Habitat & Conservation  |  02/01/2017

Aberdeen Pheasant Coalition Notches Open Country Award


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The Aberdeen Pheasant Coalition, a Pheasants Forever-led partnership, has been recognized by Outdoor Life with an Open Country Award. Outdoor Life’s Open Country Awards recognize champions of public lands, celebrating visionaries who have demonstrated long-term commitment to advocating for public access.
 
Spearheaded by the Aberdeen-based Northern South Dakota Chapter of Pheasants Forever, the Aberdeen Pheasant Coalition will ultimately add 4,000 acres of excellent upland habitat open to walk-in hunting access OpenCountryAward-(1).jpgin the Aberdeen/Brown County, South Dakota, area. The coalition is a group of local businesses and organizations working to raise $100,000, funds that will be used as an extra incentive for farmers and landowners who enroll in the Conservation Reserve Program as well as the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Park's Walk-In Area hunting access program. 
 
Representing Pheasants Forever and the chapter in acceptance of the award at January’s SHOT Show in Las Vegas was Emmett Lenihan, Pheasants Forever Farm Bill wildlife biologist. Lenihan created a vision for the Aberdeen Pheasant Coalition idea and has been its driving force. “Our Aberdeen Pheasant Coalition members are businesses and organizations that understand the importance of pheasants to our Aberdeen economy. What is good for pheasants is good for Aberdeen!” Lenihan says.
 
Green-colored Aberdeen Pheasant Coalition signs have already popped up in the Aberdeen area, marking approximately 700 acres, but most of the sites are undergoing habitat management to improve their ability to produce pheasants and other wildlife.

Top photo by Logan Hinners, Pheasants Forever senior graphic designer

Inset photo: Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life’s Editor-in-Chief, presents Pheasants Forever’s Emmett Lenihan with the Open Country award.

By Matt Siegfried, Pheasants Forever marketing intern