Pheasants Forever Announces 2012 Minnesota Habitat ...

Minnesota PF State Meeting to be held at Pheasant Fest.

Pheasants Forever

Saint Paul, Minn. ?-(Ammoland.com)- Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever announce that its 77 Minnesota chapters and 25,000 members statewide completed more 417 habitat projects in 2012, benefiting pheasants and other wildlife on 4,391 acres of public and private land.

Minnesota Pheasants Forever will hold its annual state meeting at this year?s National Pheasant Fest in Minneapolis, Minnesota on February 16th to recognize the efforts and volunteers that made these accomplishments possible.

Since 1982, Pheasants Forever has raised more than 58 million dollars for Minnesota?s wildlife habitat conservation efforts.

Minnesota chapters have also participated in land acquisitions totaling 36,240 acres since the organization?s founding. All Minnesota Pheasants Forever land acquisitions are accomplished in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and/or the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Land acquisitions are then opened to the public for hunting and other compatible outdoor recreation activities.

The following details Minnesota PF?s 2012 habitat accomplishments:

Type of Project	2012 Projects	2012 Acres	Historical Project Totals	Total Acres Benefited
Nesting Cover	22	555	3,317	62,914
Land Acquisition*	13*	1,446*	413*	36,240*
Wetland Restoration	N/A	N/A	460	10,722
Winter Cover	11	14	4,391	10,353
Food Plots	320	1,422	16,316	84,680
Habitat Maintenance	51	1,186	651	25,604
TOTALS	417	4,623	25,548	230,513

* Land acquisition project totals may reflect more than one chapter?s participation.

Additionally, Pheasants Forever Habitat Teams restored or enhanced 7,352 acres in cooperation with farmers and private landowners. Their work included 2,387 acres of grassland restoration and 4,965 acres of prescribed fire, with 789 of these acres being management or restoration of public land habitat. Minnesota?s 10 PF Farm Bill Wildlife Biologists worked in partnership with hundreds of Minnesota landowners and farmers to enroll 3,340 acres of habitat into federal and statewide habitat conservation programs (e.g. Conservation Reserve Program, CRP). In addition, the Minnesota Sharp-tailed Grouse Habitat Partnership acquired 960 acres that will become a Wildlife Management Area, managed by the MN Department of Natural Resources for Sharp-tailed grouse.

?The people of Pheasants Forever are amazing with the dedication they have to improving Minnesota?s landscape for wildlife,? stated Eran Sandquist, PF?s regional biologist for northern Minnesota. ?We will celebrate 30 years of accomplishments this weekend, and in addition, tackle the many challenges upland wildlife and their habitats face in Minnesota.?

Held February 15, 16 and 17, Pheasant Fest is Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever?s largest event and marks the 30th Anniversary of Pheasants Forever. The 3-day convention that encompasses all things upland will be held at the Minneapolis Convention Center in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. Members of the media are invited to attend.

For information about attending this year?s Pheasants Forever state meeting in Minnesota, please contact Eran Sandquist at (763) 242-1273 or via email:?esandquist@pheasantsforever.org .

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 135,000 members and 720 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.

Pheasants Forever is dedicated to the conservation of pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public awareness, education and land management policies and programs.?www.pheasantsforever.org

Source: http://www.ammoland.com/2013/02/pheasants-forever-announces-2012-minnesota-habitat-accomplishments/

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