Merrill, Wis. – March 4, 2008 – Residents in north-central Wisconsin’s Lincoln County have formed the state’s newest Pheasants Forever (PF) chapter, aptly named the Lincoln County Chapter of PF. The chapter is dedicated to improving local wildlife habitat and increasing youth involvement in the outdoors.
Conservation has long been strong in Lincoln County, but residents felt more could be accomplished through Pheasants Forever’s local model. “The beauty of Pheasants Forever is that 100 percent of all the monies raised by the chapter stays in the county and will be used to fund local habitat projects that help local wildlife,” said Jim Schneider, the chapter’s newly-elected president, “Through this organization, we will be able to build habitat for any and all wildlife, including pheasants, turkeys, grouse and deer.”
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 Lincoln County chapter is also making youth involvement a focus. In fact, the chapter’s newly-elected youth/education chair is Rich Wissink of Merrill, who serves as Pheasants Forever’s National Youth Program Coordinator. The chapter will help build Pheasants Forever’s No Child Left Indoors™ initiative, a new initiative that’s part of a national movement aimed at getting youth unplugged from electronics and turned on to the outdoors, nature and wildlife. The Lincoln County chapter will join PF chapters and volunteers across the country in carrying out the No Child Left Indoors™ initiative through youth habitat projects, youth and family community events and youth outdoor education programs.
The chapter already has a number of youth programs planned, including a youth mentor pheasant hunt this fall, a youth mentor turkey hunt this spring and a scholarship program. “Conservation is ultimately dependent upon passing down our outdoor values and hunting heritage to the next generation, and this chapter will find as many ways as possible to do that,” Wissink said.
The Lincoln County Chapter of PF has also elected Jane Koepke of Merrill as treasurer. The chapter will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, March 18th, at the residence of Joel Schneider, located at 1004 E 6th St. in Merrill. The chapter’s first fundraising banquet will be held on Tuesday, April 29th at Les & Jim’s in Merrill. Doors open at 5:30 PM and the banquet starts at 7 PM. For more information about these events, contact Jim Schneider at (715)536-3175 or via email at jimmer571@verizon.net.
For more information on Pheasants Forever in Wisconsin, to start a chapter or join an existing chapter, contact Jeff Gaska, PF Regional Wildlife Biologist, at (920)927-3579 or via email at jgaska@pheasantsforever.org.
Wisconsin is home to 30 PF chapters and 7,000 members. Historically, Wisconsin’s chapters have spent $6.7 million on habitat programs that have funded 15,827 habitat projects and benefitted 113,207 acres for Wisconsin 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 120,000 members in 750 local chapters across the continent.
For additional information about Pheasants Forever, please visit www.pheasantsforever.org
