2009 Fest to mark event’s foray in the Badger State
Madison, Wis. – March 20, 2008 – At a press conference this morning,
Pheasants Forever (PF) President and CEO Howard Vincent announced that
Madison, Wisconsin is the destination for PF’s National Pheasant Fest 2009.
Slated for February 6, 7 & 8, 2009, at Exhibition Hall at the Alliant
Energy Center, it will mark the first time Wisconsin hosts the national
conservation organization’s main event.
National Pheasant Fest 2009 will be Pheasants Forever’s fifth such event.
Nearly 30,000 people attended the fourth-ever Fest this past January in
Saint Paul, Minnesota, and the event has grown into the nation’s largest
event for upland hunters, farmers, sport dog owners and wildlife habitat
conservationists. National Pheasant Fest is a unique family event that
offers a wide variety of exhibits, seminars, dog training events and youth
attractions. “National Pheasant Fest is a must-see event for outdoor
sportsmen and women, and Wisconsin can boast having hundreds of thousands
of them,” Vincent said, “It’s the perfect match.”
Wisconsin is home to 30 PF chapters and over 7,000 dedicated PF members.
Since the organization’s inception in 1982, those chapter members have
completed over 15,800 habitat projects which are benefitting over 113,000
acres for Wisconsin wildlife. “Pheasants Forever has a strong presence in
the state of Wisconsin, which is why we’re extremely excited to bring our
signature event here,” Vincent said.
Matt Frank, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources,
says the 2009 Fest will be a “tremendous opportunity” for Wisconsin’s
outdoor sporting enthusiasts of all ages, as well as for the Badger State
and its capital city. “Wisconsin has a long and storied tradition of
pheasant hunting. The success of our pheasant program would not be possible
without the cooperation and collaboration of Pheasants Forever,” Frank
said. “We at the DNR stand ready to assist Pheasants Forever and the
Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau to make sure the 2009 event
is a success on every front.”
The City of Madison, which rests in Dane County, is looking forward to
hosting the big event. “Dane County citizens love our beautiful woods and
fields and work hard to protect our great outdoors,” said Dane County
Executive Kathleen Falk, “It’s such an honor to have Pheasants Forever, a
group that devotes so much effort and attention nationally to these values,
coming to Dane County.”
National Pheasant Fest 2009 will combine a national consumer show, habitat
seminar series, and family event complete with puppies, tractors, shotguns,
and art. Special attractions will include the Bird Dog Bonanza and Bird Dog
Alley, the Artisan’s Fair, Habitat Hall, the Landowner Habitat Help Room,
and the Youth Village. Previous Fests have been held in Bloomington,
Minnesota (2003); Omaha, Nebraska (2005); Des Moines, Iowa (2007); and
Saint Paul, Minnesota (2008). The event is open to the public, and you do
not need to be a PF member to attend. For more information and updates on
National Pheasant Fest 2009, log onto www.PheasantFest.org.
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 700 local chapters across the continent.
For additional information about Pheasants Forever, please visit
www.PheasantsForever.org
