Tim Crawford, Belgrade, Mont.

When pending changes to Montana’s stream-access laws led to a debate over fishing access, Crawford made it clear which side of the fence he was on. The rancher, who lives on the East Gallatin River, installed a gate on his property and put up a sign: WELCOME ANGLERS. Crawford continued in his championing of public access in 2009 after a 2.5-acre parcel in Logan came on the market. He bought the property and then donated it, part to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and part to the American Legion. Besides adding a takeout halfway between two existing access points, the site will serve as a wheelchair-friendly “fishing park” for disabled veterans.

Erik Myre, Minot, N.D.

Myre started a local Delta Waterfowl chapter in 2006, filling a void for both hunters and wildlife. There were no other DW chapters in the area, and Myre wanted to mobilize hunters who were interested in giving back to the resource. He has spearheaded nesting-structure projects, an outdoors festival, and a mentorship program. “If you do a little work and you pound on some doors, there will be a huge amount of support from the community,” he says.

Kirk Klancke, Fraser, Colo.

Klancke has made it his mission to educate the public about threats to the upper Colorado River. As president of Trout Unlimited’s Colorado River Headwaters Chapter, he leads annual stream enhancement projects and organized a music festival celebrating the Fraser River. “When you turn a sprinkler on in Denver,” says Klancke, a local district water manager, “you drop a water level in a river on the west side of the divide.”