Partnership continues to fuel wildlife habitat conservation efforts
Quail Forever (QF) and Pheasants Forever (PF) are proud to announce a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The MOU solidifies decades of partnership collaboration to mutually conserve quality wildlife habitat through 2034 via habitat management of grasslands and uplands, conservation promotion, workforce development, and education and outreach.
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been a key partner of the Habitat Organization, and we’re very excited to continue that relationship with this MOU,” said Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever’s President and CEO Marilyn Vetter. “High quality habitat cannot happen without meaningful partnerships. Our organizations have a proven track record for conservation collaboration at the highest levels – we’re thrilled to take it another step forward in the decade to come.”
As part of the MOU, a work plan will be developed between both organizations to promote fish and wildlife management practices on public, Tribal and private lands. These habitat improvements may be implemented on Waterfowl Production Areas and National Wildlife Refuges or on private lands through the Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and Farm Bill conservation programs. Both QF & PF and USFWS will also collaborate to recruit, educate, train and retain wildlife professionals imperative to the successful conservation work being done across the country.
This effort will expand beyond wildlife professionals as well, as both organizations will help engage the upland conservation community — including students, private landowners, tribes, hunters and members. Focus will also be paid to advancing monarch butterfly conservation in alignment with the organization’s upland bird focus through education, habitat restoration, increased seeding of critical plant species and joint communications that inspire stakeholders to support and participate in this work. Pollinator habitat conservation is critical to establishing productive landscapes for pheasants, quail and other wildlife — a win-win scenario for all MOU stakeholders.
“Our organizations have been consistent and committed partners for many years, and I’m excited to see this relationship grow even stronger,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams. “Together we will reach out across the federal network of land management agencies to apply a whole-of-government approach to meet these conservation objectives.”