Conservation Force
A Force for Wildlife Conservation
News Updates and Alerts
We are excited to announce the addition of Jake Hill to the Conservation Force Team. Jake graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Forestry and Agriculture at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is currently a second year law student at Texas Tech University.
We've also included his post announcing that he has accepted the position of law clerk. We're looking forward to working with Jake this summer and beyond.
Trophy hunting undermines conservation, right? Wrong.
Linked via the image to right is a document detailing why the purposed blanket ban on UK trophy hunting imports would hurt conservation. It covers many of the common misconceptions about trophy hunting and why they are incorrect. It also discusses problems with the bill, the economic impact the bill would have on communities in Southern Africa, and the successes trophy hunting has had for conservation. It finishes by purposing a compromise bill that seeks to satisfy all involved stakeholders.
Huge thanks to the IPHA for their generous contribution to Conservation Force at their annual meeting during Dallas Safari Club's annual convention.
Pictured from left to right: Rob Kern, President of the IPHA, John J. Jackson III, chairman of Conservation Force, Marco Pani, Consultant and Advisor to Conservation Force, and Chad Hill, Permitting Specialist.
Congratulations of a lifetime to Conservation Force's Chairman Mr. John J. Jackson III along with his fellow board member and wife Chrissie Jackson for being the recipients of Dallas Safari Club's Foundation Legacy Award for 2023. Check out what DSC's website has to say about these two crusaders for conservation.
9/14/23: Conservation Force Board member Chrissie Jackson with Louisiana Senator John Kennedy who has pledged to help with the permitting crisis.
9/14/2023: Conservation Force Chairman John J. Jackson III along with his wife and board member Chrissie Jackson pictured with West Virginia Senator and Co-Chair of the Congressional Sportsman Caucus Joe Manchin.
Members and witnesses of The International Wildlife Conservation Council, Department of Interior Bldg., Washington, DC.
07/10/23 Conservation Force Chairman John Jackson III gives a speech at the Eastern and Southern Africa Hippopotamus Workshop
07/10/23-07/12/23: Conservation Force Chairman John Jackson III participated at the Regional Workshop for the Development of a Southern Africa Regional Conservation Strategy and Action Plan for Hippopotamus in Livingstone, Zambia.
5/10/21: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has received Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for information related to the import and export of wildlife specimens and flora into and out of the United States contained in the Law Enforcement Management Information System (LEMIS) database.
03/02/21: Wyoming Game and Fish Department Partners with Conservation Visions’ Wild Harvest Initiative to Examine Benefits of Wild Harvested Food
04/16/21: Read: How Hunting Black Rhino Contributes to Conservation in Namibia, Conservation Frontlines
04/09/21: HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh has died at the age of 99
Not counterintuitive; common sense to those in the know according to Prince Philip:
"If you have a game species, you want it to survive because you want to have some next year - exactly like a farmer. You want to crop it, you don't want to exterminate it. "
03/09/21 VIDEO - Let Africans Decide: A Teacher's Story
02/17/21 Nature is Under Pressure, but Not From Hunting
10/15/20 Update: Hunting Secures the Most Habitat for Wildlife and Biodiversity Integrity
10/09/20 New and Updated Fact Sheets, Info Graphics and Information Documents
09/23/20 Read: Debunking the Myths: "Trophy Hunting" is a Neo-Colonial Imposition
04/24/20 Conservation Force establishes Emergency African COVID Conservation Fund
01/23/20 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes Changes to the Duck Stamp to Celebrate the Conservation Achievements of Waterfowl Hunters
01/17/20 Chris Klineburger has passed away
In Chris' own words:
"The essence of life is discovering what is on the other side of the mountain.
We start out with a dream and are propelled by the challenge of the unknown,
the lure and the mystery of faraway places.
Upon reaching the destination, we realize that there is no end. Distant mountains lie before us; it is time to meditate and give thanks.
Most of all, we must share with others the delight of God's creation. "
-Chris R. Klineburger, 1927-2020
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07/23/19 Conservation Force has been awarded a grant from the Dallas Safari Club Foundation!
07/19/19 View "Voices From the Frontline: Communities and Livelihoods in Botswana"V
3/29/19 Bill Gaines Presented with Conservationist of the Year Award
8/22/18 Please see mini-documentary from Dallas Safari Club Foundation: Africa - The Unheard Voice
"As the debate continues between the anti-hunting community and those who believe in the "Conservation Through Hunting" model, the unheard voice is the rural African who must live among the wild animals. It is these people who are most affected when politics supercedes science in the management of wildlife."
10/4/17 DAPU Second Quarter Newsletter
06/28/17 Zimbabwe Elephant Import Permit Appeal to Director of USFWS
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Attachment 1: Chart of Key Documents and Supporting Evidence
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Attachment 2: Request for Reconsideration of Denial of Permit Applications
05/11/17 Letter to Secretary Zinke requesting immediate issuance of all pending lion and elephant permits
3/20/17 Request for Reconsideration of Denial of Permit Applications
3/20/17 Index -In Support of Re-Opening Import of Sport-Hunted Elephant Trophies from Zimbabwe
1/18/17 DAPU End of The Year Report 2016
11/29/16 President John J. Jackson receives The Coenraad Vermaak Distinguished Service Award
09/27/16 A Conservationist's Cry
08/29/16 Conservation Force Press Release: New Jersey cannot enforce preempted law against hunting trophies
08/26/16 From the GSCO Slam Quest Convention 2016 Review. (Award Photo)
05/20/16 - DAPU First Quarter Report - 2016
06/09/16 New Jersey passed an illegal law that prohibits residents from importing lion, leopard, rhino and elephant trophies. The two statues signed by Governor Christie:
07/06/16 - USFWS: Near-Total U.S. Ban on African Elephant Ivory Trade Goes into Effect; A near-total ban on commercial trade of African elephant ivory goes into effect today, July 6, 2016, to help ensure U.S. domestic markets do not contribute to the decline of elephants in the wild. See links below to learn more about what you can do if you own ivory. FWS African Elephant Ivory
02/15/2016 Shane Mahoney Delivers a Powerful Message at Houston Safari Club Convention (Youtube)
02/01/2016 Pre-filled FWS Permit Application for Lion Trophy Import Permits under the New Enhancement Requirement
1. South Africa
2. Zimbabwe
3. Zambia
4. Mozambique
5. Tanzania
02/01/2016 Conservation Force Analysis of New FWS Enhancement Requirement For Lions
01/10/2016 Helpful Articles to Support Sustainable Use
1. Benson Kibonde, Selous Game Reserve: Is There Any Hope for the Future?
4. Enrico DiMinin et al., Banning Trophy Hunting Will Exacerbate Biodiversity Losses
12/04/2015 Community-Based Natural Resource Management Revenue Sharing from Tourist Safari Hunting
11/30/2015 Anti-hunting Lobbyists Cost Namibia Dearly (New Era Newspaper Namibia)
10/15/2015 Conservation Force and Partners Sue Delta Airlines to End "Big Five" Hunting Trophy Embargo
2. Copy of Suit
09/16/2015 WWF Position on Trophy Hunting in South Africa
09/14/2015 Draft AWCP letter to major airlines on shipment of legally harvested animals
09/01/2015 Cecil the Lion Fact Sheet
08/13/2015 Longtime Conservation Partner Robin Hurt Warns of Inappropriate Reaction to Cecil Incident
08/11/2015 CF President John Jackson trophy hunting debate in USA Today
07/31/2015 Press statement on the illegal hunt of a collared lion in Hwange District on
07/09/2015 Press Release - The EU Becomes a Party to CITES
05/14/2015 Dande Anti-Poaching Unit (DAPU) First Quarter 2015 Newsletter released
04/30/2015 South African Airways Cargo Places an Embargo on Selected Endangered Species
04/13/2015 Executive Order at the heart of the electronic registration for firearms exporting
03/26/2015 FWS Announces Decisions on Import of Sport-Hunted Trophies to Further Conservation of Rhinos and Elephants
2. Zimbabwe Elephant Suspension Q&A
3. Zimbabwe Elephant March 2015 ESA Enhancement Finding
03/10/2015 Conservation Force has a new corporate sponsor that is also a conservation partner: Ripcord Travel Protection will be partnering with Conservation Force on select conservation and community development projects.
01/12/2015 VIDEO: The Elephant and the Pauper: The Ivory Debacle
12/16/2014 Final CAMPFIRE Workshop Report (November 2014)
11/10/2014 See what FWS states about the black rhino import permitting.
11/10/2014 See Black Rhino Permit Applications: 1
10/29/2014 ESA 12-month Finding and Proposal to List all Lion as Threatened
10/07/2014 Success! Markhor Downlisting Federal Register Notice and Press Release
09/28/2014 Conservation Force will be applying for Land Trust Accreditation. Click here to learn more.
07/23/2014 Service Confirms Suspension of the Import of Elephant Trophies from Zimbabwe
201406/05/2014 ESA Endangered Listed Sulaiman Markhor from the Torghar Project are Now Importable! Read the Enhancement Finding.
05/21/2014 USF&WS International Affairs - "What Can I Do With My African Elephant Ivory?"
1. Request for Reconsideration
2. Q&A
3. Main FWS Sport-Hunting Trophies Page
4. Email Response from FWS Chief of Permits Tim Van Norman
04/02/2014 $50,000 Wild Sheep Foundation Grant to Conservation Force
02/07/2014 Hunting: A Great Debate - Article by John Hanks from November 2013Africa Geographic1
12/05/2013 FWS Revised Proposed Downlisting Rule for Straight-Horned Markhor
08/01/2013 Conservation Force's Final Comment on ESA Status Review of African Lion, 77 FR 70727 (Index here)
07/29/2013 Writ Filed with Supreme Court to Overturn Polar Bear Listing
07/03/2013 Wildlife for the 21st Century - Volume 4 (AWCP)
01/28/2013 Conservation Force's Initial Comment on ESA Status Review of African Lion, 77 FR 70727 (Index here)
12/24/2012 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation - Final Version
12/11/2012 Conservation Force's Trophy Importation Checklist (Updated December 2012)
12/04/2012 Hunting as a Force for Conservation: John Jackson, III (Outdoorhub.com article)
11/27/2012 90-Day Finding on a Petition to List the African Lion Subspecies as Endangered
10/03/2012 Wood Bison FOIA Suit filed by Conservation Force
08/15/2012 Conservation Force's Jacksons to be Honored by DSC
08/08/2012 Joint Plaintiff Final Reply Brief in Appellate Case Challenging the Listing of the Polar Bear
08/02/2012 Sports Afield magazine interview with John J. Jackson, III
08/02/2012 Petersen's Hunting magazine article on trophy seizures featuring John J. Jackson, III
05/17/2012 Our Opening Brief in Markhor II to Overturn Denial of Suleiman Markhor Import Denials
04/30/2012 CIC President Bernard Lozé: "Banning Lion Hunting Endangers the Survival of Lions in the Wild!"
04/30/2012 Statement on Hunting in Botswana - March 2012 (from Botswana Wildlife Management Association)
The relevant regulations.
04/02/2012 Historic Court Decision in Favor of Wood Bison Import Permits
02/27/2012 FWS Bulletin on Seizure Crisis Issue
02/15/2012 Report: The Significance of African Lions for the Financial Vialbility of Trophy Hunting and the Maintenance of Wild Land
01/30/2012 FWS guidelines on how to complete CBW and Take permit applications for listed exotics
.01/16/2012 Writ filed with U.S. Supreme Court concerning trophy seizure crisis.
11/09/2011Markhor III Suit Filed for Failure to Make 12-month Finding on 2nd Petition to Downlist
08/09/2011 Antis File Suit to End Captive Breeding
07/12/2011 Memorandum Opinion published in Polar Bear suit
06/15/2011 Study of the Lion Population in Tanzania: Their Abundance, Density and Ecology
03/18/2011 Conservation Force/CONAMAR/Tropic Star Lodge Newsletter for January/February 2011
02/21/2011 From the Sports Afield Almanac - A Rash of Seizures of Legal Hunting Trophies Sparks Concern
02/18/2011Wood Bison Downlisting Federal Register Notice
02/18/2011 CBD Suit to Ban Lead
11/16/2010 Conservation Status of the Lion (Panthera leo Linnaeus, 1758) in Tanzania
11/08/2010 Conservation Force's Save and Help Rebuild the Piñas Community Program launched
09/10/2010 Iran: Legality of Hunting by U.S. Citizens under Presidential Embargo
08/17/2010 Petition to Downlist Straight-Horned Markhor of Torghar Hills from Endangered to Threatened.
06/24/2010 Second Wood Bison lawsuit filed.
04/29/2010 New York crafted trophy case brief.
04/27/2010 Another legal brief to save a scrimshawed ivory trophy seized in Atlanta.
04/22/2010 Panel of Experts Report on Zambia
04/22/2010 Panel of Experts Report on Tanzania
03/04/2010 Polar Bear Brief on "Taking Into Account" Foreign Nations' Programs When Making a Listing Decision
02/26/2010 Conservation Force's Opposition to Motion for Summary Judgment in African lion trophy suit
02/12/2010 Amended Complaint in Mozambique Elephant Suit
12/08/2009 Robin Hurt Wildlife Foundation December 2009 Newsletter
10/22/2009 Conservation Force, et al. Joint Motion for Summary Judgment
10/22/2009 Conservation Force's Motion for Summary Judgment in the Wood Bison lawsuit
10/22/2009 Conservation Force's Zambia Elephant lawsuit
05/20/2009 Conservation Force lawsuit filed over the denial of Mozambique elephant trophy imports
05/20/2009 Conservation Force lawsuit filed over the denial of polar bear enhancement permits
03/18/2009 Conservation Force's Request for Reconsideration of Seven Polar Bear Permits
03/16/2009 Conservation Force's Suleiman Markhor lawsuit filed (Case No. 09 0495 - Judge Henry Kennedy)
02/18/2009 Robin Hurt Wildlife Foundation Emergency Funding Request
02/18/2009 Robin Hurt Wildlife Foundation 2009 Brochure
02/18/2009 Robin Hurt Wildlife Foundation December 2008 Newsletter
02/10/2009 Conservation Force's Suit Challenging the Listing of All Polar Bear, Case No. 1:09-CV-00245, filed 2/9/2009 in the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, before Judge Emmet G. Sullivan.
01/15/2009 Recreational Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Plan (as directed by Executive Order 13443) is released.
01/15/2009 USF&WS Guidance on In-Transit Permitting of Hunting Trophies
12/17/2008 Robin Hurt Wildlife Foundation December 2008 Newsletter
10/08/2008 Press Release - Importation of Markhor
08/12/2008 Polar Bear Enhancement Permits Filed
05/23/2008 Conservation Force Leaders Recognized
04/04/2008 Air Travel with Black Powder is Absolutely Prohibited: What You Need to Know
03/15/2008 Breaking News on Argali
11/28/2007 NAPHA Conservationist of the Year Award
08/16/2007 White House Orders National Hunting Conference
06/02/2007 Press Release: Three Alarming Surprises for the World Hunting Community
04/25/2007 SUSG Recreational Hunting Workshop Report
04/05/2007 Comment in Opposition to the Proposed Rule to List All Polar Bear as Threatened and other Polar Bear Issues
02/15/2007 Critical Conservation Program Under Fire - by Ducks Unlimited
02/08/2007 Mozambique Elephant Trophy Import Appeals
12/27/2006 Proposed Rule to List Polar Bear as Endangered is Released
12/04/2006 End-of-the-Year Letter
10/06/2006 Conservation Leader Bertrand des Clers Dies
10/06/2006 Gala Dinner for Tanzania
09/16/2006 King of Altai Monument Unveiled MONUMENT
04/24/2006 The Truth About That Polar Bear Petition Polar bear page
04/20/2006 The Real Significance if Polar Bear are Listed polar bear page
03/23/2006 Polar Bear Crisis is Growing polar bear page
02/15/2006 Protectionists File Suit to List All Polar Bear Under the Endangered Species Actere Polar bear page