25 Pioneering Chapters (part 1 of 5)

Happy 25th Anniversary! This article marks the beginning of Pheasants Forever's 25th Anniversary celebration, which culminates at the National Pheasant Fest Jan. 18-20, 2008 in St. Paul, Minnesota. During the next year, we will thank and honor the pioneers of Pheasants Forever who made it all possible. The past quarter century, you, our hard working volunteers, members and partners, have made this organization a recognized force in the conservation world on many levels. We've had great success thanks to you!

Pheasants Forever was founded in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1982 at a banquet attended by over 800 people alarmed by the declining pheasant population and our threatened upland hunting heritage. What followed that first event was an explosion of new chapters around the country in support of a dream - a unique new conservation formula that allowed local chapters to keep the money they raised to complete local habitat projects for pheasants, other wildlife and to improve precious soil and water resources for all.

We begin our 25th Anniversary coverage by honoring "25 Pioneering Chapters" (in alphabetical order). These are the chapters that broke new ground in PF's upland conservation movement. Upcoming 25th Anniversary articles include 25 Pioneering Volunteers, 25 Pioneering Habitat Projects, 25 Pioneering Partners and Sponsors and finally in our Summer 2008 issue 25 Pioneering Youth Leaders and Youth.

25 Pioneering Chapters

The Central Montana Chapter is the consummate PF chapter. Enthusiasm, dedication and results driven, Central Montana has acquired 800 acres within a complex of state land to create a 2,000-acre block of property that has an upland game bird focus. It is also improving the land with winter cover tree plantings, CRP renovation for nesting habitat, food plots and travel lane development with shrubs. These actions have begun to make the property a true flagship for what can be done as far as habitat in the arid Upper Missouri Basin. Chapter leader Craig Roberts epitomizes the PF volunteer that the organization depends on.

The Cornhusker Chapter is based in Nebraska's capital Lincoln and serves Lancaster County and the surrounding area. The first chapter in the state of Nebraska to raise and spend over $1 million on habitat, equipment and youth education, Cornhusker PF is at the pointy end of the spear when it comes to supporting quality habitat improvements and passing on hunting traditions to the next generation. Since the chapter was formed in 1987, Cornhusker PF has supported 2,226 habitat projects, creating, improving or maintaining 176,625 acres of wildlife habitat. The chapter takes advantage of several statewide habitat partnerships to help stretch its habitat dollars to have a larger impact on wildlife habitat. Cornhusker's emphasis on youth education is primarily focused on its annual youth mentor hunt event. One of a handful of Nebraska PF chapters selected in 1996 to run a pilot program for a Youth Mentor Hunt, Cornhusker has now held 11 events at which they have introduced 275 boys and girls to the great recreation of pheasant hunting. The Youth Mentor Hunt pairs youth participants with an adult mentor.

The Dakota Chapter, North Dakota, represents the model PF chapter, spending approximately $30,000/year on habitat. Last year, it held multiple youth hunts and a women's only hunt. Chapter volunteers hold two fundraising events annually, a pick-up raffle in the fall as well as a membership/fundraising event in February. This group is comprised of a wide representation of upland game bird and outdoor enthusiasts and draws approximately 400 people to its February event.

Iowa's Dickinson County Chapter just held its 23rd banquet this year with over 700 in attendance. It is the social event of the year in northwest Iowa. The county boasts the most recreational acres of any county in the state at over 20,000 PF acres. Its long-term 15+ board members have shepherded the spending of over $750,000 on PF's mission over the years. Youth come from Iowa and three surrounding states to attend its youth events. In 1986 the chapter made its first land acquisition of 37 acres with the Iowa DNR. It has planted over 350,000 trees and shrubs and helped with a virtually unlimited number of food plots. Things weren't always so rosy in Dickinson County. On a cold winter evening in 1985, this 20th Pheasants Forever chapter was launched after a devastatingly bad winter nearly wiped out the local pheasant population. Four of the founding 12 members are still active in the chapter: Virgil Marchand has served as secretary and treasurer as well as habitat chair, and even today is on the banquet committee. John Adams served on the board of directors as the banquet emcee for 22 years. Mel Berryhill has been on the board and has served on the banquet committee for 23 years and Don Lamb served as president for five years, banquet chairman for 20 years and is still involved. Lamb also served on PF's National Board of Directors, helped start the Iowa State PF Council and was a state council officer for five years.

The Elkhorn Valley Chapter, Nebraska, held its first banquet in 1986 in Norfolk, Nebraska. Since that time the chapter has created, improved or maintained 143,775 acres on 4,124 projects in Stanton, Madison and Pierce Counties in Northeast Nebraska. The chapter currently has a no-till grass drill in each of the counties it serves. Elkhorn Valley PF has invested over $1 million in habitat development, equipment and youth education since the chapter was formed. The chapter actively promotes and supports upgrading old CRP fields, CRP-MAP and Corners For Wildlife projects and many other statewide PF habitat programs. The Elkhorn Valley Chapter has held a youth mentor hunt every year since the program was formed in Nebraska in 1996. Now, eleven youth mentor hunts later, the chapter has introduced 263 boys and girls to pheasant hunting.

New York's Genesee Valley Chapter has done an outstanding job promoting and implementing habitat projects in Monroe, Steuben and Ontario Counties. It also has done a great job promoting upland bird hunting by providing mentored youth and women's hunts every year. The chapter has been helping the N.Y. Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources promote and implement its Grasslands For Wildlife Program, which offers free warm season grass seed to qualified landowners. In addition, the chapter has been a strong voice in protecting the abandoned Seneca Army Depot, once an active military base/ammo depot, from becoming an industrial park. Several thousand acres of wetland, upland meadow and forest within the old military compound could be lost to development.

Illinois' Highland Chapter boasts an incredible volunteer corps and large acreage impact in the Land of Lincoln. It has spent over $1.1 million on putting habitat in the ground and over $7 million in total habitat expenditures, planting over 27,000 acres of habitat and over 455,000 trees.

Iowa State University (ISU) Chapter, PF's first (and only) college chapter, formed seven years ago. The ISU Chapter has seen steady growth in membership and participation in its annual fund-raising banquet. Nearly 170 wildlife supporters turned out for the event recently held in Ames. The chapter grossed over $15,000 from the banquet, leaving them a net of around $7,500 to use on habitat restoration, youth education and other projects this year. The past three years, the chapter has used its money for:

• PF's Legislative Action Fund for work in Washington, D.C on farm bill issues such as the Conservation Reserve Program;
• Iowa PF Council annual contribution, which goes to support statewide youth events such as FFA and 4-H shooting sports;
• Land acquisitions across the state, including Story County, Loess Hills area and others.

The Ingham County Chapter is home to two leading PF National Board of Directors, Charlie McLravey and Gordon Guyer. Michigan PF's success has long been attributed to innovative chapter leaders. Ingham County PF is not only one of the largest and most successful chapters in Michigan, but it has also helped produce something no other PF chapter has ever done - two PF Board Chairman. Dr. Gordon Guyer became involved with PF following an illustrious career in the public sector holding such prestigious positions as Director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan Department of Agriculture and the President of Michigan State University. Dr. Guyer's vast experience of leading large agencies, unique ability to build consensus and his prestige within the conservation community made him a very effective leader for the PF Board. His unique experiences opened doors for PF in both Michigan's legislature and Washington, D.C. Charlie McLravy first became involved in PF in 1993 as the founding president of the Ingham County Chapter. His drive, ambition, ability to get things done and gregarious nature helped him build one of the largest and most successful chapters in Michigan. This unique skill set has also helped McLravy lead the PF Board.

Central Minnesota's Kandiyohi County Chapter planted the first ever Pheasants Forever habitat project in 1983, a shelterbelt, on the farm of Harlow and Doris Olson. The couple helped plant and, of course, maintains the project, which was first suggested by then Chapter Habitat Coordinator Jeff Bredburg and member Mary Beth Block. "The number one reason I planted the trees was for a good wind break for the house and wildlife. It has been really good for both purposes," Harlow said. Gary Hoekstra, who led the chapter in 1983, said in a 2002 Pheasants Forever Journal article. "The big selling point then, and now, is the fact all the money the chapter raises stays local." Randy Kobenia, chapter leader, said in the same article "it is great we were the first. From this project to millions of acres nationwide, that's pretty significant." In fact, about 3.2 million acres!

Wisconsin's Jefferson County Chapter helped with PF's largest land acquisition with the purchase of a 2,736-acre site that was added to the Jefferson Marsh Wildlife Area in Southeast Wisconsin. The federal Wetland Reserve Program kicked in $2 million toward the purchase. Wisconsin chapters are helping restore wetlands and uplands on the site, which will be open to public hunting. "For the average hunter that doesn't own land and doesn't have the cash to go to the Dakotas, Jefferson Marsh is the biggest thing we can do for them," said Jeff Gaska, the state's PF wildlife biologist. Thanks also to the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship grant program for making the purchase possible.

Minnesota's McLeod County Chapter was the organization's first $3 million chapter, making it the top chapter in the nation for habitat spending in 2006. It continues to put public acquisitions in the ground like no other chapter. In 2005, the chapter was recognized as Minnesota's Chapter of the Year.

Pennsylvania's Mifflin County Chapter has been a key player in getting grassland habitat on the ground through the state's Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), as well as its contributions to habitat at Raystown Lake Recreational Use Area (US Army Corp of Engineers). The chapter also has a goal of providing youth under age 12 with the ability to learn and experience hunting and shooting sports.

South Dakota's Minnehaha Chapter, founded in 1985, is the first and longest running chapter in South Dakota. In addition to its home turf, the chapter has contributed money and seed throughout the whole state. Chapter volunteers offer multiple youth hunts and other events every year. The committee members are a great bunch of people to work with and many of them are original chapter founders.

Southwestern Minnesota's Nobles County Chapter made PF's first-ever land acquisition in 1984. Led by Randy Erwin and Bruce Amundson, the chapter purchased 35 acres of grassland for $13,000. They named the site "Pheasants Forever Run One." Since then, PF has purchased over 113,000 acres of habitat nationally.

The Northeast Indiana Chapter wouldn't exist without volunteers. Over the past several years, its core group of volunteers has remained faithful to its habitat mission. Almost any investor will tell you that part of successful planning is diversity. "As we have invested in habitat in Indiana we have changed from a banquet and prairie grass chapter to a very diverse organization. During the past several years we have added hunter safety classes, youth hunts, college scholarships, field days, chapter family outings and LEP workshop support. We have had chapter members in attendance at each of the three national Pheasant Fests, gaining ideas on how to improve our chapter efforts. In addition we now assist with wetland restoration, tree plantings, food plot plantings, mid contract management practices and controlled burns. We have also taken the time to develop relationships with local outdoor writers and governments agencies, both of which have served as springboards to sharing the Pheasants Forever message with the local community," according to Ron Long, chapter banquet chairman. This past year, the chapter planted over 450 acres of habitat for the Eagle Marsh Project on the southwest side of Fort Wayne, its largest project to date.

PF Canada's Calgary Chapter held PF's largest grossing event ever, raising over $500,000 in one night. Six Albertans who were passionately concerned with the declining populations of upland game birds in southern Alberta formed the chapter in 1993. Now 750 members strong, it is one of southern Alberta's leaders in upland wildlife habitat conservation and restoration. The Partners in Habitat Development (PHD) program is the largest and most involved chapter project. Founded in 1998 by PF Calgary and the Eastern Irrigation District headquartered in Brooks, Alberta, the program helps to redevelop and enhance wildlife habitat throughout the cultivated regions of Southern Alberta, primarily on privately-held land. Over 350 landowners have invited the PHD program to implement planting, fencing and irrigation canal rehabilitation projects on their land to help increase the quality and quantity of wildlife habitat. Between 1998 and 2006, the PHD positively influenced over 35,000 acres of upland wildlife habitat and planted over 492,000 trees and shrubs, seeded 600 acres to permanent grass cover, installed over 116 kilometers of fencing on 114 projects, installed 28 water deliveries and 59,430 meters of drip tape irrigation and enhanced or created 13 wetland basins. To date over $2,850,000 has been apportioned to habitat projects by PHD in Southern Alberta.

The Phillips County Chapter of Colorado was established in 1991 and became the nation's first Million Dollar Chapter. The chapter has been the major delivery vehicle for the state's Pheasant Habitat Improvement Program (PHIP). The chapter has been able to enroll, design and coordinate hundreds of projects to benefit pheasants under CRP continuous programs and PHIP. With those extra dollars, the chapter has purchased over 1,200 acres of property through its established High Plains Land Conservancy. The property is automatically enrolled in the state's Walk-In Program and managed for pheasants and pheasant hunting. Since 1991, the chapter has spent over 5.6 million dollars on habitat programs. That figure leads all PF chapters in the country for total dollars spent on habitat.

Iowa's Plymouth County Chapter features one of the nation's largest sponsor programs. Like many chapters across the nation, Plymouth County found itself looking at where they were at in the mid 90s and asking the question, "How do we grow? Where can we get more dollars that will go to the bottom line?" After several discussions, a deliberate attempt to grow their sponsor program was born. Now, 10 years later, the chapter has a sponsor program boasting nearly 230 sponsors with more coming each year. The chapter has turned the banquet event into a must attend social event every year, with over 600 in attendance.

Wisconsin's Racine County Chapter is a national leader in donating to PF's Legislative Action Fund to promote conservation-friendly legislation in the nation's capitol. Six decades ago, Racine County, Wisconsin, had some of the state's highest pheasant densities. Over time, that part of the state has grown into the most urbanized area of the state. The chapter does a great job of raising funds, but lacks the open space to spend it on, so it decided the Federal Farm Bill was the best place for its money. In the last five years, the Racine chapter has donated over $75,000 to the Legislative Action Fund to support and promote conservation in the Farm Bill.

Iowa's Story County Chapter is a national leader for supporting PF's Leopold Education Project (LEP). The chapter decided to donate Aldo Leopold's conservation classic book A Sand County ALMANAC (ASCA) to all 1,200 participants of the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) in Des Moines, Iowa! Five years later, attendees are still saying "Thank you." Recently PF learned of an architect whose way of designing nature centers and exhibits was changed due to having read his copy of ASCA on the way home to Seattle from the conference. Great work getting the word out!

The Smoky Hill Chapter of Kansas, thanks to chapter President Dick Klaus and many other chapter volunteers, is consistently the highest net dollar fundraiser in Kansas, one of the highest spenders in habitat and youth projects and has been doing all this for 15 years with very few changes in committee members.

Ohio's Wood-Lucas Chapter held the nation's first PF youth event, starting a movement within PF to bring forth the next generation of hunter conservationists. The Wood-Lucas PF Chapter was formed in 1989 to help bring back habitat that had been missing for 25 years. Its habitat crew focused on promoting federal conservation programs. In fact, Wood County had the most CRP acres accepted in the last sign up! What put Wood-Lucas on the map, though, was the first PF Youth Mentor hunt in 1995. Now, after 12 years, the chapter's youth event averages 100 kids, putting around 1,100 youth through the program since 1995. Its youth program model has spread throughout PF, with chapters holding from 500-600 youth events/year.

Wisconsin's Red Cedar Women's Chapter was the nation's first all-women's chapter. While the Red Cedar Men's Chapter works hard on developing habitat and purchasing land, the women's chapter has taken on the responsibility of nurturing the future generation of hunters and conservationists. The chapter has developed a hands-on Youth Day program that reaches over 200 kids each fall. From trap shooting, muzzle loading and pheasant hunting to habitat development, birds of prey demonstrations and "Game Scene Investigation," kids get to touch and feel the great outdoors. The chapter has also been a strong supporter of a program allowing disabled hunters the chance to hunt again.

Washington's Yakima Valley Chapter is a rural chapter that does not have the population base to raise lots of funds, but unlike urban chapters, has a large land base on which to conduct habitat projects. The chapter has, therefore, been blessed by being able to partner with large urban chapters including Mt. Vernon, Bellevue, Bellingham, Tacoma and Vancouver chapters. Yakima focuses on permanent habitat projects, largely with the Yakima Indian Nation (YIN), the Washington State Department of Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Yakima Valley Chapter's relationship with Tracy Hames and his crew at the YIN Wildlife Department has been critical to its habitat success. The chapter is currently partnering with the YIN on its second North American Wetland Conservation Act project. The first one provided $3 million; the second $2 million -- all going toward wetland restoration and enhancement.