Pheasants Forever Reaches Historic Milestone in Illinois
Illinois PF chapters have spent over $10 Million Dollars to improve Wildlife Habitat in the State
Source: Pheasants Forever
Published: May. 29, 2008
SPRINGFIELD, ILL. - Pheasants Forever (PF) has announced that chapters in Illinois have spent more than $10.5 million dollars on local wildlife habitat and education programs since the first chapter was formed in the state in 1985. The funds have produced more than 261,000 acres of habitat benefits as a result.
“Breaking the $10 million dollar mark is a big milestone for the state of Illinois,” said Aaron Kuehl, PF’s Director of Conservation for Illinois. “It shows there has been a lot of team work and an exceptional amount of ground work taking place as well.”
Ford County’s Pioneer Chapter of PF became Illinois’ first chapter in 1985 and statewide support of PF has grown exponentially since then. Illinois currently contains 45 PF chapters that account for more than 8,000 active members. There are also 17 new Quail Forever chapters and 1,000 QF members in the state.
Historically, Illinois PF chapters have accomplished 11,673 food plot projects, 13 land acquisitions, 1,207 nesting projects and 1,314 controlled burns. This is also in addition to working on 196 wetland projects and planting over 2.4 million trees in winter cover areas ranging all across the state. In total, Illinois chapters have positively impacted more than 261,000 acres of habitat through the allocation of more than $10.5 million in locally fundraised-dollars.
“The work is clearly not over,” explained Kuehl, “it is going to be a great challenge to not only raise and spend another $10 Million, but to accomplish this faster than before. To do more, we need all people concerned about wildlife in Illinois to join our cause.”
Illinois PF is presently working to build upon its capacity for land acquisition as it recently implemented PF’s Build a Wildlife Area campaign. This campaign is intended to increase funds for the acquisition of land that is critical as wildlife habitat. These land acquisitions become new Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and are opened to public hunting. To participate in the Build a Wildlife Area campaign, please go to http://pheasantsforever.org/page/1/ilBAWA.jsp.
For more information about PF in Illinois, to start a chapter or join one of the state's existing chapters, contact Aaron Kuehl at (217) 635-5207 or via e-mail at akuehl@pheasantsforever.org. You may also contact PF’s Matt Bradshaw at (217)386-4324 in northern Illinois or Tim Caughran at (618)467-2586 in southern Illinois.
PF and its quail division, Quail Forever, are the only national non-profit conservation organizations that empower 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 and state conservation policy. PF/QF has more than 127,000 members in 700 local chapters across the continent. Bob St.Pierre (651)209-4931
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