BASECAMP DISPATCHES

Dollars Directed To Sheep

Since detailed recordkeeping began in 1983, FNAWS/WSF has assisted state, provincial, territorial, tribal/First Nations, guide/outfitter associations and other diverse wild sheep partners via Grant-in-Aid (GIA) funding, for wild sheep conservation projects. In addition, in many jurisdictions, FNAWS/WSF has had the privilege of auctioning special permits (mainly for wild sheep, but also for mountain goat, bison, elk, mule deer, pronghorn, brown bear, and other wildlife species). Each year, WSF updates jurisdictional spreadsheets which track Conservation GIA dollars and Permit Proceed dollars directed back to each jurisdiction. This map portrays WSF’s aggregate conservation funding directed to wild sheep conservation in each jurisdiction; each and every WSF member should take pride in helping raise and direct these criticallyimportant dollars! WS

by Gray N. Thornton President & CEO

TAKE ONE – PUT ONE BACK A Decade of Donor-Directed Funding for Wild Sheep

As with many bold and new ideas, it started with a question.

In April 2013, while returning from the spring WSF Board of Directors meeting in Columbia, Missouri graciously hosted by Larry and Brenda Potterfield of MidwayUSA, incoming director Doug Sayer of Idaho asked me during a layover in the DFW Airport “how much does it cost to put a sheep on the mountain?” and added “I think Shelly and I would consider starting a new or enhancing an existing herd and I’m confident many of our members would contribute as well...”

Doug and I then discussed the concept of soliciting our membership specifically for putting one or more wild sheep back on the mountain. As Doug boarded his flight to Idaho and I back to Wyoming, I told him I’d get with then WSF Senior Conservation Director and now Vice President of Conservation Kevin Hurley to determine how much it costs to trap and translocate a wild sheep, and with others, we would strategize on a marketing program.

Kevin did the math on the 2013 costs of a helicopter net-gun capture, diagnostic laboratory analyses, a GPS collar, and subsequent transportation to a new location; Kevin’s figures came out to be ~$4,700 per wild sheep.

An Ad Hoc Committee was formed including Doug Sayer (Chair), Ryan Foutz, Travis Howell, Darryl Williams, Jim Wilson and Gray Thornton and we then worked on a title for the program and a roll-out strategy. We landed on the title Take One – Put One Back (TOPOB) as a campaign to provide WSF members who have taken a wild sheep the opportunity to “put one back” on the mountain. Donors make a $5,000 (or more) tax-deductible donation (USA taxpayers) to WSF to “put one back” anytime they choose, but especially when they buy a special permit or a sheep hunt, draw a special sheep permit, or just want to “put a wild sheep back on the mountain.” The program’s key was then, and is still now, that 100% of the dollars donated is directed to conservation projects and programs to Put and Keep Wild Sheep on the Mountain®

During summer 2013, we ordered domestic stock plastic ear tags and later gold-plated lapel pins which included the WSF logo and “I Put 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, etc. Back” copy. The number of tag and pin equals the number of sheep individuals “Put Back” on the Mountain.

We launched the TOPOB program from the stage Thursday night in Reno during the 2014 Sheep Show®and joked that while the $5,000 plastic ear tag might be the most expensive piece of plastic you ever bought, it would be the most cherished plastic you could earn and own.

In 2014 and with a challenge from Doug & Shelly Sayer, and appeal calls from the stage Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 14 donors gave $85,000 which later funded $115,000 in conservation programs with their TOPOB dollars.

In 2015, 27 donors gave $185,000, and we funded $204,000 in TOPOB programs.

In 2016, 37 donors gave $267,500, and we funded $282,500 in TOPOB programs.

“NET ZERO FNAWS”

During 2016, Alan Higham completed his FNAWS and conceived the concept of a “Net Zero FNAWS” – he took four sheep off the mountain, and with a very generous $20,000 2016 gift from his Weathered Stone Good Works Fund, he helped WSF put four sheep back.

By 2016 we had several generous “NET Zero FNAWS” TOPOB donors including:

• Albert Seeno $50,000

• Doug & Shelly Sayer $30,000

• Monty & Becky Davis $25,000

• Roger Segebrecht $25,000

• Kevin Hurley $25,000

• Walt & Joan Coram $20,000

• Alan Higham $20,000

Today, there are many more “Net Zero FNAWS” and “Multi Net Zero FNAWS” members including the aforementioned who continued to give as well as Grizzly Outdoors Corps, Anonymous, Richard Pierce, Mesara Family Foundation, Kevin & Tuesdy Small, Terry Rathert, Stanford & Pamela Atwood, Norbert Bremer, Brian Benyo, Steve & Jackie Bruggeman, Mike Carpinito, Sr., Guinn & Betsy Crousen, Nicholas Saner, and Kyle Small.

10 Years - $1,682,000 Raised and Directed to Wild Sheep Conservation

During our 2017 through 2023 conventions and even through the pandemic-caused Virtual Sheep Show® in 2021, WSF member donors continued generously donating to the TOPOB program and are being recognized Friday and Saturday night during our banquet programs. Incredibly, during the past decade of WSF’s Take One – Put One Back donor-directed conservation program, an amazing $1,682,000 has been raised with 100% of those funds having been or will be directed to programs and projects enhancing and conserving wild sheep as well as their habitat. TOPOB aims to not only put wild sheep back on the mountain, but to keep them there!

2023 TOPOB donors set a new record with $317,500 raised before and during the Sheep Show®

Anonymous $100,000

Grizzly Outdoor Corps $95,000

Albert Seeno $50,000

Richard Pierce $20,000

Mesara Family Foundation $10,000

Mike and Michael Carpinito $10,000

Roger McCosker $5,000

Terry Rathert $5,000

Kevin Small $5,000

Kyle Small $5,000

Bob & Pam Keagy $5,000

Rob & Lucy Cinclair $5,000

Gary Young $2,500

Total $317,500

One hundred percent of these funds will help fund the $1.247 Million in FY 2022-23 Grant-In-Aid projects consistent with the Take One – Put One Back conservation project mandate.

WSF wishes to recognize thank all of our TOPOB donors from 2014 to today:

While our Take One – Put One Back program conceived in 2013 was novel then and remains so today, donor-directed dollars to programs they support are in no way unique. Bernie Fiedeldey, the founder of WSF’s One More for Four program as well as its pre-lawsuit predecessor has been soliciting challenge dollars to fund his exceptional program for more than 20 years and continues to do so today.

Capitalizing on the success of both the Bernie Fiedeldey One More for Four Challenge and our Take One Put One Back program, we expanded our appeals in January 2022 to include our very successful and growing Women Hunt® program. In January 2023, we offered a full menu of appeals and opportunities for members to give to programs with 100% of their dollars supporting the programs of their desire.

In addition to our 2023 TOPOB donors, the following donors gave to these fine programs listed below.

One More for Four Challenge

Bernie Fiedeldey $25,000

David & Sona Coombs $5,000

Renee Snider $2,500

Darin & Tonya Fiedeldey $2,500

Charles & Denise Swanson $2,000

Kris Kohlhoff $1,000

WSF Midwest Chapter $1,000

Washington WSF $1,000

Ed Pabst $1,000

Kevin Gilbert $1,000

Total $42,000

Ram Lay-A-Way

J. Alain Smith $15,000

Tony & Ginny Caligiuri $5,000

Arlene Hanson $5,000

Steve Skold $2,500

Julie Chapman $1,000

Ian Keinath $1,000

Joe Brescia $1,000

Tom & Denise Hoffman $1,000

Total $31,500

Women Hunt®

Anonymous $5,000

Denise Swanson $1,000

Renée & Gray Thornton $1,000

Rebecca & Colin Peters $1,000

Kevin Hurley $1,000

Sue Skold $1,000

Total $10,000

Working Dogs 4 Conservation

Kevin Hurley $1,000

Youth Programs

Amanda Brock $500

General Full Curl Spirits $3,000

WSF thanks and salutes all of our donors who responded generously to our 2023 Sheep Show® Appeals!

On this 10-year anniversary of the Take One – Put One Back program, we are especially grateful for the enormous and unwavering generosity of WSF members and the wild sheep family towards our donor-directed Appeals. We are also very grateful for the exceptional generosity of our industry partners, chapters, affiliates, members, and others who support and/or sponsor our annual convention and WSF’s Mission Programs. This year, total 2023 Sheep Show® convention sponsorship and appeals support neared $1 Million dollars!

Happy Tenth Birthday Take OnePut One Back!

On behalf of our Board of Directors, Board of Trustees, our staff, and very heartfelt personally, thank you! WS