Quail hunters and conservationists in Georgia’s northern tier have joined together to start a new chapter of Quail Forever. Officially known as the North Georgia Chapter of Quail Forever, committee volunteers in Bartow County are motivated to bring back the bobwhite through local wildlife habitat projects and conservation education for area youth.
“This chapter represents an opportunity to reintroduce the pastime of quail hunting to North Georgia, an important tradition for local residents,” stated Lyle McClure, elected president of the North Georgia Chapter of Quail Forever. “By engaging our community in wildlife habitat projects and outdoor youth education events, we hope to spark a renewed interest for public land quail hunting and conservation in North Georgia.”
Similar to all Quail Forever chapters nationwide, the North Georgia Chapter of Quail Forever will utilize the organization’s signature fundraising model, which empowers chapters with 100 percent control over the funds they raise at banquets and other events. This allows chapters to conduct habitat and youth education projects in their own communities, while belonging to a national organization with a voice regarding state and federal conservation policy.
Unique to Quail Forever chapters in Florida and Georgia is the
Florida/Georgia Quail Coalition—a key partnership forged in April 2014 to promote and support public land quail habitat management and youth shooting sports in both states. In the Coalition’s first fiscal year, fourteen chapters donated over $56,000 for habitat projects on six public wildlife areas and nearly $18,000 for youth shooting sports, impacting over 2,200 youth.
“The North Georgia Chapter is excited to help generate support for the Florida/Georgia Quail Coalition,” said Talbott Parten, regional representative for Quail Forever in Georgia. “With the help of dedicated Quail Forever volunteers, we continue to expand and reestablish the passion of quail hunting and conservation in Georgia.”
North Georgia Chapter of Quail Forever
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The North Georgia Chapter of Quail Forever has elected Lyle McClure of Adairsville as president and Jim Hardee of Roswell as Treasurer.
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For more information about the chapter or to become involved, please contact chapter president, Lyle McClure, at (770) 547-9360 /
email.
Georgia is home to nine Quail Forever chapters and over 1,100 members of "The Habitat Organization." For more information about volunteering or starting a chapter of Quail Forever in Georgia, contact Talbott Parten at (229) 289-8199 /
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 140,000 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 $577 million on 489,000 habitat projects benefiting over 12 million acres nationwide.