Will be responsible for state team members and habitat programs
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are proud to announce John Kinney has been hired as the new Indiana State Coordinator, returning to his home state after a 30-year career in the US Forest Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service and US Marine Corps. Kinney will now drive habitat programs, lead an already talented team of field staff and work closely with partners, local chapters and other stakeholders. This work will ensure habitat continues to be recognized as a critically important driver of abundant wildlife populations while supporting sustainable agriculture, healthy soil and clean water.
“John has an extensive background in conservation, and we’re lucky to have him as part of the team in Indiana,” said Kent Adams, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s northeast director of conservation delivery. “Indiana is an up and coming state for both pheasant and quail, and I look forward to seeing what John will accomplish as we continue to grow across the region.”
Prior to joining Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, Kinney was a deputy grasslands supervisor for the Dakota Prairie National Grasslands, headquartered in Bismarck, N.D. He also worked as a US Forest Service natural resources staff officer in Montana, and a district ranger for the Nebraska National Forest and Grasslands, Wall Ranger District in South Dakota. He holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science with minors in aquatic ecology and industrial education from Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
Kinney will now coordinate and lead state level habitat efforts in Indiana. He’ll ensure effective conservation delivery throughout the state’s pheasant and quail range on both public and private lands. Kinney will also help build new and existing landscape-level habitat initiatives.
“I’ve spent the majority of my career in the conservation world, and am incredibly passionate about preserving wildlife and aquatic habitats,” Kinney said. “I’m excited to take that experience, and passion, to this new position with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. The organization has done such great work for wildlife across the country, and I’m proud to now be a part of that team. I am looking forward to working alongside the Indiana team as they continue to deliver conservation on the Hoosier landscape.”
For more information about Quail Forever in Indiana, contact John Kinney at jkinney@pheasantsforever.org.