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Perkins County to Provide More Wildlife Habitat with Pheasants Forever Chapter

Grant, Neb. – August 21, 2008 – Conservationists from Perkins County, Nebraska, have formed the state's newest Pheasants Forever (PF) chapter, the Perkins County Chapter of PF. The chapter is focused on educating local landowners about the importance of federal conservation programs.

"This community saw the potential in Pheasants Forever's local model to do great work and they knew how successful it could be in their area," explained Drew Larsen, PF Regional Wildlife Biologist in Nebraska, "They are all deeply rooted in agriculture in one form or another. They know what's best for the land, and right now that means working with landowners and educating them on how Farm Bill programs can benefit production and wildlife."

PF empowers county chapters with the responsibility to determine how 100% of their locally raised conservation funds will be spent - the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure. As a result, chapter volunteers are able to see the fruits of their efforts locally, while belonging to a larger national organization with a voice on federal and state conservation policy.

The Perkins County chapter will be a strong advocate of the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and work to improve mid-contract CRP management. The chapter will also work to educate landowners about the importance of other federal conservation programs and work at getting youth outdoors to enjoy the habitat that comes as a result of their work.

"Getting the youth involved with the outdoors helps everyone - it builds character as well as an understanding of the importance of conservation," said Aaron Uehling, newly-elected president of the Perkins County chapter. "Right now, youth don't have as many places or chances to hunt compared to when I was a kid, and it's important to understand they deserve the same opportunities as we had in the past. That's why we want to work hard to put habitat on the ground and kids in the field," Uehling said.

The chapter will hold its next meeting on Saturday, September 10th at Bench Warmers Bar and Grill in Grant. Meeting time is 7PM and the public and media are invited to attend. For more information on the chapter and the meeting, contact Aaron Uehling at (308)352-6544 or by email at uehlingwellservice@yahoo.com.

For more information on PF in Nebraska, to start a chapter or join one of the state's existing chapters, contact Drew Larsen at (308)534-2807 or via email at dlarsen@pheasantsforever.org.

Since the first PF chapter formed in the state in 1986, Nebraska's 61 Pheasants Forever and 3 Quail Forever (QF) chapters have spent over $20.6 million on wildlife habitat conservation. Those funds have translated into 69,770 habitat projects, benefiting 2,244,946 total acres for pheasants, quail and other wildlife.

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. PF/QF has more than 129,000 members in 700 local chapters across the continent.

For additional information about Pheasants Forever, please visit www.PheasantsForever.org