We had another active year with our habitat projects for the 2014 planting season on both private and public lands.
This year, we had 40 local cooperators and established 191 acres of habitat (including 8 projects totaling 38 nesting habitat). Because of your help and the successful banquet last year, we were able to fund the over $11,000 costs of these projects.
We offered to fund an additional $5000 to the local DNR for habitat projects on local public hunting areas.
In addition to our local projects, the Board elected to make a contribution to the MI Pheasant Restoration Initiative in the Verona State Game Areas. Our continued support of the MI Pheasant Restoration Initiative keeps us as one of the key partners at the state level.
Our PF Regional Biologist Bill Vander Zouwen applied for a matching grant for the Verona State Game Area. Using our contribution and combined it with some monies donated by other PF chapters as the PF portion of the grant, he submitted a plan for extensive nesting habitat expansion and improvement.
PF was named as a grant winner, and consequently, there will be nesting habitat projects at Verona exceeding $79,000. Thanks to PF Rep Bill Vander Zouwen for submitting the grant and leveraging our contribution into a major project.
PF Rep Bill Vander Zouwen also applied for a DNR matching grant in St. Clair County. Bill worked with local DNR officials to submit a plan for pheasant habitat work on 57.5 acres owned by the DNR included in the St. John’s Marsh properties. Unfortunately, this grant did not win acceptance, but it started the ball rolling for future opportunities in getting habitat projects on local public lands.
