Tonn receives conservation award

Jill Tonn, retired Senior Regional Director for Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), has received the Excellence in Wildlife Conservation Award by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. The award was presented during a virtual Wyoming Game and Fish Commission meeting Tuesday, Nov. 17. She was nominated by members of the RMEF Wyoming Project Advisory Committee (PAC).

During her 25 years of working and volunteering for RMEF, Tonn has promoted elk, wildlife habitat, migration research and public access. Her leadership of a large network of devoted volunteers and donors has placed Wyoming's RMEF chapters as leaders in the nation in conservation vision and dollars raised. Her devotion to elk and all wildlife is an inspiration for all, and sets a high standard for future conservation leaders to follow.

Though Tonn would be quick to credit those she worked with during her time at RMEF, the list of accomplishments that occurred during her leadership from 2006 through 2020 is impressive. For six of her fourteen years as a RMEF Regional Director, Wyoming was the number one state in the nation in dollars raised for the organization, raising over $20 million for habitat, research, and hunting heritage projects.

During her tenure, Tonn helped oversee RMEF's PAC granting program, which contributed to 333 projects that improved over 500,000 acres of habitat for elk and other wildlife in Wyoming. In addition, Tonn's efforts to implement RMEF's State Grant program led to over $600,000 of RMEF support for hunting heritage projects during her 14 years in Wyoming. Over 300 hunting heritage and conservation outreach projects were implemented, directly reaching nearly 230,000 individuals. She was also instrumental in several land protection projects. During her time with RMEF, nearly 125,000 acres of quality elk habitat were protected and over 42,000 acres were open or secured for public access.

Some of Tonn's proudest accomplishments include:

•Becoming the first female RMEF Regional Director to become a Senior Regional Director;

•Devil's Canyon of the Bighorn National Forest, one of the first projects to protect 1 million acres;

•The Coco Belle Access Project on west side of the Teton Mountains;

•Grand Canyon of the Black Hills;

•The Wyoming Migration Initiative and research projects;

•Launching Women for Wildlife events in Wyoming;

•Proving support for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department's Access Yes Program;

•Participating in 4-H shooting sports; and

•Helping enable disabled hunters in the field.

Tonn's passion for the work she has done is infectious. As one of the only women in a statewide leadership role for RMEF, she has been effective at all levels including fundraising, getting volunteers on board, and launching the Women for Wildlife events, etc.

Tonn has the unique ability to make every volunteer feel special and that their contributions are important by showing appreciation in every way possible. For her, serving as a Senior Regional Director for RMEF was not a job, it was a crusade which she led proudly.

An avid hunter since the 1990s, perhaps the biggest motivation for Tonn's work has been her desire to leave a legacy of wildlife and wild places for future generations. She loves elk, but she cares about all wildlife, and is committed to helping others learn about it. She is not shy about talking about her tears of joy from simply watching the beauty of Wyoming's wildlife, everything from big game to bluebirds.

As Tonn says, "It's not even just elk, but seeing deer, antelope, the birds, raptors, mountain goats in Star Valley. It's so beautiful and we are so blessed to have the opportunity to see all those things."

At her core, Tonn wants those who will come after to be able to experience the same thrills of encountering Wyoming's incredible wildlife as we are able to today.