BAWA: Impact Report — FY 2026

Explore the Build a Wildlife Area® program’s 2026 fiscal year impact report.

Build a Wildlife Area® is Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever's permanent habitat protection program delivering fee-title habitat and public hunting access endeavoring to create a landscape of quality upland habitat supporting wild, sustainable populations of upland birds and other wildlife.

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FY2026 Impact

From July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever completed 23 Build A Wildlife Area projects totaling 3,996 acres. Working with willing sellers, many of whom had a legacy vision for their property to become a public wildlife area, along with our partners, chapters, donors, and supporters, we achieved $19,578,425 in critical upland habitat protection projects now perpetually benefiting wildlife and providing public hunting access.

Build a Wildlife Area Projects
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Historical Impact

Since inception, QF and PF’s Build a Wildlife Area program has permanently protected 248,293 acres across 17 states. These strategic land acquisition projects provided 28,738 hunter days during the 2025-2026 hunting season.

There are currently 76 Build a Wildlife Area® projects in development across 14 states, totaling over 15,800 acres.

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Program Statistics

  • Acres permanently protected and opened to public access this year = 3,996

  • Property value protected in FY26 = $19,578,425

  • Number of unique Build a Wildlife Area program supporters in FY26 = 3,249

  • Total historical Build a Wildlife Acres now open to public access 248,293

  • Hunter days made possible during 2025-26 hunting season by completed BAWA Projects = 28,738

  • FY2026 Goal = 6,000 acres!

Did You Know?

Every $500 raised allows us to leverage other funding sources to protect 1 acre of upland wildlife habitat and open it to public hunting forever.

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Donations

All donations to Build a Wildlife Area leverage partner funds, enhancing our collective effort to get more high-quality projects completed in bird country.

To donate, please contact a member of Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever’s Permanent Habitat Protection Team, or speak with your regional representative or development officer.

Contact Us

Build a Wildlife Area Projects

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FY26 Projects by State

Iowa

County

Tract Name

Acres

Appanoose

Rathbun WMA Addition

80

Fremont

Copeland Bend WMA Addition

174

Fremont

M U Payne Wildlife Area Addition 1

174

Fremont

M U Payne Wildlife Area Addition 2

305

Lee

North Huron Bend Addition

60

Partner Led

County

Tract Name

Acres

Hamilton

Metcalf Addition

112

Kossuth

Crail Wildlife Area

128.32

Sioux

Byker Wildlife Area

19.36

Sioux

Keen Wildlife Area

136.19

Wapello

Garrison Rock WMA Addition

17

Minnesota

County

Tract Name

Acres

Big Stone

Johnson WPA Addition

104

Carver

Tiger Marsh WMA Addition

80

Carver

Tiger Marsh WMA Addition

30

Chisago

Carlos Avery WMA Addition

59

Clay

Flickertail Prairie WPA Addition

939

Jackson

Heron Lake WMA Addition

122

Lyon

Bendix WPA Addition

7

Murray

Nelson WMA Addition

351

Pipestone

L-P Rural Water

158

Redwood

Coal Mine Creek WMA Addition

234

Sibley

Arlington WMA Addition

154

Wilkin

Rothsay WMA Addition

192

Yellow Medicine

Clawson WMA

70

Missouri

County

Tract Name

Acres

Dade

Stony Point Prairie Conservation Area Addition

160

North Dakota

Partner Led

County

Tract Name

Acres

Walsh

Walsh County Bosh Tract

542

Oklahoma

County

Tract Name

Acres

Garfield

Drummond Flats Addition 1

160

Garfield

Drummond Flats Addition 2

55

Wisconsin

County

Tract Name

Acres

Polk

Polk County Property (Name TBD)

156

St. Croix

St. Croix County (future Paperjack Creek WPA)

172

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Major Supporters

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Major Donors ($100,000+)

  • Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund

  • Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust

  • Halvorson Charitable Remainder Unitrust

Major Partners

  • Illinois Department of Natural Resources

  • Iowa Department of Natural Resources

  • Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation

  • Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

  • Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

  • Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Fund Minnesota Pheasants Inc.

  • Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society

  • Minnesota Sharp-tailed Grouse Society

  • Missouri Department of Conservation

  • Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

  • Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

  • North American Wetlands Conservation Act

  • Ohio Department of Natural Resources

  • Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

  • Pennsylvania Game Commission

  • Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Chapters

  • Prairie Pothole Joint Venture

  • Re-invest In Minnesota – Critical Habitat Match

  • South Carolina Conservation Bank

  • South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

  • South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks

  • United States Army Corps of Engineers

  • United States Fish and Wildlife Service

  • United States Forest Service

  • Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Top Contributing Chapters

$100,000+

  • Nobles County (MN) - 0014

$50,000-99,000

  • Lee County (IA) - 0171

  • Kandiyohi County (MN) - 0002

  • Pipestone County (MN) - 0062

  • Sibley County (MN) – 0272

$25,000-49,000

  • Metro Area (MN) - 0011

$10,000-24,000

  • Audubon County (IA) - 0066

  • Brookings County (SD) - 0699

  • Brown County (MN) - 0166

  • Buffalo Ridge (MN) - 0551

  • Butler County (OH) - 0780

  • Chippewa County (MN) - 0034

  • Chippewa Valley (WI) - 0544

  • East Medicine (MN) - 0215

  • Fox River Valley (WI) - 0585

  • Hardin County (IA) - 0114

  • Ida County (IA) - 0093

  • Iowa State Council - 7009

  • Kinnickinnic (WI) - 0140

  • Martin County (MN) - 0049

  • Murray County (MN) - 0991

  • Northern Polk (IA) - 0282

  • Pierre/Fort Pierre (SD) - 0218

  • Pocahontas County (IA) - 0038

  • Renville County (MN) - 0050

  • Rum River (MN) - 0019

  • Sac County (IA) - 0142

  • Sherburne County (MN) - 0454

  • Southeastern Wisconsin (WI) – 0190

  • Swift County (MN) - 0015

  • Winnebago/Hancock (IA) - 0021

  • Winneshiek County (IA) - 0137

  • Yankton Area (SD) - 0323

  • Yellow Medicine County (MN) - 0017

$5,000-9,000

  • Aldo Leopold (IA) - 0271

  • Black Hawk County (IA) - 0058

  • Bremer County (IA) - 0096

  • Carver County (MN) - 0117

  • Central Florida (FL) - 3330

  • Cherokee County (IA) - 0103

  • Chippewa Valley (WI) - 0544

  • Clay County (IA) - 0042

  • Coteau Prairie (SD) - 0830

  • Delaware County (IA) - 0105

  • Douglas County (MN) - 0684

  • East Central Spurs (MN) - 0624

  • East Medicine (MN) - 0215

  • Erie/Ottawa/Sandusky (OH) - 0291

  • Flint River (GA) - 3187

  • Fort Randall (SD) - 0932

  • Franklin County (IA) - 0126

  • Iowa Great Lakes (IA) - 0020

  • Iroquois River (IN) - 0479

  • James Valley (ND) - 0891

  • Johnson County PF/QF (KS) - 0706

  • Knife River (ND) - 0067

  • Marshall-Tama County (IA) - 0054

  • Mercer County (OH) - 0745

  • Miami County (OH) - 0676

  • Missouri River Valley (MO) - 3152

  • Montana Habitat Fund - 7004

  • North Central Pennsylvania (PA) - 0630

  • Northern Prairie (IA) - 0084

  • Otter Tail County (MN) - 0010

  • Outagamie Area (WI) - 0792

  • Platte Area (SD) - 0361

  • Red Hills (FL) - 3173

  • Republican Valley Ringnecks (KS) - 0625

  • Rock River Valley (WI) - 0254

  • Rosebud (SD) - 0099

  • SC Quail Forever (SC) - 3322

  • Stearns County (MN) - 0009

  • Tri-County (MN) - 0004

  • Twin Rivers (IA) - 0046

  • Watonwan County (MN) - 0725

  • Webster County (IA) - 0027


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