Stevens County Honored for Private Land Conservation
SWCD Receives Minnesota Pheasants Forever ‘Brood Booster’ Award

Willmar, Minn. – February 2, 2005 – Pheasants Forever (PF) awarded the Stevens County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) with its Brood Booster award during PF’s Minnesota State Convention earlier this year.  The award recognizes those who have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments in enrolling private land into conservation programs that boost pheasant and other wildlife populations.  Many U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Minnesota conservation programs assist farmers and landowners implement the best land practices to conserve habitat, water, soil, and our wildlife heritage here in Minnesota.  The honor is awarded annually to an entity that excels in enrolling land into conservation programs.

Stevens County SWCD is a participant in Minnesota’s Farm Bill Assistance Partnership.  That partnership provides state and private funds to employ technicians at the local level, whose task is to take full advantage of the conservation opportunities provided in the 2002 farm bill.  During 2004, Stevens County SWCD personnel helped enroll over 1,400 acres in the Conservation Reserve Program and the Wetlands Reserve Program.  Funding partners include the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, SWCD’s, PF chapters, and others.  “Stevens County SWCD and their partners at USDA really deserve recognition for what is getting done on the ground for wildlife,” said Eran Sandquist, PF regional biologist for northern Minnesota.  “Their commitment to wildlife is evident by the number of acres enrolled in conservation program by landowners in Stevens County.” 

“With dozens of programs available, farmers and landowners really need additional assistance to understand and get comfortable with programs,” stated Bill Penning, DNR Farmland Wildlife Leader, “We really cannot expect landowners to enroll their land into any program unless they completely understand the program, what it means to their land, and what those programs mean for wildlife.”  The Farm Bill Assistance Partnership positions do just that according to Mike Kopel, Stevens County SWCD Technician.  “Landowners really appreciate the assistance.  Wading through the program eligibility, payments, and requirements can be a daunting task,” explained Kopel, “and these programs meet the soil and water goals of the SWCD & USDA, while providing the wildlife benefits important to groups like Pheasants Forever.” 

“We are very pleased by this recognition,” said Dave Jungst, Stevens SWCD Administrator, “but the credit really goes to our farmers here in Stevens County.  Those landowners want to be good stewards of soil, water and wildlife resources.” 

The Conservation Reserve Program is administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency (www.fsa.usda.gov/mn) while the Wetlands Reserve Program is administered by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (www.mn.nrcs.usda.gov)