Build a Wildlife Area program is helping provide public access from coast to coast.
Over the course of the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic forced Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters to change their standard practices and be more efficient with their funds. Part of this shift was a renewed focus in supporting mission driven programs like Build a Wildlife Area® that help Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever provide public access from coast to coast.
This
locally raised money results in
locally significant habitat protection — which is at the very core of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s grassroots foundation. This year, several of the highlighted projects include the McCann Creek Fishery Area outside Bloomer, Wisc., the 415-acre addition to the Big Island Wildlife Area in Marion County, Ohio and the South Skunk River Wildlife Area Addition in Jasper County, Iowa. In each project, local chapter volunteers helped lead the way in protecting new habitat.
“All of these projects are an amazing display of dedication and commitment from our members,” said Marty Moses, Pheasants Forever’s Wisconsin state coordinator, who worked with several local chapters to secure the McCann Creek Fishery Area. “With McCann Creek in particular, I know it’d been on the Chippewa Valley chapter’s radar for quite some time, and now their legacy will be open to everyone. I’m proud of them and delighted to have played a part myself. But the real joy will come when we can march out into those fields together and use the property as a place to introduce new hunters to what Pheasants Forever stands for. That’s the impact the Build a Wildlife Area program can have.”
Donor support of Pheasants Forever’s Build a Wildlife Area® program has permanently protected more than 22 square miles of habitat in 13 states through this unique, partner-driven matching gift program. Through local, state, and federal grants and individual private donations, Build a Wildlife Area® designates funds directly toward land acquisition projects to create public access, conserve critical habitat for wildlife, and preserve outdoor heritage traditions. In Minnesota alone, BAWA has protected 21 individual properties and 7,037 acres of habitat.
The following is a list of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters who contributed $10,000 or more to the Build a Wildlife Area® program in 2021.
| Grand River 746 (SD) |
70,000.00 |
| Audubon County (IA) - 0066 |
20,000.00 |
| Crawford County (IA) - 0164 |
20,000.00 |
| Shelby County (IA) - 0071 |
20,000.00 |
| Carroll County (IA) - 0033 |
20,000.00 |
| Northern Prairie (IA) - 0084 |
20,000.00 |
| Pierre/Fort Pierre (SD) - 0218 |
19,198.93 |
| Loess Hills (IA) - 0127 |
15,200.00 |
| Dickinson County (IA) - 0020 |
15,000.00 |
| Yankton Area (SD) - 0323 |
15,000.00 |
| Okobojo Creek (SD) - 0847 |
15,000.00 |
| Winnebago/Hancock (IA) - 0021 |
15,000.00 |
| Twin Rivers (IA) - 0046 |
15,000.00 |
| Eel River (IN) - 0688 |
10,000.00 |
| Tree County (IN) - 3081 |
10,000.00 |
| Wyandot County (OH) - 0490 |
10,000.00 |