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By LAWRENCE EMERSON
Democrat Staff Writer
His organization includes hunters, garden club members, off-road vehicle enthusiasts and game biologists.
The Virginia Wildlife Federation has an eclectic membership whose common concerns are management and protection of the state’s wildlife and environment, says Dr. James R. Branscome, a Hume resident and a 7th District director of the federation. (Virginia Wildlife Federation districts correspond with the state’s 10 congressional districts.)
Dr. Branscome, a retired U.S. Navy chemical engineer, says environmental quality is deteriorating. “The National Wildlife Federation each year publishes a state of the ecology report which includes eight to 10 categories such as air, soil, water, wildlife, forest and so forth. By and large the quality is down in most categories.”
How has the situation changed since the “ecology-flag” days of the 1960s and early ’70s?
‘I think there’s a lot more awareness among people as a whole,” Dr. Branscome says. “But I’m not sure that is correcting the problem.”
He believes organizations such as the Virginia Wildlife Federation and the National Wildlife Federation can help. Both are strong lobbying forces in Richmond and Washington, respectively, he says. And both non-profit, tax-exempt organizations are seeking new members to enhance their financial resources and political clout.
Dr. Branscome says he’s willing to talk with any individual or group interested in full or affiliate membership. Other organizations such as garden clubs or sportsmen’s clubs may get affiliate memberships in the VWF for $1 per member, he says. No Fauquier County club is yet officially affiliated with the Wildlife Federation, although he believes many local groups share its
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