Aldo Leopold, often referred to as the father of conservation, made the statement at the turn of the last century that wild game “stocks” would eventually be harbored on private property.
During the U.S. western expansion, the “settlers” settled on the best property; those with fertile ground and reliable water. Throw in years of development, public acquisitions and habitat degradation and one can see the challenges that wildlife populations as well as wildlife managers face.
With wild lands of California and Oregon disappearing at an alarming rate and other property rightfully being closed, W.U. adopted a vision of “responsible access”. The Founders of W.U. recognized that private property and their landowners were the future. After all, who protects and safeguards their lands better? A business model was adopted and a professional management team assembled with educational and experience backgrounds in wildlife management, recreation, agriculture, marketing and business management.
The concept of multi-use private hunting clubs or fishing clubs was not a new one but a true conservation oriented property owner focused organization was. The challenge was on.