Wadena County
Residents Form Pheasants Forever Chapter
Minnesota's 73rd PF chapter
focused on improving wildlife habitat and youth involvement
Wadena, Minn. – June 13, 2007 –
Conservationists, hunters and wildlife enthusiasts from Wadena
County, Minnesota, have formed the Wadena County Chapter of
Pheasants Forever (PF). The chapter - the state's 73rd - will
focus its efforts on pheasant and wildlife habitat projects and
youth conservation education initiatives in Wadena County and the
surrounding area.
"There is excellent opportunity
to enhance wildlife habitat across Wadena County," reported Eran
Sandquist, PF’s regional wildlife biologist for northern
Minnesota. "With additional habitat on the ground, pheasants are a
prolific species capable of taking advantage of the mild winters
we’ve experienced in Minnesota over the last few years.
Minnesota’s 72 chapters and 23,000 members welcome Wadena County
PF to our ranks and we look forward to working with the local
committee to invest in youth and habitat conservation for a better
tomorrow."
The Wadena County chapter will
work to create and improve grassland habitat in the region. Across
their range, a lack of nesting cover/ brood-rearing cover is the
primary limiting factor for pheasants. Winter cover is also an
important habitat component in Minnesota. The Wadena County
chapter recognizes the need for more and better quality habitat
and will work hard to fulfill this need.
Chapter leaders realize that
youth conservation education will also be a chapter focal point.
"Today’s youth are the next generation of land stewards," stated
Jeff Miller, the chapter’s newly-elected president and a Staples
resident. "Youth mentor hunting and habitat planting activities
are two great ways for our chapter to connect area youth with the
outdoors.
It’s time we get our kids to take
their MP3 players out of their ears for a few hours and get them
outdoors with a shovel in their hands or walking behind a good
bird dog."
The chapter has also elected Matt
Aker of New York Mills as vice president, Chris Cowden of Menahga
as banquet chair and Janelle Radermacher of Wadena as treasurer.
The chapter plans to hold its next meeting on July 10 at the VFW
in Wadena at 7PM. The media and public are invited to attend. To
learn more about the chapter, please contact Jeff Miller at
(218)-232-0703.
For more information on PF in
Minnesota, to start a chapter or join an existing chapter, contact
Eran Sandquist at (763)242-1273 or via email at pheasant@lakedalelink.net.
Minnesota’s 73 PF chapters
account for over 23,000 members statewide.
Those chapters have spent more
than $23.8 million to complete over 20,000 habitat projects since
the first Minnesota PF chapter was formed in 1982.
Those projects have benefited
more than 170,000 acres for wildlife. PF applies a unique and
successful model of empowering local chapters with the
responsibility to determine how 100% of their locally raised
conservation funds will be spent. PF is the only national
conservation organizations to employ this unique locally-driven
chapter model.
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 115,000 members in 700 local chapters across the continent.
For additional information about
Pheasants Forever, please visit
