Center for Conservation Excellence Foundation

The Center instructs on key concepts of conservation law to strengthen the professional conservation community, preparing them to contribute in their fields in line with the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, public trust stewardship in state wildlife management, and beyond. There have been few programs and projects undertaken to create awareness for wildlife law and policy with the mission of protecting Americans’ rights to hunt and fish. Though strong in intention, the scalability has been challenging when addressing this need for protecting modern conservation efforts, hunting heritage, and wildlife law. Additionally, the animal rights movement has been at large since the early 2000s and special interest groups are pushing their agenda of "legal personhood" for animals at an alarming and well-funded rate. With support from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, National Wild Turkey Federation, National Rifle Association’s Hunter Leadership Forum, and more, the Center is standing up to threats against modern conservation efforts and creating better access and quality of conservation and wildlife law education in America's law colleges. While the Center currently offers courses in a handful of law schools and is continuously offering Continuing Legal Education seminars across the country, we won’t settle with good enough! The Center continues to place more courses and seminars, as well as connect more students and graduates with state agencies, non-profit organizations, and other conservation positions.