Dedicated supporters have created nearly 4,000 acres of public access
By Dave Schwarz, Minnesota Outreach Coordinator
The same Minnesota county where the Pheasants Forever public lands journey began almost 40 years ago is now home to its 50th successful acquisition project.
Volunteers and supporters gathered recently to celebrate the dedication of Pheasant Run 50, a 42-acre addition to the Ransom Ridge Wildlife Management Area (WMA) complex. The parcel expands on the existing 413-acre public area and is about eight miles southwest of Worthington in Nobles County. Most of the property was formerly in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).
Pheasant Run One, also in Nobles County, was the first Pheasants Forever public lands project in the nation. It was dedicated in 1986. The Nobles County chapter has been responsible for acquiring 3,752 of the approximately 5,400 acres of land open to public hunting in the county in less than 40 years.
“Right at 95 percent of all the money we raise is dedicated to land acquisition for the public good. We’ve had that focus pretty much from the beginning. The fact that our members and sponsors can see the fruits of their labors almost immediately has built us a following and a support base that I think is unique,” Nobles County Pheasants Forever chapter president Scott Rall said.
In addition to acquiring and restoring public land, chapter volunteers also care for it through Minnesota DNR’s Adopt a Wildlife Area program. The chapter has adopted every WMA in Nobles County and each parcel is touched by volunteers at least once each year.
The initial 40-acre Pheasant Run One acquisition was a springboard for Pheasant’s Forever public lands acquisition mission nationwide. The organization just a few years old when it was dedicated.
“We took some criticism right away. People said ‘you’re just buying this little postage stamp and turning it into a predator sink,’” longtime Pheasants Forever executive and supporter Joe Duggan said. “What really happened is it became a beachhead, an article of hope that we really can make a difference. It was a rallying cry that went far beyond Worthington. Other chapters took note and things started happening quickly all over.”
Pheasant Run One is also located near the drinking water wells for the city of Worthington. Nitrate levels were on the rise for the city in the early 1980s. With additions to the initial acquisition over the years, the complex of public grasslands has expanded significantly and nitrate levels have continued to fall. According to Rall, if you do it just right and you’ve got the bootleather, you can now walk for 14 miles in the area and never leave public land.
“Every year during our banquet we talk about an acquisition. It’s something you can go out and stand on. You can smell it, you can feel it, you can see all around you with your own eyes what your support of this organization does each and every year,” Rall said. “It benefits not just this generation, but it makes sure that our kids and grandkids and their kids will always have a place to go and experience wild places.”