Projects span across 35,000 acres of range and forest within the Colorado River Basin
Quail Forever (QF) is excited to announce plans for conservation efforts on 35,000 acres of working lands and wildlife habitat in Arizona. The project – Restoring Arizona’s Colorado River Basin Conservation Area – was recently funded at $24.5 million by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
Working together with the Arizona Association of Conservation Districts, Arizona Game and Fish, and the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, team members will restore native plant communities by removing invasive woody plants in the Colorado River Basin. Strategically implemented, and expanding on previous landscape-scale projects, this award will add approximately 35,000 acres of restored habitat. These projects will enhance habitat for wildlife, improve wildlife connectivity, reduce the risk of wildfires, sequester carbon, protect soils and improve water quality and hydrology.
Partners will work with Arizona livestock ranchers to complete projects across the landscape. Producers will see long-term benefits for livestock grazing as forage production increases after invasive brush removal.
“Arizonans and Quail Forever are extremely fortunate to receive this funding through the NRCS,” said Scott Poppenberger, QF’s Arizona state coordinator. “The scale of this award and the strength of these partnerships will provide an immediate and lasting benefit for producers, wildlife, and sportsmen and women throughout the state. I’m thrilled The Habitat Organization will be a partner in the delivery of this incredible project.”
Delivery activities will be aimed at brush management and water development to restore encroached grasslands. Improvements in habitat will benefit many wildlife species, including the Gambel’s, scaled and Mearns’ quail. Additionally, implementation of this RCPP award dovetails perfectly with the Arizona Quail Initiative, which strives to raise additional funding focused on restoration activity for upland habitat in the quail range.
To learn more about conservation efforts in Arizona, contact Scott Poppenberger at SPoppenberger@PheasantsForever.org.