Information for 2016 Habitat Cooperators

St. Clair County Pheasants Forever members who are interested in planting a habitat project in the spring of 2016 are encouraged to act quickly. Please continue reading for this year's guidelines and order forms.

2016 Pheasants Forever Habitat Guidelines

All seed distribution will be on a cost share contract (80% chapter, 20%PF Habitat Cooperator). (PF may pay even more, depending on success of banquet)

Fertilizer will not be provided by the chapter for 2016.

To obtain Seed for PF habitat projects in the spring of 2016, you are required to submit your order by March 26, 2016. (For 2016, applications will be accepted through the banquet date)

You will need to mail the order form to the following address: Pheasants Forever, POB 225, Avoca, MI 48006. Late applications can be turned in at the banquet or mailed. They will be placed on a waiting list and subject to availability.

Due to the increasing number of projects and increased fertilizer prices, we will be unable to provide fertilizer for habitat projects in 2016. We will also be continuing the cost share program where our chapter will pick up 80% of the cost of seed and you, the PF Habitat Cooperator, will pay the remaining 20%. Depending on the success of the 2016 banquet, PF is hoping to be able to contribute more than 80%, but no guarantees can be made. There may be a partial fertilizer "credit" issued to cooperators who attended the 2016 Banquet, subject to the banquet success. Adair Grain and Feed has agreed to offer fertilizer for sale at the reduced PF bulk rate pricing to any PF Habitat Cooperator.

Seed will continue to be distributed from the Adair Elevator, 3536 PaIms Road, Casco Township, 48064. The telephone numbers are 810 329-2658 or 586 7271598.

The hours of operation are: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 8:30-5:00, Thursday 12:00 5:00, and Saturday 8:3012:30.

Your order confirmation will be mailed back to you indicating your order number and the week you can pick up your seed. Distribution will be broken down over a 2 week period in mid to late April (to be announced). ln order to plant as many projects as possible, we are limiting food plot size per landowner to 5 acres (in any combination of food plot seeds) and we will have only 3 types of food plot seed available: corn, soybeans, and a winter blend food plot mix consisting of soybean, black oil sunflower, buckwheat and tall sorghum seed (this blended winter food plot mix must be broadcast). Nesting habitat (pasture mix) is limited to 10 acres per project.

Any requests for special projects exceeding these guideline limits can be considered by the Board. A request for an expanded special project must be submitted (with specifics) to the Board for consideration.

Food plots are required to be left undisturbed until April 1st of the following year.

We will offer a high quality pasture mix for nesting cover projects that will require a 3-year contract. Spraying, tillage and mowing will be allowed as needed to improve and manage habitat and to control weeds. Mowing to restore healthy vigor is restricted to August 1-20. No haying or grazing is permitted. Nesting cover projects are limited to 10 acres.

Seed is available for chapter members only. Private land projects funded by PF must be planted in St. Clair or Sanilac counties. If you would like to purchase additional seed (at chapter bulk rate) for habitat projects outside of these counties or in amounts above the guideline limits, please specify that on the order form. The chapter will contact you to confirm the order.

Pheasants Forever retains the right to randomly check habitat projects. Habitat cooperators must agree to repay Pheasants Forever the cost for seed if the habitat project is destroyed prior to the term of project or the terms of the agreement are not otherwise met. Your signature on the seed request form indicates your agreement to these terms.

Seed is to be planted for wildlife food and cover only and is not for commercial use, not for livestock feed, and not for sale or trade.

Habitat cooperators are not required to open their land for hunting.

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For members having difficulties with the forms, the following directions provide more details of the application process:

1. Click on this link Habitat Seed Order / Agreement Form
2. At the top of the screen, find and click on the blue box that says "Download"
3. Select the option "Direct Download"
4. If prompted, chose a destination to save the file. The desktop is a convenient place to be able to find the file.
5. Using your computer's operating system to navigate to the file you just download. If you can't find it, try searching "2016 Habitat Order"
6. Double-click on the downloaded file to open it in your computer's default pdf viewer (most likely Adobe Acrobat Reader).
7. Once the file is open, you should be able to print it from the File --> Print menu.
8. Another option to try is to make sure your web browser is current.