Pheasants Forever chapters in Illinois are working diligently to restore native grassland habitat in Knox County on the 508-acre property,
Forever Fields. Recently acquired by Pheasants Forever to provide public hunting and access opportunities for Illinois residents and non-residents alike, local chapters are planning a large-scale work day on December 5 to finalize the restoration of native pheasant and quail habitat.
"Since 90 percent of Illinois is privately owned and upland game bird populations are below the long-term average, Forever Fields provides an excellent opportunity for wildlife and recreational access,” stated Scott James, Pheasants Forever’s Farm Bill wildlife biologist in Knox County. “Purchased by Pheasants Forever as a reclaimed strip mine, this property is undergoing renovation that will provide quality habitat for pheasants, quail, and upland wildlife already existing on the area for years to come. Some have referred to this area as 'a piece of South Dakota in your own back yard,' and Pheasants Forever is excited about the property’s future."
Originally part of a 1,000-acre public lands purchase, the ongoing renovation of Forever Fields has generated 508 acres of reclaimed native grassland and strip mine ponds which have primed the area for regulated activities such as birding, fishing, hiking, upland hunting, waterfowl hunting, dove hunting, and bow hunting. Unfortunately, the upland hunting will be poor for the 2015 hunting season, as continued grassland restoration efforts enter their final phases of reseeding.
Pheasants Forever is seeking volunteers to assist with the final stages of Forever Fields renovations during a large-scale group work day on December 5 starting at 10 a.m. Volunteers will be assembling at the south parking lot of Forever Fields, located two miles east of the city of Victoria at the corner of highway 167 and highway 180. For more information about the Forever Fields large-scale work day or to volunteer independently, contact Scott James at (309) 660-3147.
The grassland restoration of Forever Fields was made possible, in part, by the following contributors: The Grand Victoria Foundation, Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and local chapters of Pheasants Forever.
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.
Media Contact
Jared Wiklund
(651) 209-4953
jwiklund@pheasantsforever.org