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Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever are Continuing to Fight for the Upland Landscapes and Experiences that Unite Us – Even When We Can’t Be Together
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are grassroots organizations with deep connections to the communities, members, and volunteers who make our mission of upland habitat conservation come to life. The current climate of uncertainty coupled with important social distancing measures have left us longing for the special habitat, fundraising, and social events our chapters have had to postpone all across the country. We’re currently projecting to lose roughly 20,000 members and their conservation funding revenue due to the postponement of events.
And our uplands stand to lose much over the next few months… But slowing down our habitat mission is simply not an option… WE CAN’T LOSE GROUND: Ground in the literal sense of the wild places that matter so much to all of us, and ground in the sense of all the conservation programs we have fought so hard for, for so long, together. Our uplands are counting on us and we are committed to staying the course for our habitat mission.
Because we are #UnitedByUplands.
In the Uplands, We Have a Treasure Unlike Any Other in the World Whether it’s social distancing while restoring habitat and planting native seed, virtually connecting with farmers, ranchers, and landowners to help them create high quality habitat on their lands, or continuing to advocate for policies that benefit habitat, public access, and upland wildlife… We are still working every day for the places and privileges we can’t afford to lose. Today, our foundation is strong and continually being reinforced by the voices and actions of our employees, volunteers, and supporters. Because at the end of the day our organization is more than just numbers and statistics…. Here, Every Acre Tells a Story.
Our mission of upland wildlife habitat is built on the foundation of three pillars: Habitat Conservation: Establish, enhance, restore, and protect high-quality public and private upland wildlife habitat. Education & Outreach: Engage with more people of all ages in conservation and outdoor recreation – now and for generations to come. Advocacy: Leverage the full strength of our grassroots organization to have a proactive and impactful presence at both the state and federal levels to make sure conservation is a key part of our country’s dialogue while advocating for policies that work for wildlife and our communities.
Hard at Work on Habitat Conservation
Conservation is about people as much as it is about wildlife, but shelter-in-place ordinances and social distancing protocols clearly influence the way we can communicate and work together. The landowners we are working with are grateful for our continued efforts to maintain communication while safely fulfilling our obligations as they relate to conservation planning on their properties. We are having more frequent phone calls, leaving sketched plans and notes in mailboxes or porches, and wiping down the ATVs while yelling observations back-and-forth. Landowners and property managers don’t want to put their plans on hold, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to help them move forward and commit to their visions of conservation during a time when everything else in our communities seems to be at standstill. 
In South Carolina we’re working with the US Forest Service while staying busy planning and implementing habitat management on the Enoree Ranger District of Sumter National Forest. In the past month we have been focused on improving habitat within the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative Indian Creek Quail Focal Area by establishing brood fields in old logging decks and existing forest openings.
In Minnesota, Pheasants Forever and Quail forever are also currently working on 38 active fee-title acquisitions totaling over 4,700 acres. In addition, we have scheduled work on 77 native prairie seedings, 15 wetland restorations, and 13 grassland enhancement projects covering over 4,000 acres. It can’t be applauded loudly enough that our chapters and supporters provide the matching funds that are critical in getting this important work across the finish line.
Our Pennsylvania team of farm bill biologists continues to put habitat on the ground despite the challenges presented by COVID-19. In April, a farm bill biologist visited a farm in York County where dairy cows and goats have direct access to a stream and adjacent wetland areas. The presence of the animals has resulted in severe stream and wetland degradation, proliferation of non-native invasive vegetation and noxious weeds, and nearly nonexistent cover or food for wildlife. Luckily, we’re working with NRCS and the landowner with funding provided by the CREP and EQIP programs to fence the animals out of the stream, introduce native riparian cover, and protect adjacent wetland areas in a region of the state where federally threatened bog turtles are known to be present. Additionally, a portion of the pasture will be converted into an area to provide food and cover specifically for pollinator and grassland bird species. These projects are made possible through partnerships with USDA NRCS and the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and support from our Pheasants Forever chapters in Pennsylvania.
Out west, located in the Grouse Creek mountains in far northwestern Utah is the Dry Basin Complex, an area well known for lekking sage grouse in the spring. The grouse using this area for lekking come from miles away, including neighboring states. We recently contracted a project with financial assistance from USDA-NRCS and Utah Watershed Restoration Funds (WRI) funds on the edge of the Dry Basin Complex to create a treeless corridor from the east side of the Grouse Creek range to the west side. The project consisted of about 1,200 acres of native range grass seeding applied via an airplane early last winter. Large excavators arrived this spring to remove 1,200 acres of trees at about 7 acres per machine per day. This project was the missing piece of a large puzzle in a landscape fragmented due to the encroaching pinyon juniper trees. The result of our habitat work was reconnecting several thousand acres of high-quality habitat for upland birds, particularly sage grouse.
Our mission delivery efforts and passionate volunteers, supporters and staff are‌ As strong today as ever. But that’s not to say COVID-19 hasn’t been a challenging time for everyone. In Illinois, with a stay at home order in place, it has made it very hard for many people who do not own property or have permission to any land to spend time in the outdoors. However, there still is one way for outdoor enthusiasts to pursue their passion, the Illinois Recreational Access Program (IRAP). In West Central Illinois, the PF/QF Habitat Strike Team has implemented invasive species removal, timber stand improvements, prescribed burns and native plantings on several IRAP sites over the past four years in an effort to restore native ecosystems and improve wildlife habitat on these properties.
To sustain and expand the work of Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever, the practice of hunting and the spirit of conservation must be passed on to new audiences and future generations.
Protect, Restore, Enhance… Educate and Inspire
While our Learn-to-Hunt weekend experiences have been postponed, we’re actually left with a unique opportunity for the organizations to further develop these weekend experiences, so they can take off this fall and beyond. We’re looking to grow these events, along with help from many of our partners, to increase the support we can provide new hunters, so they’re confident to step into the field on their own.
From Adult-Onset Hunters to Young Sprouts, Proper Planning and Guidance Has Improved Lives
contest which encouraged kids to design their perfect habitat. Additionally, upland bird and pollinator Fact Sheets were launched, providing fun and unique facts, with a trivia game to test your knowledge.
Spring also provides the perfect time to engage the family in growing and planting milkweed at There will always be a need for quality wildlife home, benefiting pollinators in need, such as habitat even in the face of the new challenges we monarchs. Research has shown that small nonface across the country. That’s why Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever has been exploring unique clustered habitat projects that contain milkweed are extremely beneficial to monarchs. Keeping ways to share habitat education while keeping this information in mind, a how-to plant milkweed communities connected. blog was developed and launched, along with new With families searching for ways to stay engaged, resources to make it even easier to purchase seed at home. both physically and mentally, the organization launched a series of educational activities, with From Providing Educational Take-Home Pollinator the added benefit that these projects support Projects to a Delivering a Unified Voice for the wildlife habitat. Uplands at Capitol Hill‌ We Are a National Leader Providing Local Habitat Results. The series began with a fun upland bird coloring
The future of public access, wildlife, and quality habitat can be rapidly altered with
Being #UnitedByUplands Means Our Voice is Amplified Like Never Before
the stroke of a pen in Washington, D.C. or any state capital across the country. To continue driving successful upland habitat and public access programs and policies forward, our team cannot relax or scale back. We must continue to raise our positions – even if it is from afar. Lucky for us, our voice carries through loud and clear.
“When are landowners going to be notified if they get into CRP?” Darwin Weeldreyer wrote in response to Pheasants Forever through a Twitter post on March 26th about USDA’s CRP announcement. He submitted a bid under the latest CRP general signup and was anxious to hear word if his offer was accepted. He found out officially a couple weeks later that he was successful, along with the 3.4M acres accepted nationwide. “The partnership efforts with PF’s Legislative Action Fund, with strong grassroots efforts from our local volunteers and members, combined with the consistent presence in Washington through our governmental affairs team is a winning combination for wildlife, habitat and conservation policy,” Darwin concluded. He is seeing encouraging number of hens and roosters along South Dakota’s roadsides as we move through spring and is hoping for a good nesting and brood rearing season, with anticipation of chasing roosters in the fall… Aren’t we all?
The days of random acts of conservation are behind us. We’re tightening our belt and continuing to deliver our mission at an extremely efficient and effective level while being more strategic than ever. Mother Nature isn’t coming to a standstill and our organization’s habitat mission can’t stop either. Look out your window and you’ll witness a natural world filled with growth, renewal, and opportunity. Spring is blooming brighter each morning. Far from any worry of illness, the Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever upland habitat mission creates some of life’s most cherished moments... ...the beauty of prairie flowers in full summer bloom... a walk through bluestem under autumn’s blue sky... the sight of a bird dog at work... the cackle of a rooster clawing skyward... the chaotic flush of a covey of quail... These are the visions Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever is still actively working to create every single day. The uplands are the reason we look beyond today and have hope for not only tomorrow, but FOREVER.
#UnitedByUplands