Message from the CEO

November/December 2007

I recently completed my first year with MDF. It is hard to believe that is has been a whole year since I retired from a 30 year career in Wildlife Management. When I stepped into the office in Reno a year ago, I had no idea how exciting 2007 was going to be for MDF. Everyday something new and exciting happens.

We started off quickly last November by moving the office from Reno and the merchandise division from Denver to Salt Lake City. Next up was the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo here in Salt Lake City. We raised over 12 million dollars for wildlife and 25,000 people attended the expo. The WHCE is now one of the largest sport shows in the country. We are looking forward to an incredible expo in February of 2008. You do not want to miss it.

MDF’s record setting banquet fundraising season started off with a bang in January. We held 75 banquets, attended 25 sport shows and raised a record amount of dollars for on the ground projects. The Chapter Rewards program is unique to MDF and puts dollars raised locally toward local projects. We have 20 new chapters and more signing up each month. MDF personnel have been very busy, and reports from the field are that 2008 is going to be bigger and better yet! I encourage you to become part of your local MDF chapter. If you don’t have one in your area, please contact one of our Regional Directors for help in getting a chapter started.

We have been able to partner with other wildlife conservation groups for some exciting projects. Recently, the Tongue River Ranch project in Montana was completed. (See Tracy Watt’s article in the November/December 2007 issue of MDF magazine). A very special ceremony was held to dedicate the final purchase of the Elkhorn Ranch in North Dakota (see Brandon Mason’s write up in News from the Field). MDF has been able to leverage our dollars with those of our partners to complete projects that none of us could do alone.

We have made many internal changes to help keep our members informed of what is happening with MDF. Our Web site has been redesigned and contains fresh up to date information. We hope to have some new additions to the Web site soon which will allow our chapters to place online merchandise orders and for members to check the status of their membership information and make updates. The updated database will allow us to keep our members more current on MDF activities and provide improved mailing lists for our local chapters to use for their banquet events or to let members know of projects in their local area.

MDF magazine continues be the flagship for our organization. The magazine keeps getting better and better. My hat is off to Ryan Hatch, David Virostko and the rest of the staff of Muley Crazy for putting together such a quality magazine. I get compliments on the magazine everywhere I travel.

We have formed some great corporate relationships in the last year. We are receiving major contributions from several large companies. Sportsman’s Warehouse, Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s and King’s Outdoor World have stepped up to fund projects and underwrite merchandise, as well as donating merchandise for our chapter fund raising events. You will see there logos on our Web site, magazine and in our other promotional material. I encourage you to support our corporate sponsors with your business when you can.

MDF is also being recognized nationally in the wildlife conservation community. As I travel, many other organizations are coming up to me and telling me they are hearing about all the exciting programs, fundraising and projects going on at MDF. We are being asked for our input on national issues like oil and gas development, hunting and shooting sport issues and policy decisions by state and federal agencies.

I recently was at the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) meeting in Louisville, Ky. I had the unique opportunity to meet one on one with the new Chief of the Forest Service and Director of the Bureau of Land Management to discuss issues concerning mule deer on federal lands. They listened and promised to work closely with MDF.

While at the AFWA meeting in Louisville, the theme of the conference was climate change. I wrote about this in the last issue. Several speakers mentioned specifically that they believed mule deer would be impacted significantly by climate change. We need to continue to be aggressive in working to restore and improve mule deer habitat and work to conserve key areas of habitat. We can not do it alone and must work smarter and more efficiently with other conservation groups to accomplish significant restoration projects.

We have had many other exciting changes this past year at MDF and many more to come in the future. I encourage you to let me know how we are doing. Let us know when we are doing well and how we can do better. I always enjoy hearing from our members – who are truly the most dedicated and passionate members and volunteers of any conservation organization.

Next year, 2008 promises to be a watershed year in MDF’s 20 year history. We will be celebrating our 20th Anniversary and moving forward toward an exciting next 20 years.

Thank you all for your words of encouragement and support. I hope you have had a great fall with your family and friends and that you have made memories that will last a lifetime.

Miles Moretti

View September/October 2007 CEO Message