Above: Ohio congressman Bob Gibbs tours a habitat project with members of the Ashland County Chapter of Pheasants Forever.
It’s hunting season, but the push for pheasant and quail habitat never ends
Fall is for hunting, but it’s always time for work in D.C. This October is no exception.
Members of Congress returned to Washington after Labor Day with a packed agenda after their summer meetings back in their states and districts. There, they heard from their constituents – Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever members -- during site tours and listening sessions. PF and QF employees and volunteers were there to carry our message and engage in the state-side discussions.
Several conservation policy issues emerged consistently, including:
* The need for a strong Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).
* A needed fix for fire funding/borrowing to prepare for and fight forest fires without using other USDA funding resources.
* Easier, more consistent mechanisms for conservation program delivery and enrollment.
There is no question that there is a strong demand for CRP out there; many of you have already made calls, but we can always use more!
ACTION WHERE IT COUNTS
While advancing our policy agenda, PF/QF chapters leaders and staff participated in over 20 tours, meetings and field hearings, and recently completed our fourth fly-in to Washington DC. So far in 2017, more than 50 Chapter leaders, farmers, ranchers, and landowners from 23 states met with their members of Congress on Capitol Hill to talk about habitat. That’s grassroots making a difference!
In addition, at field hearings and Farm Bill listening sessions across the nation, we were there! Check out the picture of Northern Illinois Regional Representative Ross Fogel speaking, below. His comments were shared with the House Agriculture Committee.
Now, with state-side listening under their belts, congressmen and women are back to work on Capitol Hill in the Agriculture Committees. The Farm Bill is less than a year away from expiring, and legislators will soon be putting pen to paper drafting our next Farm Bill.
Pheasants Forever caught up with Collin Peterson, Ranking Member of the House Agriculture committee, at the Minnesota Governor’s Pheasant Opener in Marshall, Minnesota. See what Peterson had to say about CRP
here.
YOUR CALL-TO-ACTION
PF/QF staff and volunteers always make our priorities known. But we also always need your help and voice!
Before you leave home for your next hunt this fall, or even during the hunt when you stop for a bite to eat, please make one very important call. If you are a hunter, farmer, rancher or local business owner, you know the value that the Farm Bill and CRP mean for your local communities that you live in, and travel to in order to hunt pheasants and quail.
Call your member of Congress and let them know what grassland and habitat means to you, your family and friends afield. Our grassroots network of members and volunteers is a powerful voice. Believe it: when you call, legislators listen!
You can find your Senators’ contact information at
www.senate.gov and your representative at
www.house.gov.