Pheasants Forever
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Pheasants Forever, Inc. (PF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit
conservation organization An environmental organization is an organization coming out of the Conservation movement, conservation or environmental movements that seeks to protect, analyse or monitor the environment against misuse or environmental degradation, degradation ...
, is dedicated to conserving wildlife habitat suitable for
pheasants Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera's native range is restricted to Euras ...
. Formed in 1982 as a response to the continuing decline of upland wildlife and habitat throughout the United States, Pheasants Forever, and its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, have a combined membership of approximately 150,000 throughout
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
.


History

Pheasants Forever began in
Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, ...
, in 1982 as a response to the decline of
pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera's native range is restricted to Eura ...
numbers in the state, the result of substantial losses of habitat suitable for pheasants as farming practices intensified. Pheasants Forever was created to return those grassland acres to
wildlife habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...
. Dennis Anderson, outdoor editor for the '' St. Paul Pioneer Press and Dispatch'', wrote an article on March 7, 1982, regarding the state of grassland habitat in Minnesota. After the article appeared, Anderson received over 100 written responses and 50 phone calls, voicing concerns for the state of the upland it has a lot of birds during mating season habitat and the state's upland game birds. It was from this article that the concept of Pheasants Forever was formed and, shortly after, Anderson and some friends established Pheasants Forever. The first Pheasants Forever banquet was held on April 15, 1983, at the former Prom Center on University Avenue in St. Paul. Over 800 people attended, including famed waterfowler and outdoors writer Jimmy Robinson, who presented two $1,000 checks to the organization, one from him and one from Robert Naegele Sr. The keynote speaker at the inaugural Pheasants Forever banquet was the governor of Minnesota,
Rudy Perpich Rudolph George Perpich Sr. (born Rudolph George Prpić; June 27, 1928 September 21, 1995) was an American politician who served as the governor of Minnesota from 1976 to 1979 and again from 1983 to 1991. A member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor ...
, who later signed the state's first pheasant stamp bill. , the state pheasant stamp has raised over $14.6 million for pheasant habitat and development on private and public lands, and for public land acquisition. The stamp costs $7.50 and it is required of pheasant hunters age 18 and older.


Membership growth

* 1983: 1,000 members * 1984: 3,000 members * 1985: 6,000 members * 1986: 12,000 members * 1987: 25,000 members * 1988: 34,250 members * 1989: 46,000 members * 1999: 60,000 members


Organization

Pheasants Forever uses a grassroots system of fundraising and project development that allows members to see the direct result of their contributions. This is accomplished through Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever local chapters determining how 100% of their locally raised funds will be spent. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have a combined 700 local chapters throughout the United States and Canada.


Organizational projects

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have chapters in 40 states, members in all other states and chapters in their sister organization, Pheasants Forever Canada. The organization participates in habitat projects on local and national levels, and has an average annual completion of 20,000+ habitat projects. Pheasants Forever wildlife habitat projects have been completed in conjunction with local, state and federal natural resource agencies, and all of those projects have subsequently been opened to public hunting or compatible
outdoor recreation Outdoor recreation or outdoor activity refers to recreation done outside, most commonly in natural settings. The activities that encompass outdoor recreation vary depending on the physical environment they are being carried out in. These activitie ...
al use. Since 1982, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have enhanced over —including planting grasslands, restoring wetlands, planting woody cover or food plots and purchased lands to provide habitat for pheasant, quail and other wildlife. This total also includes approximately 400,000 wildlife habitat projects, which have helped pheasant, quail and other wildlife. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters hold more than 500 youth events per annum, with 25,000 plus youth to the outdoors. Many of the organizations' chapters provide educators with scholarships to attend Leopold Education Project workshops (named after the environmentalist writer,
Aldo Leopold Aldo Leopold (January 11, 1887 – April 21, 1948) was an American writer, Philosophy, philosopher, Natural history, naturalist, scientist, Ecology, ecologist, forester, Conservation biology, conservationist, and environmentalist. He was a profes ...
). The educators facilitate youth mentor hunts, outdoor conservation days, shooting sports, competitive events, conservation camps, and youth fishing tournaments, outdoor expos, hunter education classes, schoolyard habitats and much more. The No Child Left Indoors initiative builds on Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's Leopold Education Project and chapter youth events with youth and family programs. The No Child Left Indoors initiative is carried out through youth habitat projects, youth and family community events and youth outdoor education programs hosted by chapters and volunteers across the country. The grassroots conservation campaign was formed by the organization with the goal of raising $25 million in planned gifts, estate, bequests and other donations. The objective of the campaign is to accelerate the organization's ability to conserve and enhance North America/North America's wildlife resources as well as Americans' hunting traditions.


Statistics

*Minnesota's conservation groups #
Ducks Unlimited Ducks Unlimited (DU) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people. History and profile In 1927, an offshoot of the Boone and ...
, 42,000 #
National Wild Turkey Federation The National Wild Turkey Federation is an international non-profit organization whose mission is 'the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of our hunting heritage.' It currently has more than 250,000 members in the United States ...
, 26,000 # Pheasants Forever, 22,500 # Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, 20,000 # Minnesota Waterfowl Association *Top five states for Pheasants Forever members # Minnesota, 23,800 # Iowa, 18,900 # Nebraska, 10,300 # Michigan, 7,900 # Illinois and Wisconsin, 7,500


References

{{reflist Environmental organizations based in the United States Ornithological organizations in the United States