EarthX Hosted U.S.-Mexico Hunting and Conservation Forum in Honor of Half-Earth Day®

DALLAS, October 27, 2021 /3BL Media/ - International environmental nonprofit EarthX, founded by environmentalist Trammell S. Crow, convened leading authorities in wildlife conservation from Mexico and the United States for the Half-Earth Day® Hunting and Conservation Forum to discuss the important role that hunters and hunting play in wildlife conservation across North America. Keynote speakers included former U.S. Secretary of Energy and former Texas Governor Rick Perry, former Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt and National Wildlife Federation President and CEO Collin O’Mara.

“Hunters play a vital role in preserving wildlife habitats,” said EarthX founder Trammell S. Crow. “EarthX celebrated Half-Earth Day® by convening international thought leaders to share their perspectives and commit to working together. This forum was a shining example of how organizations, individuals and countries can come together for the good of the planet.”

At EarthX Half-Earth Day®, representatives of the hunting and wildlife conservation communities of Mexico and the United States discussed hunters’ and private landowners’ role in financing wildlife and wildlife habitat conservation and the economic benefits that hunting and conservation has on local, regional and national economies in the U.S. and Mexico. The event culminated in the signing of an international proclamation.

The proclamation stated that the United States and Mexican landowner, hunting and conservation organizations recognize the pivotal importance of trans-border cooperation, a cornerstone of several international agreements and bilateral cooperative programs.

The proclamation also reinforced the historical role hunters and hunting have played in wildlife conservation across North America, underscored the need for certified hunter education courses, and emphasized the contemporary role hunters play as the principal financiers of conservation.

“I am deeply honored to sign a proclamation with a formal commitment from Mexican and American conservationists to secure a better and brighter future for North American wildlife and its habitats,” said Lic. Humberto Enoc Cavazos Arozqueta. “This new synergy between the United States and Mexico is the beginning of a new way of environmentalism with a conservation perspective.”

Pheasants Forever President and CEO Howard Vincent said signing the bilateral proclamation “sends a strong signal to policy makers, hunters and conservationists throughout the U.S. and Mexico that hunting and wildlife conservation go hand-in-hand, and that private landowners are an essential element for this to occur.” 

Keynote Speakers

Rick Perry is former U.S. Secretary of Energy and former Governor of Texas, a veteran of the United States Air Force and a former farmer. Prior to being elected Lieutenant Governor in 1998, he served two terms as Texas Commissioner of Agriculture and three terms in the Texas House of Representatives. Perry grew up the son of tenant farmers in the tiny West Texas town of Paint Creek. He was active in scouting and earned distinction as an Eagle Scout. He was one of the first in his family to go to college, earning a degree in Animal Science from Texas A&M University.

David Bernhardt is the only person to ever be confirmed by the U. S. Senate to serve as Secretary of the Interior, Deputy Secretary (chief operations officer) and Solicitor (chief legal officer) of the Department of the Interior in its 172-year history. While serving as the 53rd secretary of the Department of the Interior, David led a U.S. cabinet department with an asset portfolio that exceeded $300 billion, a $16 billion annual budget and nearly 70,000 employees through a period of transformational improvement and change. A creative problem solver, David focused his efforts to further conservation stewardship, expanded opportunities for access to hunt and fish on public lands, drove regulatory change and worked to enhance our nation’s energy independence.

Collin O'Mara serves as President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, America’s largest wildlife conservation organization with 53 state and territorial affiliates and nearly six million hunters, anglers, birders, gardeners, hikers, paddlers, and wildlife enthusiasts. Under O’Mara’s leadership, the National Wildlife Federation is focused on recovering America’s wildlife ranging from bison and bighorn sheep to pollinators like monarch butterflies and native bees, improving management of and access to public lands, restoring America’s water bodies, advancing environmental education, and connecting every American child with the great outdoors.

Featured Speakers & Panelists

• Trinidad Benavides García, President of the National Association of Diversified Wildlife Breeders (ANGADI)
• Juana García Palomares, National President, National Association of Women Entrepreneurs and Producers of Land
• Andy Treharne, Senior Director, External Affairs, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation
• Scott P. Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Forest Landowners Association
• Chad Ellis, Chief Executive Officer, Texas Agricultural Land Trust
• Howard K. Vincent, President and CEO, Pheasants Forever, Inc and Quail Forever
• Dr. Steven Leath, Executive Director, Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports
• Mark Rey, Executive in Residence, Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Michigan State University
• Nic De Castro, Founder of LandTrust
• John Silovsky, Wildlife Division Director, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
• Dr. Karen Waldrop, Chief Conservation Officer, Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
• Eduardo Carrera González, CEO & National Executive Director, Ducks Unlimited de México, A. C.
• Daniel Covarrubias, Director, Texas Center for Border Economic and Enterprise Development,  Texas A&M International University (TAMIU)
• Humberto Enoc Cavazos Arozqueta, President,Safari Club of México, A.C
• Edgar Wenzel-Lopez, President, IHEA- Mexico
• Justin Dreibelbis, Chief Executive Officer, Texas Wildlife Association
• Mario Alberto Canales Najjar, President, Mexican Hunting Federation (FEMECA); Representative Counselor, Social Sector of the National Wildlife Council (CONAVIS)
• Mario Alberto Canales Mijares, Chairman of the Board, Mexican Hunting Federation (FEMECA)
• Benjamin Jones, Executive Director, Texas Conservation Alliance
• Luis Arredondo Ramos, Vice President of the Mexican Federation of Shooting and Hunting A.C.

ABOUT EarthX

EarthX convenes the world’s largest environmental expo, conference, film festival, and TV channel, and is a member of IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature. Founded in 2011 as Earth Day Dallas by environmentalist and businessman Trammell S. Crow, the Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization promotes environmental awareness and impact through conscious business, nonpartisan collaboration and community-driven sustainable solutions. In 2019, the April event drew over 177,000 attendees, 2,000 environmental leaders, and 750+ exhibitors. In 2020, the April virtual event drew over 570,000 live-stream views and reached 171 countries. After an initial web-based launch in September 2020, EarthxTV is now available as an OTT platform on streaming TV services, mobile devices and tablets for balanced, inclusive environmental conversations, programs, emerging media and films. Visit www.EarthX.org or follow us @earthxorg on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

HALF-EARTH DAY® is a trademark of E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, Inc.  Used with Permission.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  For more information about the Foundation and HALF-EARTH DAY® 2021, please visit:  www.half-earthproject.org/hed2021