Conserving Habitat, Upland Traditions: Pheasants Forever Expands to Brule County, S.D.

Pheasant hunters and local producers in South Dakota have expanded the influence of Pheasants Forever with the addition of the organization’s newest chapter in the state. Officially titled as the Mid-Dakota Chapter of Pheasants Forever, local volunteers are focusing on wildlife habitat conservation efforts in Brule County to preserve the area’s renowned pheasant hunting traditions.  
 
“We’re excited to add a new chapter of Pheasants Forever in the heart of South Dakota’s pheasant range,” stated Mike Stephenson, Pheasants Forever’s regional representative in South Dakota. “By engaging and educating local communities in Brule County about the positive aspects of wildlife habitat, this chapter will be contributing to the conservation of pheasants and other wildlife in the region. Additionally, chapter volunteers are passionate about providing outdoor education opportunities for the next generation of conservationists.”
 
Brule County remains an important area for pheasant hunting in the state of South Dakota with a 10-year average pheasants-per-mile index of 13.32 – the highest recorded average for any region included in the state’s 2015 Pheasant Brood Survey Report. Additionally, resident and non-resident hunters alike spent $9.7 million throughout the 2015-2016 South Dakota pheasant season, marking the second highest expenditure total for all counties in the state. Recognizing the importance of these statistics for the region, the Mid-Dakota Chapter of Pheasants Forever formed with a goal of improving wildlife habitat to sustain the area’s incredible pheasant hunting heritage.
 
Due to Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres continuing to decline throughout the state – more than 155,000 additional acres of CRP contracts are set to expire by fall of 2018 - the Mid-Dakota Chapter of Pheasants Forever has formed at a time when wildlife habitat is needed most in South Dakota. By working with local producers and landowners, chapter volunteers will help establish wildlife habitat on private and public lands benefiting pheasants, other wildlife, and rural communities in the area.
 
Mid-Dakota Chapter of Pheasants Forever
 
  • The Mid-Dakota Chapter of Pheasants Forever has elected Curt Korzan of Kimball as president, Corbin Korzan of Kimball as habitat chair, Michael Richey of Kimball as banquet chair, Gary Earl of Kimball as co-banquet chair, and Anita Holan of Kimball as treasurer.
  • For more information about the chapter or to become involved, please contact chapter president, Curt Korzan, at (605) 730-6789 / quadk@midstatesd.net.
South Dakota’s Pheasants Forever chapters account for over 6,000 members statewide. Those chapters have spent $5.4 million to complete 25,164 habitat projects since the first South Dakota chapter formed in Minnehaha County in 1985, impacting more than 437,000 acres for wildlife habitat conservation. For more information regarding Pheasants Forever in South Dakota or to start a local chapter, contact Mike Stephenson at (605) 651-2716 / 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 149,000 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 $634 million on 502,000 habitat projects benefiting 14.1 million acres nationwide.

Media Contact
Jared Wiklund
(651) 209-4953
jwiklund@pheasantsforever.org