MDF President/CEO Appointed to Federal Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council

On Friday September 23, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack appointed Mule Deer Foundation President and CEO Joel Pedersen to the Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council. Pedersen will join 17 other members on the federal advisory council that is chartered to provide recommendations to federal agencies about wildlife and habitat conservation.

“I am honored to serve on the Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council.  I look forward to representing the interests of the Mule Deer Foundation’s members and volunteers as well as those of the larger conservation community to ensure recreational hunting and wildlife conservation remain a priority consideration for the management of Federal public lands,” said Joel Pedersen, MDF President and CEO. “I appreciate the confidence that Secretary Vilsack and Secretary Haaland have vested in me to bring a valued voice and perspective to the table.”

According to a press release from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency charged with providing staff support to the Council, the Council will “will help advance the Administration’s America the Beautiful initiative, which aims to conserve, connect and restore our nation’s lands, waters and wildlife with collaborative, inclusive and locally led conservation efforts. These efforts will be reinforced by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the largest investment in the resilience of physical and natural systems in American history, including billions of dollars to accelerate federal and locally led land, water, and wildlife conservation efforts across the country.”

Pedersen and the other members of the Council will serve for a three-year term and the Council will meet at least twice a year.