The Late Jim Range Honored As the 15th Annual Budweiser Conservationist of the Year

Wildlife Conservationist’s Family to Receive $50,000 Grant From Budweiser And the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for On-the-Ground Conservation Efforts

ST. LOUIS (Jan. 22, 2010) – To honor a life spent championing the outdoors, Budweiser and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation today named the late James D. “Jim” Range of Washington, D.C. the 2010 Budweiser Conservationist of the Year. This is the 15th consecutive year the award has been presented to an individual who has made exceptional contributions to the outdoors and wildlife conservation; this year’s announcement was made at the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas.

Before passing away in early 2009, Range spent his life enhancing the quality of America’s hunting and fishing through his tireless commitment to conservation initiatives. His vision for the future of the sport and his ability to inspire a similar enthusiasm in others through his words and actions rallied countless supporters for his conservation missions. Range worked to conserve the Potomac River, establishing the Congressional Casting Call, which later was renamed in his honor. He played a critical role in the passage of several landmark natural resource 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.

“For the past 15 years, Budweiser has been recognizing leaders in the fields of conservation and wildlife habitat conservation and we are honored to add Jim to our list of distinguished award recipients,” said Bob Fishbeck, Budweiser brand manager, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. “Jim’s passion for the outdoors, tireless leadership and outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation serve as an inspiration to all of us. We’re honored to join the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in recognizing Jim and the other finalists participating in our annual Budweiser Conservationist of the Year award program.”

Each year, a committee selects four conservationists, 21 or older, as finalists from dozens of outstanding nominees. Budweiser consumers from across the country vote for the Conservationist of the Year in an open ballot process on Budweiser.com.

A $50,000 grant from Budweiser and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will be made in memory of Range to the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) to support its conservation efforts.

“On behalf of the family of Jim Range, we want to thank Budweiser and the Foundation for their recognition of Jim’s efforts to preserve and protect the notion that all Americans will have access to America’s natural resources for future generations for hunting and fishing,” said John Neel Range, brother of Jim Range. “Jim was keenly aware that ‘we gotta save this thing we love cause ain’t nobody else gonna do it.’ With this generous award, we can ensure that others will be able to continue his efforts.”

A co-founder of the TRCP, Jim held board positions with Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited and the Wetlands America Trust, among others. He was also a White House appointee to the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council, and the Valles Caldera Trust. “Jim spent his entire professional life conserving and enhancing Americans’ hunting and fishing opportunities,” said TRCP Chairman Jim Martin, conservation director of the Berkley Conservation Institute. “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. The TRCP is profoundly honored to have Jim’s legacy recognized through his selection as Budweiser Conservationist of the Year.”

Previous winners of the Budweiser Conservationist of the Year award include: George Dunklin, Jr. of Stuttgart, Ark. (2009); Lowell E. Baier of Potomac, Md. (2008); G. Richard Mode of Morganton, N.C. (2007); Wendell Berryhill of Cochran, Ga. (2006); Bill Crawford of Frederick, Okla. (2005); Eddie Bridges of Greensboro, N.C. (2004); Sandi Beitzel of Manitowoc, Wis. (2003); Dr. Tommy Thompson of Monroe City, Ind. (2002); Bruce Lewis of Natchez, Miss. (2001); Tory Taylor of Dubois, Wyo. (2000); Gloria Erickson of Holdrege, Neb. (1999); Christine Thomas of Stevens Point, Wis. (1998); Jeff Churan of Chillicothe, Mo. (1997); and Susan Moxley of Vickery, Ohio (1996).

Since Anheuser-Busch was founded in 1852, the company has been committed to supporting the environment and conserving natural resources. In 1995, the leading American brewer bolstered its support by creating the ‘Budweiser Outdoors’ program. For generations, the company’s mission has been to brew, package and ship the freshest, highest quality beer in the world in the most efficient and responsible manner possible.

Throughout the years, the ‘Budweiser Outdoors’ program has grown to include seven partner organizations – the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Quail Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl Foundation and the Quality Deer Management Association – to promote outdoor sports and wildlife conservation.

A nonprofit organization established by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation sustains, restores and enhances the nation's fish and wildlife. By teaming leadership conservation investments with those of public and private partners, the Foundation maximizes measurable conservation benefits. Since its establishment, the Foundation has awarded 10,800 grants to more than 3,700 organizations in the United States and abroad, while leveraging more than $635 million in federal funds into $1.5 billion for conservation. For more information, visit www.nfwf.org.

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 49.2 percent share of U.S. beer sales. The company brews the world’s largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico’s leading brewer. Anheuser Busch ranked No. 1 among beverage companies in FORTUNE Magazine’s Most Admired Global Companies list in 2009. Anheuser-Busch is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and one of the world’s largest recyclers of aluminum cans. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

COMMITMENT TO WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

The following dedicated conservationists were selected alongside Range as finalists for the award: Bill Lyons, Jr. (Modesto, Calif.); Guy and Judy Gardner (Fuquay, N.C.); and John French (Ketchum, Idaho). These finalists, with background below, will each be honored with a $5,000 grant from Budweiser and the NFWF to be distributed to a wildlife or conservation project chosen jointly by the honoree, Budweiser and the NFWF:

Bill Lyons, Jr.
An environmental steward, Lyons has worked with Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Natural Resource Conservation Services to produce measurable results in improving air and water quality through implementation of innovative infrastructure management. He has been instrumental in removing the Aleutian Cackling Goose from the endangered species list by creating feeding grounds and safe havens for the species. Planting corn and pasture mix, he provided a wetland habitat for the species to flourish. The numbers have recovered from less than 500 to more than 100,000.

Dedicating himself as an active rancher and farmer, Lyons is known for bringing diverse groups of people together around community and agriculture. He has been recognized by the National Audubon Society and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for his leadership in the preservation of wildlife, wetlands and habitat. Collaborating with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and North American Wetlands Conservation Act program, Lyons is dedicated to protecting, restoring and enhancing hundreds of acres of wetland habitat.

Guy and Judy Gardner
This husband and wife team has played a critical role in forming the North Carolina State Chapter and Cape Fear River Branch of the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA), earning the QDMA National Educational Branch of the Year award for three consecutive years. Their innumerable projects have educated thousands of hunters and the non-hunting public in wildlife conservation, hunting safety and sound deer management. “Wonders of the Whitetail,” “A Wildlife Practical,” and “Urban Deer Management” have offered hundreds of hours of conservation education.

Nearly a thousand individuals will participate in “Take a Walk on the Wild Side” next March at the Dixie Deer Classic, a cooperative project being developed by a team of government and conservation partners, of which Judy serves as Chair. Guy is an active hunter education instructor and mentor, teaching practical field-based hunting and habitat skills to those new to the sport. Their leadership and activities have inspired other QDMA branches to step up their volunteer and education efforts.

John French
French has focused many efforts toward improving and conserving critical fish and bird habitats on Silver Creek in south-central Idaho, arguably one of the finest spring creeks in the western United States. He's restored and enhanced more than 2,500 feet along the Creek with innovative bio-logs and native vegetation creating better conditions for trout and many species of birds. He donated a conservation easement on his ranch ensuring future generations will enjoy the same unspoiled environment. Working with scientists, French has worked to control invasive species of weeds and invertebrates to protect the freshwater resource. He has replanted an abandoned agriculture field with native grasses and found a way to provide water to a neighbor's cattle away from the creek.

On a broader scale, French has worked with Nature Conservancy and the Wood River Land Trust to preserve open space and wildlife habitat throughout the area. He has worked on a variety of conservation initiatives and advisory boards. An avid pilot, he has flown conservationists and farmers over Silver Creek so they can better assess issues from the air. In addition, French has worked in Yosemite National Park for more than 10 years to build a LEED certified environmental education campus. And, he has funded a fellowship for postdoctoral research in environmental science.