Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are proud to announce Equity Bank as a regional partner of the organization’s wildlife habitat conservation mission. Through a three-year partnership, Equity Bank will contribute to projects and initiatives in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, spotlighting the financial institution’s commitment to sustainability for its customers, employees, and local communities.
“Equity Bank’s conservation support of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever is a testament to the bank’s community focus,” said Jordan L. K. Martincich, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s vice president of development. "Equity Bank understands the importance of habitat conservation, and the positive outcomes wildlife habitat has on the communities it serves. We commend Equity Bank for partnering with The Habitat Organization to advance strategies for grassland conservation, generate sustainability outcomes, enhance outdoor recreation opportunities, and grow a diverse community of conservation-minded stakeholders. We’re pleased to have Equity Bank join the upland habitat team.”
“Conservation and stewardship of our natural lands is of prime importance to our communities throughout our four Midwestern states, and we’re pleased to align with a trusted cause delivering upland habitat conservation to outdoor enthusiasts throughout the country,” said Brad Elliott, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Equity Bank. “Our partnership in Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever reflects our customer base, our team members, and local efforts throughout our regions, and we’re eager to connect with local chapters and members across our footprint.”
Each state will receive funding support from Equity Bank to be used on strategic habitat initiatives unique to their area, including:
Arkansas: State-level habitat programs including public lands partnerships and private lands efforts within the state’s Quail Focal Areas. This includes habitat projects being implemented on the highly visible Pea Ridge National Battlefield.
Kansas: State-level habitat programs including Corners for Wildlife (habitat and public access) and the organization’s public lands habitat enhancement and access initiatives.
Missouri: State-level habitat programs (e.g., Habitat Challenge Grant, Partners for Fish & Wildlife, and Missouri Recreational Access Program) creating upland habitat outcomes for public and private lands.
Oklahoma: State-level habitat programs including Oklahoma Land and Access Program (OLAP), designed to increase the acres of habitat open to public recreation across the state, helping benefit landowners, wildlife, and water quality.
Helping cultivate diverse generations of informed and engaged conservationists of the future, Equity Bank’s support will also help expand conservation education programs in the four-state region. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Path to the Uplands initiative will inspire traditional, new, and emerging audiences of all ages to find meaning in the outdoor lifestyle through hunting heritage programs, conservation leadership training, and habitat education.
Equity Bank offers a full range of financial solutions, including commercial loans, consumer banking, mortgage loans, and treasury management services. As of March 31, 2023, Equity had approximately $5.2 billion in consolidated total assets, with full-service locations in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, including corporate offices in Wichita. Equity provides an enhanced banking experience for customers through a suite of sophisticated banking products and services tailored to their needs, while delivering the high-quality, relationship-based customer service of a community bank. Equity was founded in Andover, Kansas, and today has more than 60 bank locations in its four-state footprint, serving a diversified group of customers, industries, and communities. Equity’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ‘EQBK.’ Learn more at www.equitybank.com.
About Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever make up the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. This community of more than 400,000 members, supporters and partners is dedicated to the protection of our uplands through habitat improvement, public access, education and advocacy. A network of 754 local chapters spread across North America determine how 100 percent of their locally raised funds are spent — the only national conservation organization that operates through this grassroots structure. Since its creation in 1982, the organization has dedicated more than $1 billion to 575,000 habitat projects benefiting 24 million acres.
Media Contacts:
Jared Wiklund
(651) 209-4953
jwiklund@pheasantsforever.org
Russell Colburn
Public Relations & Communication Manager, Equity Bank
(816) 446-0052
rcolburn@equitybank.com