Grand Island, Neb. – February 2, 2009 – Nebraska Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) will unveil an ambitious new campaign to restore the state’s pheasant and quail populations at the Nebraska PF/QF State Habitat Meeting on Saturday, February 7th at the Midtown Holiday Inn in Grand Island. University of Nebraska Athletic Director and pheasant hunter Tom Osborne will help make the “Reload Nebraska” introduction and announcement. Reload Nebraska is a campaign outlining a four-year statewide plan to increase pheasant and quail numbers in Nebraska.
The plan adopts an aggressive strategy for improving available wildlife habitat; establishing new, high quality nesting cover and brood-rearing habitat; expanding wildlife habitat delivery systems and offering increased habitat education and training for landowners. The goal of Reload Nebraska is to raise $20 million to establish and improve 1.1 million acres of wildlife habitat on private and public land in the state. Osborne, along with staff from Pheasants Forever, will make the “Reload Nebraska” announcement at 9 AM.
“Wildlife numbers and habitat in Nebraska face significant challenges in the very near future. When confronted with increasing land values, decreasing Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres, decreasing numbers of hunters and a faltering economy, the need for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever has never been greater,” said Pete Berthelsen, PF/QF Senior Field Coordinator, “By facing these challenges with a specific, strategic plan, we can have a significant impact on pheasant and quail populations in the state both today and for the future.”
The Nebraska PF/QF State Habitat Meeting is open to anyone interested in attending. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever members, chapter officers, landowners, resource professionals and wildlife students will all find interesting and informative sessions to attend. Registration includes a noon meal and access to more than 25 presentations on various topics including: Pheasant, quail and prairie grouse management techniques, hunting dog health & care, wildlife photography and more. The meeting will also feature a Landowner Help Desk where you can talk to PF/QF biologists about how to improve your land for habitat. The Nebraska PF/QF Statewide Banquet will follow the meeting that evening. To register for the Nebraska PF/QF State Habitat Meeting and the Statewide Banquet, log onto www.NebraskaPF.com or call (308)428-3062.
In 2008, Nebraska’s 64 PF/QF chapters and 11,000 members spent over $2.6 million, which translated into 4,912 wildlife habitat projects benefitting 322,966 acres. This included 3,656 nesting cover projects totaling 149,345 acres; 891 food plots totaling 8,149 acres; 365 projects that planted 134,642 trees and shrubs. Historically, Nebraska’s PF/QF chapters have spent over $23.2 million to complete 74,682 projects which have benefitted over 2.5 million 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 130,000 members in 700 local chapters across the continent.
For additional information please visit www.PheasantsForever.org and www.QuailForever.org.
