Pheasants Forever has promoted Rachel Bush to the position of North Dakota State Coordinator. In this role, Bush will be the point person for all Pheasants Forever activities in the state, focused on the promotion and implementation of wildlife habitat conservation efforts that benefit pheasants and other upland wildlife, including pollinators, honey bees, monarchs and more.
“Having groups like Pheasants Forever and other NGO partners working with producers to identify and deliver voluntary private lands conservation is a critical part of North Dakota’s future. It is exciting to see Rachel Bush in the new role of state coordinator,” noted Keith Trego, executive director of the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust. “She is a well-respected, top notch professional in the field of conservation. Pheasants Forever could not have made a better choice for this important addition to their North Dakota efforts.”
Bush will be responsible for supporting and creating conservation partnerships in the state that include but are not limited to – North Dakota Game & Fish, the North Dakota Forest Service, North Dakota Natural Resources Trust, Prairie Pothole Joint Venture, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts, North Dakota Beekeepers Association, the North Dakota Outdoor Heritage Board, agricultural organizations, and other entities. Additionally, Bush will work closely with Pheasants Forever staff and a large network of local chapters to increase mission delivery for wildlife habitat conservation throughout the state.
Having spent the last four years as a Farm Bill biologist with Pheasants Forever in North Dakota, Bush received the title of senior Farm Bill biologist in May of 2014. In these roles, she assisted farmers and ranchers in designing, developing, and funding voluntary habitat improvements on private lands by utilizing the Conservation Reserve Program and other Farm Bill Programs. Since 2011, Bush has worked with over 2,100 landowners in North Dakota impacting over 46,000 acres for wildlife habitat conservation efforts.
“Rachel Bush has gained the respect of her local community and conservation peers as an outstanding champion for natural resources in North Dakota,” stated Ryan Heiniger, north region manager for Pheasants Forever’s. “As an ardent outdoors woman and a well-known advocate for conservation, she possesses the skills and knowledge to move the needle for wildlife in North Dakota – we’re excited to have her in this new leadership position.”
Bush grew up on a family farm in southern Michigan before moving to North Dakota to earn a Master of Science degree at North Dakota State University. Her graduate work and subsequent employment with the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center as a biological technician developed her passion for the prairie pothole region of North Dakota. Today, Bush resides in Jamestown, North Dakota, and is supported in her new position by her husband and daughter.
Pheasants Forever in North Dakota
There are 28 local chapters of Pheasants Forever located in North Dakota, accounting for more than 4,100 members statewide. All told, the organization has spent more than $3.6 million to complete 7,033 habitat projects in the state. Those projects have improved more than 67,000 acres for wildlife in North Dakota.
About Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever is the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever has more than 140,000 members and 745 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. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent $577 million on 489,000 habitat projects benefiting 12 million acres nationwide.
Media Contact
Jared Wiklund
(651) 209-4953
jwiklund@pheasantsforever.org