Photo by Claire Poppenberger
Quail Forever is pleased to announced Scott Poppenberger as the new southwest state coordinator
Story by Casey sill
Quail Forever is pleased to announced Scott Poppenberger as the new southwest state coordinator. In his new role, Poppenberger is responsible for the management of Quail Forever’s programs and field staff in New Mexico and Arizona. He will work closely with partners, local chapters, and other stakeholders to ensure that habitat continues to be recognized as a critically important driver of wildlife populations, healthy soil, clean water, and sustainable agriculture across his coverage area.
“Scott is going give a great lift in the Southwest to Quail Forever’s efforts,” said Andy Edwards, Quail Forever’s program manager. “He brings a great skillset to the organization through his years of service with Arizona Game and Fish. We look forward to Scott’s leadership in both these key western quail states.”
Poppenberger grew up in Flagstaff, AZ. and attended Northern Arizona University, where he graduated with a degree in biology in 1993. Poppenberger went to work for the Arizona Game and Fish Department immediately following college, where he worked as a game warden for nearly 20 years. He was eventually promoted to the law enforcement supervisor in Flagstaff, and once again to the regional supervisor covering northwest Arizona. He retired from Arizona Game and Fish in 2021 after 28 years of service. Poppenberger is a lifelong hunter who’s chased both birds and big game all across the western U.S. His career, as well as his passion for the outdoors, will help him immensely in driving home the habitat mission of Quail Forever.
“After 40-plus years of actually being on the ground in Arizona, through both my job and just as a hunter, I feel like I have a pretty good lay of the land for what opportunities there might be in a particular area,” he said. “Also my connections with the state and federal agencies give me a really good foot forward to understand what the role, responsibilities, and capabilities of those agencies are."
Poppenberger said he’s looking forward to using that experience in his new position to help implement habitat change in the southwest. He’ll base his position out of Prescott, AZ., where he lives with his wife Deanna, daughter Claire, his two black labs, Lacy and Freya, and four horses.
“We have an opportunity to be creative in conservation delivery through the Quail Forever platform,” he said. “I think the sky is the limit for this organization, as well as for my particular position within it.”
For more information about Quail Forever in New Mexico and Arizona, contact Scott Poppenberger at spoppenberger@quailforever.org
This story originally appeared in the 2022 Fall Issue of the Quail Forever Journal. If you enjoyed it and would like to be the first to read more great upland content like this, become a member today!