Three new committees take hold for the future of conservation and hunter recruitment
Sacramento, CA -(AmmoLand.com)- Pheasants Forever is set to make an impact in the state of California with new chapter starts in Imperial, Placer, and Stanislaus counties.
Officially known as the Imperial Valley, Lincoln, and Stanislaus County Chapters of Pheasants Forever, the local committees will focus on habitat conservation projects and hunter recruitment in their respective regions to influence gains for pheasants, quail, and other wildlife.
“Facing adversity in the forms of urban sprawl and an ongoing drought in the state, volunteers are stepping forward to conserve wildlife habitat for upland birds and other wildlife,” stated Dan Connelly, regional representative for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever in California. “Our state has a large following of committed upland hunters; this fact is evidenced by the rising amount of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters that are forming in the state. Now is the time to make a difference for upland birds and I would encourage interested volunteers to get involved with their local chapter.”
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) recently hosted a pheasant ecology workshop in cooperation with Pheasants Forever to examine possible causes in the decline of the state’s pheasant population over the last 25 years. Data collected during the workshop, held April 30 and May 1, showed that contributing factors to the pheasant decline included changes in agricultural practices, growth of forested habitats in historic wetland and grassland environments, climate change and predation from increasing raven populations. California’s new and existing chapters of Pheasants Forever are working to tackle these issues by contributing local funding towards sound habitat management practices.
Pheasants Forever empowers local chapters with the responsibility to determine how 100 percent of their locally-raised conservation funds will be spent. This local control allows members to see the fruits of their chapter efforts in their own communities, while belonging to a national organization with a voice on federal conservation policy. Each of the new Pheasants Forever chapters in California will be hosting one membership fundraising banquet in the coming year, and will spend their proceeds on wildlife habitat conservation projects and hunter recruitment efforts.
Imperial Valley Chapter of Pheasants Forever:
- The Imperial Valley Chapter of Pheasants Forever has elected Mendel Woodland of Imperial as president, Thomas Knie of Lake Forest as treasurer, and Steve Gomez of Rancho Cucamonga as banquet chair
- For more information about the chapter or to become involved, contact chapter president, Mendel Woodland, at (626) 255-1422 / email.
Lincoln Chapter of Pheasants Forever:
- The Lincoln Chapter of Pheasants Forever has elected Rob Warner of Lincoln as president, Sara Mccrary of Lincoln as treasurer, and Tawnia Warner of Lincoln as banquet chair.
- For more information about the chapter or to become involved, contact chapter president, Rob Warner, at (916) 532-8124 / email.
Stanislaus County Chapter of Pheasants Forever:
- The Stanislaus County Chapter of Pheasants Forever has elected Lucas Castillo of Turlock as president, Rodney Hill of Modesto as treasurer, and Stephanie Thomas of Turlock as banquet chair.
- For more information about the chapter or to become involved, contact chapter president, Lucas Castillo, at (209) 564-7993 / email.
California is home to 14 Pheasants Forever chapters, nine Quail Forever chapters, and over 1,800 members of “The Habitat Organization.” For more information about Pheasants Forever in California, to join a chapter, or inquire about starting a chapter, contact Dan Connelly at (702) 606-6775 / email.
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 over 12 million acres nationwide.
For more information, visit: www.pheasantsforever.org.