AR members may be interested to learn that John Jackson of Conservation Force was awarded International Statesman Award by the Wild Sheep Foundation.

International Statesman Award
by Gray Thornton, President of the Wild Sheep Foundation.

John J. Jackson, III redirected and wholly dedicated his life as a lawyer, writer, hunter and conservationist nearly four decades ago and has become one of the foremost champions of hunting and conservation through hunting around the world. This award recognizes his unequaled service and leadership to the hunting community in all corners of the globe. He is the man.

John is the past recipient of our Excellence in Advocacy of Our Hunting Heritage Award, 2002, for his “untiring support of our hunting heritage…effective at all political levels…worldwide.” John is an international leader without narrow partisanship. He is founder and chairman of Conservation Force which gives counsel to a consortium of over 200 organizations which it serves to further our sporting way of life and wildlife and wild places. Conservation Force proactively advances or solves dozens of issues of importance every year.
John broadcasts that “sportsmen are the force” and he sees to it that we are recognized as the foremost conservationists.

He has represented countries such as Mongolia and Namibia, and organizations from IPHA to the Inuvialuit Game Council in petitions, comments and litigation.

He has served for over a decade on the Executive Council of the International Council of Game and Wildlife (CIC) in Budapest and as the President of its Commission on Sustainable Use; for two decades on the Board of the International Foundation for the Conservation of Wildlife (IGF) in Paris. He has long served on crucial specialist groups of IUCN in Gland, such as the Deer Specialist Group and the Antelope Specialist Group with Conservation Force initiatives from Thailand to Zambia. Here in the USA he is a life member of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, the Wildlife Management Institute and founding member of the AWCP. Conservation Force is a CITES International Observer and John has participated in its Conferences of the Parties, working groups and committees for nearly two decades.

His species projects are as diverse as polar bear to elephant, African lion to argali and markhor. He is the recognized expert on the bio-political issues that affect them all.

He spearheaded the defeat of the proposal to list all urial on Appendix I of CITES and the defeat of the petition to list all Baja Peninsula sheep as endangered on the ESA. He intervened on our behalf to defeat the suit to list all argali as endangered that would have stopped their importation forever. He established the importation of Kashmir markhor and is in U.S. District Court challenging the denial of trophy imports of the renowned Suleiman markhor in the Torghar Project of Pakistan - on our behalf, I might add. This past year alone he has obtained the release of hundreds of hunting trophies that had been detained or seized for ever increasing reasons. He is fighting for us and makes no apologies.

The reach of this superhero is worldwide. He helped found the concept of sustainable use, championed and helped coin “conservation hunting,” personally authored the diplomatic CITES Resolutions facilitating export-import of hunting trophies and initiated the “enhancement strategy” under the ESA.

Night and day he is championing our causes around the globe. He and his wife Chrissie are life members of WSF.

I can't think of a more deserving person to be so honored.

Bill Quimby

I'll second that Bill. He's quite an impressive man lending his expertise to countless conservation projects across he globe. Well deserved.

A well deserved award

Amen!