ST. PAUL, Minn. -(Ammoland.com)- Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever is urging upland hunters to contact Congressional leaders throughout the fall hunting season to stress the importance of the 2018 Farm Bill and its implications for the future of wildlife, water, and rural communities in the United States.
At the forefront of the issue, expansion of the Conservation Reserve Program and support for voluntary public access remain a top priority for “The Habitat Organization.”
“As part of the 2018 Farm Bill, the Conservation Reserve Program remains one of the key elements for helping restore grasslands in the heart of America’s pheasant and quail ranges,” stated Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s vice president of governmental affairs. “Not only is this program critical to future wildlife populations including upland birds, pollinators and other wildlife, but it also serves a function of economic support for rural communities. It’s this message that we hope upland hunters will carry to their Congressional leaders, state officials, and local businesses during the prime of upland bird seasons.”
From 1990-2010, CRP maintained an annual enrollment of 32 million acres with a historical peak of 36.7 million acres in 2007. This historical peak has a direct correlation to modern day highs for pheasant, quail and upland bird harvest in multiple states.
Call Congress to Support Habitat and Access in the 2018 Farm Bill
Have a moment between pheasant fields or quail haunts this season? Help Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever protect future upland populations by advocating for a strong Conservation Reserve Program as part of the 2018 Farm Bill. Contact your state Representatives and both State Senators by visiting https://www.house.gov/representatives/ and https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/ or dial (202) 224-3121 for the Capitol switchboard and consider using the following talking points:
“The Conservation Reserve Program is the nation’s most successful private lands habitat program ever in existence. The current national acreage cap of 24 million acres should be expanded to support hunters, anglers, farmers, ranchers, and business owners in rural America.”
“The state of (*name your state) is dependent on the Conservation Reserve Program to protect our rich history of hunting, fishing, and agriculture. I would appreciate your support of a strong conservation title in the 2018 Farm Bill to help restore wildlife, water quality, and vibrant rural economies.”
Enjoy traveling to pheasant and quail hunting destinations in the United States? Call state leadership from your favorite destinations and share a personal hunting story that was made possible by the Conservation Reserve Program.
For more information or talking points regarding the 2018 Farm Bill and the Conservation Reserve Program, please contact Dave Nomsen at (605) 864-8138 or DNomsen@Pheasantsforever.org. For all other inquiries, please contact Jared Wiklund, Pheasants Forever Public Relations Manager, at (651) 788-3038 or JWiklund@Pheasantsforever.org.
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 149,000 members and 720 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 $708 million on 517,000 habitat projects benefiting 15.8 million acres nationwide.