Cambridge, Ohio – Quail hunters and conservationists have banded together in Ohio’s Guernsey County to form the Ohio Hills Chapter of Quail Forever (QF). The chapter hopes to create wildlife habitat areas in the region and foster youth involvement in habitat projects and events to connect the next generation to wildlife habitat conservation.”There’s a need, because of urban sprawl and clean farming, for Quail Forever in this county and the surrounding area,” said Adam Fraley, the chapter’s newly-elected president, “After talking things over with the local Soil & Water Conservation District, it became pretty apparent that the best thing we could do was start a Quail Forever chapter.”
Pheasants Forever launched Quail Forever in August of 2005 to address the continuing loss of habitat suitable for quail and the subsequent quail population decline. QF chapters promote local, state, and federal conservation programs that help landowners protect environmentally sensitive acres for quail and other wildlife. They also employ the organization’s unique model of empowering local chapters with 100 percent control of the chapters’ locally-raised funds to complete habitat and youth education projects in the chapters’ own communities.
“When it comes to creating quail habitat, there are challenges, but this chapter is ready to meet them,” said Doug Bensman, QF Regional Wildlife Biologist in Ohio. People are starting to recognize that all hope is not lost for the bobwhite quail. Here in Ohio, we have nearly 14,000 acres enrolled in federal Conservation Practice 33 (CP-33), also called bobwhite buffers. The new Ohio Grassland and Wetland Complexes State Acres For wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) program will enroll up to 11,600 acres in CRP to benefit high priority species for Ohio, including northern bobwhite quail and ring-necked pheasants. And Quail Forever has a new national initiative called No Child Left Indoors® that’s aimed at getting youth involved with outdoor activities again. We just need more dedicated groups like the Ohio Hills chapter to deliver that message.”
The Ohio Hills Chapter of QF has also elected Andy Mast of Pleasant City as treasurer, Jason Basham of Kimbolton as youth/education chair and Dave Jacobs of Cambridge as secretary. The chapter holds meetings the second Thursday of every month at 6:30 PM at the Mr. Lees Restaurant in Cambridge. The chapter has also set the date for its first fundraising banquet as Saturday, August 22nd. For more information about the chapter, please contact Adam Fraley at (740)679-3369 or via email at fraley@cebridge.net.
In addition to the Ohio Hills Chapter of QF, the state is also home to the Brown-Clermont Chapter of QF. For information about starting a chapter or joining one of these existing chapters, please contact Doug Bensman at (937)597-3737 or via email at dbensman@quailforever.org.
Since the organization’s inception, over 110 QF chapters have formed in 25 different states. The QF mission is accomplished through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, education, and conservation advocacy.
For additional information about Quail Forever, please visit www.QuailForever.org .
