Agreement facilitates collaboration on habitat improvement projects across the nation
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever proudly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The MOU will allow PF & QF team members to complete habitat conservation projects in and around land owned by USACE.
USACE is the steward of 12 million acres of public lands and waters, and is committed to delivering safe public access to resources on these lands and waters through responsible outdoor recreation, environmental conservation, and land use management. This partnership will further opportunities to jointly restore and conserve native grasslands, shrubland ecosystems, and timber stands, benefiting various wildlife species and promoting biodiversity.
“We’re very excited to enter this agreement with USACE, and to see what mutually beneficial opportunities to protect land and water resources we can collaborate on,” said Tim Caughran, PF & QF’s Director of Federal Partnerships. “Our team’s mission has always been to conserve habitat for pheasants, quail and other wildlife, and this MOU will be a great new tool to accomplish that goal. Access to new acres will help to revive and create native habitat while ensuring connectivity for wildlife areas.”
"In recent years, our partnership with PF & QF has yielded significant benefits to local ecosystems through various initiatives, including warm-season grass interseeding, invasive species removal, prescribed burning, overstory removal, and wildlife habitat improvements. These efforts have demonstrated the tangible impact of our joint commitment to conservation. We are thrilled to further this partnership," said Heather Burke, USACE National Partnerships Program Manager. "This MOU will allow us to leverage our combined strengths to create even more impactful conservation programs."
Throughout the next 10 years of this partnership, team members will also collaboratively collect data while completing conservation projects. Any data collected will be used to cultivate PF & QF’s commitment to science-based conservation, and to prepare published materials about cooperative PF & QF and USACE projects.