Sportsmen and women and outdoor enthusiasts from across the state will gather for a Rally for Minnesota’s Public Lands at the Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 25
th. Hunters, anglers and outdoor recreationalists in attendance are encouraged to wear blaze orange, camouflage or their other favorite public lands colors.
Hosted by Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, the
Rally for Minnesota’s Public Lands is co-sponsored by Pheasants Forever, Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance, Anglers for Habitat, Minnesota Conservation Federation, MN Deer Hunters Association, Ruffed Grouse Society, Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters and Ducks Unlimited.
Minnesota’s public lands are the backbone for opportunities to hunt, fish and pursue other outdoor recreation. These areas of permanently protected wildlife habitat provide clean water, spaces to roam, and contribute to healthy communities. Their sustainable use contributes to the $16.7 billion in consumer spending annually generated by our state's outdoor recreation economy, which also supports 140,000 jobs. And 10 years ago, voter approval of the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment increased efforts to create new public lands – particularly in the state’s southwest pheasant range, where public land is limited – as well as to improve habitat management on existing public lands.
“Minnesota’s sporting and outdoor community has been a catalyst for Pheasants Forever to continue our important work for permanent habitat protection and enhancement throughout the state,” stated Eran Sandquist, Pheasants Forever’s state coordinator in Minnesota. “Keeping public land in public hands is critical for sustaining hunting and conservation traditions in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and it all begins with advocacy efforts by our members and supporters at the Rally for Minnesota’s Public Lands.”
Pheasants Forever in Minnesota has excelled in its mission for habitat conservation through the funding support of the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment created by state voters in 2008. Since that time, Pheasants Forever has provided matching dollars for projects recommended by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council via the Outdoor Heritage Fund – one of four funds created by the Amendment – to permanently conserve over 30,000 acres. Additionally, Pheasants Forever has restored or enhanced 24,427 acres under this same funding structure, providing a vital resource for habitat conservation efforts and sportsman alike.
Rally for Minnesota’s Public Lands
WHERE:
- Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda
WHEN:
- Wednesday, April 25, 2018 3PM - 4:30PM
SPEAKERS:
- Public land users, elected officials, conservation professionals
FOR MORE INFO:
SOCIAL HASHTAG:
Pheasants Forever in Minnesota
Minnesota is home to 71 Pheasants Forever chapters, two Quail Forever chapters, and more than 23,000 members of “The Habitat Organization.” Those chapters, with support from the state’s hunting and conservation community, have completed 28,750 habitat projects benefitting more than 260,000 acres for wildlife habitat conservation efforts, including 44,251 permanently protected acres.
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. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent $784 million on 530,000 habitat projects benefiting 17 million acres nationwide.