Moving Mountains for Bobwhites: Ozark Mountain Quail Forever Forms in Ark.

Avid quail hunters and conservationists in Boone County, Arkansas, have formed the fourth chapter of Quail Forever in the state. Officially known as the Ozark Mountain Chapter of Quail Forever, local volunteers have set their sights on public and private land partnerships to positively influence quail numbers, while providing opportunities for youth to experience the outdoor lifestyle through the organization’s No Child Left Indoors Initiative.
 
“Passion and commitment for bobwhite habitat conservation is the main ingredient behind the formation of the Ozark Mountain Chapter of Quail Forever,” stated John Wallace, regional representative for Quail Forever in Arkansas. “An incredible amount of opportunity exists in northern Arkansas to restore bobwhite quail to their former glory, and this chapter has an opportunity to be on the leading edge of a quail comeback in the Ozark Mountain region. It’s an exciting time for bobwhite conservation, and our new chapter has embraced this energy to make a difference in Boone County.”
 
Momentum for quail conservation in Arkansas has snowballed over the past year thanks to an announcement by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission regarding a new Strategic Quail Management Plan. Extensive efforts are already underway at Pea Ridge National Military Park in northwest Arkansas to restore the landscape to its 1862 appearance and with it, reestablish bobwhite quail. This joint effort between the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative, and the National Park Service exemplifies partnership opportunities which the Ozark Mountain Chapter of Quail Forever is interested in supporting.
 
Unique among national conservation organizations, chapters of Quail Forever retain 100 percent decision-making control over their locally-raised funds. This allows chapter volunteers to develop wildlife habitat projects and conduct youth conservation events in their communities, while belonging to a national organization with a voice regarding state and federal conservation policy. 
 
Ozark Mountain Chapter of Quail Forever
 
  • The Ozark Mountain Chapter of Quail Forever has elected Glenn Wheeler of Harrison as president, Greg Harris of Harrison as treasurer, Judy Kay Harris of Harrison as banquet chair, Trevor Mills of Harrison as habitat chair, Austen Evers of Harrison as youth chair, and Diann Fancher of Omaha as vice president.
  • The chapter will hold its next meeting on Thursday, July 14, at 6:30 p.m. in Western Sizzlin Steak House (905 Highway 62 North - Harrison, AR 72601).
  • Hunters and conservationists interested in joining the chapter as volunteers are encouraged to contact chapter president, Glenn Wheeler, at (870) 577-1813 / email for more information.
 Arkansas is home to four Quail Forever chapters and over 600 members of "The Habitat Organization." For more information about Quail Forever in Arkansas or to start a chapter, contact John Wallace at (937) 459-8085 / email.
 
About Quail Forever

Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 149,000 members and 700 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Chapters are empowered to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds are spent; the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent $634 million on 502,000 habitat projects benefiting 14.1 million acres nationwide.

Media Contact
Jared Wiklund
(651) 209-4953
jwiklund@pheasantsforever.org