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A positive impact on the economic and ecologic factors surrounding rural community development
By Martin Townsend
Building success in rural communities can be as complex as the landscapes, habitats, and living webs in which they exist. But when we work together, we can make a positive impact on the economic and ecologic factors surrounding rural community development. My work, linking two prominent non-profit organizations, creates a connection between wildlife conservation, rural communities, and ranching culture.
In the community I work in QF & PF promotes upland habitat for the benefit of wildlife, sportsmen, and the communities that share that habitat. The Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA)’s mission is Ranching, Conservation and Communities – a Winning Team. Together, we’re helping people who care about land health, animals, and sustainable livelihoods on the land flourish.
The partnership between QF & PF and rancher-led groups like RSA is a win-win-win. Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever gains habitat access and ranchers gain improvement projects that benefit agricultural production and wildlife. QF & PF support of my position with RSA links our goals together and creates a powerful footprint in the local community. Are we really getting wins for birds and the community? Well, here is a quick example of success: Since Ranchers Stewardship Alliance’s first grant in 2017, we have worked with 56 family ranches to impact more than 70,000 acres via restoration or enhancement of grazing lands. We have leveraged RSA’s grant awards investments more than 5:1 with total project costs exceeding $3.3 million to date spent into our rural community for positive impacts our grassland habitats.
These dollar amounts do not include the additional funding and habitat work RSA has assisted our other conservation partners in implementing. The hub-like structure of RSA’s conservation committee allows for coordination among conservation partners who can assist landowners with additional conservation project funding. That conservation committee gathers groups like Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ducks Unlimited, Natural Resource and Conservation Service, The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, Bureau of Land Management, National Wildlife Federation, Montana Association of Conservation Districts, Montana Conservation Corps, and The Sage Grouse Initiative to get project dollars to the ground in RSA’s focus area. Dollars on the ground are certainly a boon for landowners and the local economy, and creates the lift needed for community buy in on completing and managing habitats for the long-term.
Can this model of community-based conservation and collaborative partnerships work in other parts of the West, specifically in quail country? The short answer is yes. We are seeing this occur in Yuma, Arizona where Quail Forever is partnering with Arizona Game and Fish Department, the Yuma Rod and Gun Club, the city of Yuma, local businesses, and several landowners to implement the Yuma Dove Hunting program that generates several hundred thousand dollars of economic impact to the Yuma area.
In northeastern Colorado QF & PF is leading efforts to create habitat for pheasant, greater prairie chickens, sharptailed grouse, and bobwhite quail through partnerships with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, NRCS, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and local landowners maintaining the highest quality upland bird habitat in Colorado.
Finally in Oregon Quail Forever is partnering with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to work with local landowners that often own wineries to manage turkey populations and promote tourism throughout the Willamette Valley and promote hunting as a conservation tool as well as tourism boost to the area.
Win-Win-Win community conservation partnerships are already beginning to form throughout the West and as Quail Forever better understands our role in making these communities stronger. Communities embrace the value of high quality wildlife habitat we will be able to share the future of upland bird conservation in the West.
Martin Townsend is the Coordinating Biologist for the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance with Quail Forever.
This story originally appeared in the spring issue of Quail Forever Journal. If you enjoyed it and would like to read more great upland content, become a member today!