Pheasants Forever improved habitat for pheasants and other upland wildlife on more than 70,000 acres in Minnesota in 2014. This includes 395 wildlife habitat projects completed by the state’s 74 Pheasants Forever chapters that improved 8,573 acres for wildlife, and more than 61,000 acres impacted by Pheasants Forever’s Farm Bill biologist program.
“The grassroots model and the local volunteers who pour their hearts into our mission is why Pheasants Forever in Minnesota is able to achieve these extraordinary accomplishments,” stated Emilee Nelson, Pheasants Forever’s regional biologist for eastern Minnesota. “It is truly humbling to work with dedicated chapters that want to do even more for habitat. Together, we aim to protect, restore and enhance more in 2015."
Pheasants Forever in Minnesota 2014 Chapter Habitat Accomplishments
|
Type of Project |
2014 Projects |
2014 Acres |
Historical Project Totals |
Total Acres Benefited |
|
Food Plots |
194 |
727 |
17,121 |
88,619 |
|
Habitat Maintenance |
46 |
1,327 |
777 |
28,944 |
|
Land Acquisition* |
29* |
5,107.6* |
467* |
43,325* |
|
Nesting Cover |
96 |
1,397 |
3,472 |
65,883 |
|
Winter Cover |
- |
2 |
4,408 |
10,365 |
|
Wetland Restoration |
30 |
12 |
540 |
10,799 |
|
Totals |
395 |
8,573 |
26,785 |
247,935 |
Additionally, Pheasants Forever’s 15
Farm Bill wildlife biologists in Minnesota worked in partnership with 1,544 Minnesota landowners and farmers to enroll more than 23,300 acres of habitat into federal and stateside habitat conservation programs (e.g. Conservation Reserve Program). Combined with the habitat enhancement projects conducted by the Farm Bill wildlife biologists on private lands, Pheasants Forever’s biologists in Minnesota impacted 61,928 acres of wildlife habitat in 2014.
Pheasants Forever in Minnesota 2014 Award Winners
-
Chapter of the Year – Douglas County Chapter of Pheasants Forever
-
Youth Chapter of the Year – Kandiyohi County Chapter of Pheasants Forever
-
Wildlife Professional – Bill Becker, former Executive Director at Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council
-
Volunteer of the Year – David Lood, youth chair, St. Louis/Carlton County Chapter of Pheasants Forever
Conservation Excellence Awards –Top Achievement for Chapters Funding Habitat Conservation (Historical)
-
Anoka County Chapter of Pheasants Forever – $1 million
-
Carver County Chapter of Pheasants Forever – $1 million
-
Martin County Chapter of Pheasants Forever – $1 million
-
Rock County Chapter of Pheasants Forever – $1 million
-
Brown County Chapter of Pheasants Forever – $2 million
-
Murray County Chapter of Pheasants Forever – $2 million
-
Redwood County Chapter of Pheasants Forever – $2 million
-
Sibley County Chapter of Pheasants Forever – $2 million
-
Stevens County Chapter of Pheasants Forever – $2 million
-
Kandiyohi County Chapter of Pheasants Forever – $3 million
-
Lyon County Chapter of Pheasants Forever – $3 million
-
Jackson County Chapter of Pheasants Forever – $4 million
-
Wright County Chapter of Pheasants Forever – $5 million
-
Nobles County Chapter of Pheasants Forever – $5 million
-
McLeod County Chapter of Pheasants Forever – $6 million
Pheasants Forever in Minnesota
Pheasants Forever was formed in St. Paul, Minn. in 1982. Since that time, the organization’s presence in the state has grown to 74 chapters and more than 23,000 Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever members. Since 1982, Pheasants Forever in Minnesota has raised more than $69 million for the state’s wildlife habitat efforts. Minnesota chapters have also participated in land acquisitions totaling 43,325 acres of permanently protected land open to the public for hunting and other outdoor recreation activities.
About Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 140,000 members and 700 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Chapters are empowered to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds are spent; the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure.