Outdoor Life and its 5.5 million readers have selected Boone and Crockett Club President Lowell E. Baier of Bethesda, Md., as the top conservationist in the third-annual “OL 25” list of people who’ve had the greatest positive impact on hunting, fishing and conservation.

“OL 25” honors conservationists, leaders, innovators and unsung heroes. Along with other nominees, Baier’s photo and bio appeared in the December/January 2010 edition of Outdoor Life. Online voting helped decide Reader’s Choice winners in each category.

Baier received his award Jan. 19 at the 2010 SHOT Show in Las Vegas.

Outdoor Life Editor-in-Chief Todd Smith said, “When we step into the woods or wade into a clear mountain stream, we rarely stop to think about the many people who have made enjoying that experience possible. Yet there are thousands of ordinary sportsmen who’ve done extraordinary things to build this way of life we call hunting and fishing. One standout among them is Lowell E. Baier.”

As the 28th president of the Club founded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887, Baier is part of a long tradition in conservation. Boone and Crockett may be best known for its trophy records that remain a classic gauge of conservation and management programs, but Baier has focused organizational efforts directly on the land. He led a national campaign to preserve Roosevelt’s Elkhorn Ranch in North Dakota, which landed him honors as the 2008 Conservationist of the Year by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and 2008 Conservationist of the Year by Budweiser.

“Roosevelt once said, ‘There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country.’ It is truly an honor to carry on in his footsteps and to be recognized for doing so,” said Baier.