For a quail, the integrity of the covey is everything. Alone, a quail stands no chance of survival. But together, within the covey, there is strength, security, and a fighter’s chance to survive, thrive, and help ensure the future of the group.
It is no mere coincidence that Quail Forever works on the same model. Alone, we are lone voices crying in the wilderness. Together, we are a chorus, a juggernaut of a covey coming together for a shared passion, working toward a shared goal.
In 2018, Quail Forever, Inc., which is a division of Pheasants Forever, together completed 13,608 wildlife habitat projects and worked with thousands of individual landowners to implement voluntary conservation programs, improving habitat for quail, pheasants, and other wildlife on more than 1.5 million acres.
In addition, in 2018 Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever grew once again in dollars generated for upland wildlife conservation – more than $97 million was generated, with $96.4 million going directly to the nonprofit’s mission, a 90.1 percent efficiency rating.
“It could be easy to rest on such accomplishments. But the challenges are still daunting. There is more work to do, more goals to reach, more challenges to overcome, more chances for our covey to grow. We are committed for 2019, and the years ahead,” said Howard Vincent, Quail Forever President and CEO.
Wildlife Habitat Projects
Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever Farm Bill wildlife biologists – who help interested landowners enroll in voluntary conservation programs – made 29,613 landowner contacts in 2018, leading to more than 1 million acres of habitat improvement for wildlife. Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever all-volunteer chapters spearheaded on-the-ground projects spanning 195,164 acres, which includes nesting cover improvements, upland & wetland restorations, food & cover plots and land acquisition projects. Added to grant-funded projects by staff and staff biologists, the organization’s efforts topped 1.5 million acres for wildlife habitat in the United States and Canada.
2018 Farm Bill Passes
The 2018 Farm Bill, signed into law December 20, was a key development for upland wildlife conservation. Quail Forever’s government affairs team worked toward making sure the bill’s conservation title provided billions of dollars annually to impact tens of millions of habitat acres across the country. “The Habitat Organization” points to a 27-million-acre Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) – an increase of 3 million acres – an expansion of the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP), and long-term funding for wetland/agricultural easements as earnest upland habitat improvements.
Working Lands for Wildlife
In 2018 Quail Forever signed a partnership agreement with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for the Working Lands for Wildlife program. Quail Forever was awarded a NFWF grant to provide technical assistance delivering the National Resource Conservation Service’s WLFW bobwhite projects, focusing on working grassland and pine savannah habitats. The total partnership, including the NFWF funding, state agency partner support, QF chapters, and other sources will result in $4.9 million dollars invested in producing bobwhite habitat.
Reviving the National Hunting Tradition
In 2018, Quail Forever set new benchmarks for sharing our hunting heritage and outdoor traditions with youth and families. In addition to a record number of 6,918 events with 336,916 youth participants and 116,202 adult participants, Quail Forever joined a national hunter recruitment, retention and reactivation (R3) movement made up of state, federal, private, corporate and nonprofit stakeholders.
There have been many challenges conquered and many lofty goals achieved in Quail Forever’s short life. But the most difficult challenges, and the most satisfying victories, are still ahead of us. We promise to keep up the fight for your vision, and ours. But we need your help in that battle. A quail can’t survive without a covey, and we can’t do this alone. Let’s covey up and rise together for the future.
Quail Forever, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Quail Forever’s full Annual Report is available online and is published in the Spring 2019 issue of the Quail Forever Journal of Upland Conservation.
If you care about quail hunting and quail conservation, please consider joining the only conservation group dedicated to the conservation of our native quail species and the preservation of our quail-hunting culture and traditions, please join now
at quailforever.org