Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are proud to announce a new land acquisition in Sibley County. Minnesota. The 115-acre property located near Severance Lake was donated by Gene Hauer of Shakopee, Minn., in partnership with the Sibley County chapter of Pheasants Forever. Hauer, 90, has farmed in the Shakopee area all his life and decided to donate the property four years ago.
“It’s been a dream of mine for a long time to see this land preserved,” Hauer said. “And it’s wonderful to know it’ll now be used by Minnesotans for years to come.”
The property is a mixture of upland and wetland habitat that supports pheasants, waterfowl, grassland nesting birds and pollinators. It had been fully restored through the Wetland Reserve Program prior to Pheasants Forever taking ownership. The Sibley County chapter of Pheasants Forever has committed $60,000 to ensure the Habitat Organization can maintain ownership in perpetuity. The land will be managed for wildlife habitat and open to the public access.
“All credit goes to Gene and the Sibley County chapter of Pheasants Forever. This is the perfect example of a partnership between a conservation supporter who wants to leave a public land legacy and a chapter dedicated to creating access in their local community,” said Will Clayton, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s senior regional representative in eastern Minnesota. “Raising $60,000 is no small task for a local chapter, but Sibley County stepped up to the plate and made that commitment to the Pheasants Forever Stewardship fund to make sure we’re able to maintain access and quality habitat in perpetuity.”
About Pheasants 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 120,000 members and 760 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent over $950 million on 560,000 habitat projects benefiting 22 million acres nationwide. In fact, more than 210,000 of those acres are now permanently protected as public lands.
Media Contact
Casey Sill
(402)-657-4143
csill@pheasantsforever.org