Honors the career of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever biologist
Pheasants Forever (PF), Quail Forever (QF) and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) are working to protect a 422-acre grassland and woodland property in south central Iowa to provide crucial wildlife habitat and public access for outdoor recreation. The parcel, located on the border of Madison and Clarke counties, will be named the Jim Wooley Family Tract in honor of the 31-year-long career of the PF & QF biologist.
PF & QF worked jointly with INHF to purchase the property in late 2024, and the groups are now collaborating to raise private donations for this $3 million cornerstone project. Working with partners to open the area to the public and expand use around the adjacent Heritage Hills Wildlife Management Area, which is owned by the state of Iowa and managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), is a primary objective. Moving forward, this parcel will contribute to quality wildlife habitat, water stewardship, and support of rural communities with the economic revenue generated from hunters and recreationists visiting the one-of-a-kind property.
The tract is named in honor of conservation legend, Jim Wooley, who was responsible for starting more than 125 local chapters of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever in six states, has been the lead for many key habitat and partnership efforts in the state of Iowa, managed the organization’s very successful seed program, and has been a vital committee member of several southern Iowa chapters of PF.
“Wooley made a lasting impact on conservation and our organization,” said PF and QF’s habitat protection officer, Eric Sytsma. “It’s an honor to work with our incredible partners to memorialize his legacy with a project that clearly represents our core mission – public access and permanently protected wildlife habitat.”
The site includes considerable grassland, woodland, and riparian habitats, which show signs of remnant prairie. These grasslands will support bird species such as Henslow’s Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, pheasants, and northern bobwhite quail. The adjacent Heritage Hills WMA was protected by INHF and the Iowa DNR in 2016 in a project supported by local PF chapters as well. The tract is one of the largest roadless wilderness areas in the state and has seen extensive native habitat restoration over the last several years, helping to create a popular hunting destination.
“It is exciting to build on a complex of protected public land,” said INHF senior land protection director and counsel, Ross Baxter. “Partnerships like this allow us to protect more wildlife habitat that will also benefit soil health, water quality and outdoor recreation opportunities in Iowa.”
Fundraising for this project will be a prominent part of this year's Build a Wildlife Area® program, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s permanent habitat protection program delivering strategic, fee-title acquisitions to conserve habitat and increase public hunting access. The program strives to create functional landscapes supporting wild, sustainable populations of upland birds and other wildlife, while providing ancillary benefits to natural resources and communities. Since 1982, the program has permanently protected more than 238,860 acres of publicly accessible habitat in 17 states.
Click here to learn more about how you can support the project.