Volunteers will work to bolster habitat in Pheasant Capital
Pheasants Forever is proud to announce a new volunteer chapter in South Dakota. The Lake County Chapter of Pheasants Forever is based in Madison and will provide a welcomed boost to habitat work, hunter recruitment, and fundraising efforts in its respective region to help support the state’s legendary upland heritage.
“I am personally excited about this chapter and its location, falling in the heart of some of the best pheasant and waterfowl hunting in the state,” said Cameron Lahndorf, Pheasants Forever’s regional representative in South Dakota. “It’s been a challenge in the past when it comes to increasing pheasant populations in this area. But our new volunteers are driven to change that — and use the science-based recommendations for habitat conservation in Lake County to increase bird numbers and contribute to public land access.”
Unique among national conservation organizations, chapters of Pheasants Forever retain 100 percent decision-making control over their locally-raised funds. This allows chapter volunteers to develop wildlife habitat projects and conduct conservation education events in their communities, while belonging to a national organization with a voice regarding state and federal conservation policy.
South Dakota is one of The Habitat Organization’s most crucial states, and one of only nine states nationwide with over 5,000 members. Long been considered America’s Pheasant Capital, South Dakota’s 6,678 members and volunteer chapters work together with local communities and partners to ensure the state’s storied bird hunting history lives on.
The Lake County chapter is hoping to focus heavily on habitat work, as well as community outreach. Their dozen or so board members are dedicated to Pheasants Forever’s habitat mission and are looking forward to helping deliver habitat results at the ground level. The chapter’s first banquet is scheduled for October 19, 2023.
For more information on the Lake County Chapter, contact chapter president John Bloom at (605) 270-2854. To learn more about Pheasants Forever in South Dakota, contact Cameron Lahndorf at clahndorf@pheasantsforever.org or (605) 659-3012.