Over 4,000 sportsmen stood on the steps of the Utah Capital and demanded change, and investment to protect our hunting heritage. Governor Mike Leavitt and the Utah Legislature and Congressional delegation heard the Sportsmen’s Voice, and many dramatic changes were started to get where we are today. While many skeptics predicted SFW would be just a flash in the pan, Utah’s wildlife management and habitat conservation programs are revered around the nation, and SFW has been recognized nationally as a leading innovator for the hunting and conservation industry. Over $150 million in increased funds have been invested to build Utah’s world class hunting and conservation program, an industry that provides thousands of jobs, hundreds of millions in annual revenue to the state’s economy, hundreds of thousands of annual hunting opportunities, and about 4,000 annual world class once-in-a-lifetime hunts on Utah’s great public lands.

Governor Jon Huntsman and the Utah Legislature have been major supporters of this conservation effort, and supporters of the world class Western Hunting & Conservation Expo. The Western Hunting & Conservation Expo is a key platform for conservation in the Western United States.

Hunting and land conservation programs in the Western United States are a very complex system, with many moving parts, and differing opinions. SFW has been a catalyst to reform Utah’s wildlife and land management system. This is a complex public and private partnership. Based on our successes in Utah, many additional accomplishments have been achieved in Alaska, Wyoming, Idaho, New Mexico and other states. With the continued support of all sportsmen, SFW will continue to grow in each western state, and will become THE Sportsmen’s Voice for hunters and wildlife throughout the Western United States, Alaska and Canada.