Green.

When used by the mainstream media and Hollywood celebrities the word means “environmentally friendly” or “eco-conscious”. As a buzz word it has become a genuine sensation and perhaps a bit trendy but what does “green” really mean?

While its pop culture connotations remain ambiguous, there is a truly “green” force aligned in defense of America’s natural resources: hunters and fishermen. Over the last 100 years, those who actively participated in nature have spent billions of dollars and millions of volunteer hours ensuring the wildlife and fisheries resources of this country remain healthy. And the results have been astounding.

In 1900 whitetail deer numbered 500,000 throughout North America. Now, there are that many in four Texas counties combined and their continent wide-numbers near 30 million. Wood ducks were nearly extinct, now they are one of the most abundant species. Wild turkeys which dwindled down to 100,000 specimens number more than 500,000 in Texas alone and all because of the efforts of hunters.

Anglers have been equally as conscientious having turned the redfish fishery in Texas from a disaster in the late 1970s to seeing their numbers reaching record highs by the year 2000. There are similar success stories for speckled trout and a variety of other species from the Laguna Madre to the Mississippi River.

Right now in Texas anglers are helping to pay for studies to determine the population status of tarpon, sharks and other high profile species in need of further study.

While these examples are tangible and well documented, they are never mentioned as part of the “green” movement of modern society. However, these actions are sterling examples of what “green” truly embodies.

This is the landowner who chooses to restore native vegetation. It’s the angler who donates his or her time to catch broodstock for hatcheries. It is the fight to save hardwood bottomlands from destruction and the wholesale slaughter of our fisheries by foreign commercial interests.

And it is not always anti-industry or anti-capitalism. We need balance in these areas with sensible industrial practices coupled with conservation on the side of both business and the consumer.

Conservation is after all the wise use of resources, whereas preservation, which some confuse conservation promotes not using the resources at all.

Hunters and anglers stand for conservation which groups like Ducks Unlimited, the Coastal Conservation Association, National Wild Turkey Federation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Texas Bighorn Society have proven works every time it is tried.

At the dawn of the new millennium there are financial, political and social problems causing some to question the wisdom of investing in such efforts but this is the perfect time to take things to a new level.

As people who care about the future of wildlife and fisheries and who want to ensure the youth of tomorrow have a place to get their thrills deer hunting instead of taking drugs there is no alternative but to draw a line in the sand and make a stand. The fish and game we love so much deserves it and so do our children and the coming generations.

Henry David Thoreau in his landmark book Walden wrote, “In wildness is the preservation of the world.”

This is so very true and we conscientious hunters and anglers promise to work hard to keep the wild things wild by cooperating with those who share our passion for the great outdoors.