Determined to improve and conserve upland habitat throughout the country, a record-setting number of members now belong to Pheasants Forever and its quail division, Quail Forever. From the humble beginnings of “The Habitat Organization” in 1982, Pheasants Forever’s membership has now reached a record high of 146,965 members. Included is a new record mark for Quail Forever at 15,899 members.
A large percentage of members are active volunteers for their local chapters of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. Volunteer conservationists lead 736 active chapter affiliates in 44 states across the pheasant and quail ranges, including: California (23 chapters), Colorado (22), Iowa (100), Illinois (60), Indiana (23), Kansas (45), Michigan (35), Minnesota (76), Missouri (24), Montana (14), Nebraska (64), North Dakota (28), Ohio (29), Oklahoma (10), Pennsylvania (14), South Dakota (34), Tennessee (9) and Wisconsin (31).
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters utilize the organization’s unique model of empowering chapters with 100 percent control of their locally-raised funds to complete habitat and youth education projects in the their own communities. Since 1982, volunteers have effectively utilized this model to produce 489,561 wildlife habitat projects improving habitat for pheasants, quail, and other wildlife on more than 12 million acres. These are important efforts considering the massive loss of habitat suitable for upland wildlife and the decline of many associated grassland species. Additionally, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever volunteers have mentored more than 300,000 youth in the outdoors, and local chapter events are now reaching more than 50,000 youth on an annual basis throughout the country.
“The local model of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever continues to drive our influence for wildlife habitat conservation efforts and increased public access,” stated Howard K. Vincent, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s President and CEO. “Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever continue to be the most efficient and effective wildlife habitat conservation organizations in the country, and I urge more of the nation’s 2 million pheasant and quail hunters to join us as we continue fighting for upland and publicly accessible habitat projects in the United States.”
In addition to the organization’s new membership record, Pheasants Forever was also recently named an “exceptional” charity by Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest charity evaluator. When upland hunters join or renew membership to Pheasants Forever and/or Quail Forever, they can remain confident that their contribution is making a difference on the ground for wildlife and the nation’s upland hunting heritage. With more than 2 million pheasant and quail hunters in the nation, Pheasants Forever hopes to recruit more passionate upland hunters in 2016 to become a member of “The Habitat Organization,” and help push the organization to new heights.
About Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 140,000 members and 700 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Chapters are empowered to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds are spent; the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent $577 million on 489,000 habitat projects benefiting 12 million acres nationwide.
Photo Credit: USFWS