Wyoming Game & Fish Department that helps to educate and develop future leaders in the conservation field. WFWF has contributed to the Middle Fork Popo Agie Restoration Project and supports the Wildlife Discovery Center as part of the Evans-Dahl Museum in Lander. This facility is frequented by the public for conservation education and tells the history of the famous One Shot Antelope hunt that began in 1940. The Past Shooters Club of the One Shot Hunt is largely responsible for funding Water for Wildlife Foundation Projects.
"At Water for Wildlife we believe that stewardship is a shared responsibility," said WFWF president Travis Sweeney in accepting the award. "Every project we fund, every partnership we build, and every landscape we improve is a step toward preserving wildlife and natural resources for future generations."
The Boone and Crockett Club's Conservation and Stewardship Award is presented to the individual or organization that best exemplifies the core values of the Boone and Crockett Club and its founder, Theodore Roosevelt: Conservation – acts of guarding, protecting, developing, and using natural resources wisely and sustainably; and Stewardship – planning for and managing natural resources responsibly.
About the Boone and Crockett Club: Founded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887, the Boone and Crockett Club promotes guardianship and visionary management of big game and wildlife in North America. The Club maintains the highest standards of fair chase sportsmanship and habitat stewardship. Member accomplishments include enlarging and protecting Yellowstone and establishing Glacier and Denali national parks, founding the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and National Wildlife Refuge System, fostering the Pittman-Robertson and Lacey Acts, creating the Federal Duck Stamp program, and developing the cornerstones of modern game laws. The Boone and Crockett Club is headquartered in Missoula, Montana. Click here to learn more about the Boone and Crockett Club.