Quail Forever Conservation
To some, conservation is a word. To Quail Forever, it's a way of life - anything short of a holistic approach to conservation would be unacceptable. That's why Quail Forever provides the most efficient conservation model of any organization. QF's unique model empowers local chapters with the responsibility to determine how 100 percent of their locally-raised conservation funds will be spent. Whether it's through improving habitat, informing the public about land management or educating future generations of hunting enthusiasts, conservation is the underlying principle in all we do at the grassroots level of our chapters all the way to Washington DC when we fight for strong conservation policy.
Quail Forever is honored to carry along America's rich tradition of conservation. Deeply engrained in Quail Forever's conservation approach are the teachings, philosophies and lessons of Aldo Leopold, one of the country's most renowned and well-respected conservationists. Quail Forever holds Leopold's work in such high regard that the organization's education arm is the Leopold Education Project (LEP), a curriculum based on Leopold's writings. Quail Forever's mission is tied to the theory that "knowledge is power," taking the works and writings of Leopold and applying them to the fields and forests of today. Leopold wrote of building a connection with the land, and Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever chapters make that connection today through all the work they do at the grassroots level.
Although we're extremely proud of the work we at Quail Forever have accomplished in our first year, we realize that when your work is conservation, the work is never-ending. We invite you to join Quail Forever in our quest to ensure a country rich in natural resources and long on people willing to work to preserve them. After all, natural resources - quail, pheasants and other wildlife and the land, air and water on which they live - are our greatest resources.
Growing Conservation in the Farm Bill
If you ask most folks to list the country's important laws for fish and wildlife, they probably would not mention the Farm Bill. Similarly, they might not immediately think of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which administers Farm Bill programs, as a powerhouse of conservation.
The pas three Farm Bills, however, have shaped more conservation programs for a longer period of time -0 and put more funding behind those programs - than any other suite of legislation. The more than $5 billion the USDA spends on conservation each year is two-and-a-half times larger than the entire U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service budget. And the USDA is proving everyday that it can balance the goals of maintaining a stable food and fiber supply while sustaining fish and wildlife populations...
This Farm Bill Booklet will give you some background on what the Farm Bill has done for conservation and the different programs included in the Farm Bill.
CP-33 Buffers DVD
Historically, idle or fallow grassy areas were common in agricultural landscapes along field edges. Although often perceived as unproductive or unavailable for farming, these idle areas provided important habitat for wildlife. However, as farming has more efficient, former idle areas such as fence rows and grassy field margins have been subsequently placed into production. Such practices have all but eliminated idle grass communities which formerly provided habitat for quail and other grassland birds.
In late 2004, USDA Farm Service Agency's (FSA) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Northern Bobwhite Quail Habitat Initiative began and is aimed at creating 250,000 acres of native grass buffers along agricultural field borders in 35 states. Under the Continuous CRP, financial incentives are available to producers for creating Habitat Buffers for Upland Birds (CP33) on cropland. Eligible producers will receive annual rental payments for the length of the contract (10 years), plus bonus incentives and cover establishment and maintenance cost-shares. Besides benefiting bobwhite quail and farm economics, these buffers will also benefit other birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and aquatic species. Additional environmental benefits include reduced soil erosion from wind and water, increased soil and water quality, and improvement of the overall on-farm ecosystem.
Program sign-up is underway at local FSA offices and eligible land may be enrolled at any time until a state's allotted buffer acres have all been enrolled or December 31, 2007. Producers interested in CP33 should contact their local FSA office for more information. Mississippi State University, along with number of cooperators, recently developed a DVD to promote the CP33 practice. The DVD was developed for agricultural producers, and explains both the economics and wildlife benefits of the CP33 practice. A brochure was also developed to assist national promotion of the practice. Both the DVD and brochure are effective tools that can be used by natural resource agencies, conservation groups and others to promote the CP33 practice to producers.
Anyone interested in obtaining a copy of the DVD or brochure should contact Kristine Evans at:
Mississippi State University
Dept of Wildlife and Fisheries
Box 9690
Mississippi State, MS 39762-9690
email: koevans@cfr.msstate.edu
phone: 662-325-7491
Single copies are free, and larger orders can be purchased for a nominal cost. Don't miss out on this opportunity to promote quail habitat practices in your area!
National Conservation Leadership with Local Habitat Results
This 10 minute video gives a sneak peak to Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever's work in Washington D.C.. It also explains how those efforts create the tools local chapters need to create wildlife habitat in their own communities.
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| High 24.5 MB |
Medium 11.1 MB |
Low 3.1 MB |
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| *WARNING: this is a 10 minute video and may take some time to download. Copies of this DVD are available in a limited supply. Please send a request for a DVD copy to stpete@pheasantsforever.org |
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Recent Conservation News
Congressional Leaders Reach Farm Bill Agreement
May 09, 2008
After nearly four months of extensions, House and Senate Farm Bill conferees have reached an agreement on the main elements of the 2008 Farm Bill. Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) urge both the House and the Senate to pass the legislation, and for President George W. Bush to sign the bill into law as quickly as possible. If passed, the bill would provide an additional $4 billion in new funding for conservation programs; welcome news for wildlife conservation and hunters.
"The Farm Bill is the single biggest opportunity for conservation. Any further delay to a new bill would have jeopardized three decades worth of progress toward cleaning our water, protecting our soils and creating habitat for wildlife," said Dave Nomsen, PF/QF's Vice President of Government Affairs who has played a critical role in shaping the Farm Bill's conservation title.
...moreSportDOG Announces Creation of Conservation Fund
April 28, 2008
SportDOG Brand® has created a Conservation Fund program to lend support to its current conservation-support goals and future conservation initiatives.
...moreFinally Closing in on a Farm Bill
April 25, 2008
Key House and Senate farm bill negotiators reached agreement today on the main elements of the farm bill, with details to be presented to all conferees Monday.
The agreement appears to provide an additional $4 billion for conservation programs, including $1.1 billion for the Conservation Security Program, a priority of Senate Agriculture Chairman Tom Harkin.
...moreFarm Bill Needs Final Push TODAY
April 02, 2008
Dear Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) supporter,
Your help is needed right now to meet the April 18th Farm Bill extension deadline. Members of the House of Representatives and Senate will decide the fate of millions of acres of conservation program lands in the next two weeks. We need you to contact your elected U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators TODAY.
...moreQuail Forever Reaches Rocky Mountain High with first Colorado Chapter
March 24, 2008
Colorado quail enthusiasts have formed the state's first chapter of Quail Forever (QF), known as the Colorado Covey Chapter of QF. The Arapahoe County-based chapter is uniquely positioned to benefit habitat for three species of quail – bobwhite, scaled and Gambel's quail.
"For many, Colorado doesn't come to mind when one thinks of quail and quail hunting," said Larry Gysin of Evergreen, the chapter's newly-elected president, "But there are plenty of die-hard quail hunters and conservationists in this state and with Quail Forever's local model, we now have an opportunity to do some great things for this great game bird."
...more
