Save the Date: Saturday, March 11, 2023, for the 36th Annual St. Clair County Pheasants Forever Chapter #74 Banquet. Tickets will be available soon.
Wednesday, December 7, 2022
Dear St. Clair County PF Member,
Thank you for being a loyal member and supporter of our Pheasants Forever chapter!
This week, Pheasants Forever is seeking 100 conservation leaders from across the country to become Life Members. As part of the Call of the Uplands® campaign, this support will be put to immediate use to grow our upland habitat conservation impacts and protect the uplands for the next generation here in Michigan and across the country.
For a limited time, those who upgrade to a Life Membership will receive an exclusive Pheasants Forever Life Member YETI Hopper Flip 18 as a thank you for their support! An image of this cooler is below, and more information about becoming a Life Member can be found at www.pheasantsforever.org/lifemember
Thank you again for your support and thank you for your consideration of this upgrade! If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Weaver at mweaver@pheasantsforever.org or (734)-536-7929.
Bob Watson, Secretary/Treasurer
St. Clair County Pheasants Forever Chapter #74
Monday, September 12, 2022
Saturday, September 10, 2022
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Saturday, August 13, 2022
The North American Grasslands Conservation Act
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Last autumn, Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever and a coalition of conservation groups unveiled the largest new grasslands legislative effort in organizational history: The North American Grasslands Conservation Act. We asked you to step up and make your voices heard in support of this monumental opportunity and today we are proud to announce this historic grasslands legislation has been officially introduced in the United States Senate by Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon and co-sponsored by Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado.
What is the North American Grasslands Conservation Act? Several years in the making, the Grasslands Conservation Act is a significant step for grassland conservation efforts in the 21st century. This act will help kickstart the voluntary protection and restoration of grasslands and sagebrush shrub-steppe in North America – some of the most endangered ecosystems on the planet - by creating a landowner-driven, voluntary, incentive-based program.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PRIORITY LEGISLATION
How Can Members Support the Cause? Simple: Grassroots advocacy. More than 50,000 voices helped us achieve Act language and bill introduction – but our collective voice for the uplands is now required to carry this monumental legislation to the finish line.
Visit ActforGrasslands.org right now and TAKE ACTION by submitting a form that will deliver a message of support for America's cherished grasslands and sagebrush to your United States Senator.
Thank you for your efforts to impact North America’s Grasslands. THANK YOU for answering the Call of the Uplands! |
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Port Huron State Game Area Tours, Saturday, September 24, 2022
The following article appeared in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources' Wild Times Newsletter: Summer 2022 issue regarding the Port Huron State Game Area.
Port Huron State Game Area welcomes woodcock
A recently completed project at the Port Huron State Game Area improved habitat for the American woodcock. Woodcock, a ground-nesting bird species, need open areas to breed, nest and rest in. With support from Wildlife Habitat Grant funds and the Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society, 14 acres of brush and woody species were cut to create open ground for the birds. Food- and shelter-producing trees like apple, crabapple, white pine and oak trees were left to provide for wildlife.
Come see the area for yourself!
Join us at the Port Huron State Game Area on Saturday, Sept. 24, for a day of outdoor fun! The local DNR staff will be guiding area tours and activities for nature lovers and anyone else interested in spending time outside exploring their public lands. The event will start at 9 a.m., with various tours and activities scheduled throughout the day. Guests can plan to park at the Port Huron State Game Area Field Office at 6181 Lapeer Road in Kimball. For more information and event updates, email DNR wildlife biologist Kaitlyn Barnes at BarnesK10@Michigan.gov.
Thursday, June 9, 2022
MDARD Announces Agreement with USDA to Implement Key Conservation Program
MDARD Announces Agreement with USDA to Implement Key Conservation Program
Agreement brings $40 million in federal funds protecting Michigan’s waterways
LANSING - Today, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) announced a pivotal conservation agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Services Agency (FSA), which reinstates Michigan’s Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).
CREP is a partnership between the state of Michigan, the USDA Farm Services Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service, conservation districts, and other partners to implement voluntary conservation practices in the Western Lake Erie Basin, Lake Macatawa, and Saginaw Bay watersheds. It will further protect the state’s environmental and natural resources.
“Michigan’s farmers power our economy and are effective stewards of our natural resources,” saidGovernor Gretchen Whitmer. “By reinstating CREP, we can continue improving Michigan’s water quality and reducing phosphorus in the Western Lake Erie Basin. I am grateful to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and our federal partners for coming to an agreement and bringing back this crucial program. Let’s keep working together to protect our Great Lakes and ensure Michigan’s farmers can succeed.”
“Our Michigan farmers play a key role in tackling the climate crisis,” said Senator Stabenow. “The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program gives them the tools they need to continue to lead on climate and improve water quality across our state. I applaud USDA and MDARD’s decision to continue this critical program.”
“CREP is one of our most flexible tools when it comes to voluntary, locally-led, partner-driven conservation efforts, and we’re so glad that we’re able to put it to work again in Michigan,” said Robert Bonnie, USDA’s Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation. “This initiative previously had a positive impact in Michigan, and we look forward to broadening the reach of the program to new agricultural producers and landscapes. We are grateful to have support from Michigan leaders to make this program possible.”
“Michigan is excited to bring CREP back to our state to help farmers protect our natural resources. Thanks to the support of the Governor and our legislative partners, we’re going to be able to leverage $5 million for a $40 million federal investment,” said Gary McDowell, Director of MDARD. “After six years without CREP, this is a huge win for water quality in Michigan and will help the state reach our 40 percent phosphorus reduction entering the Western Lake Erie Basin from farmland.”
Under CREP, landowners agree to install and maintain at least one, if not several, of six possible conservation practices (filter strips, riparian buffer, sediment control structure, field windbreak, wetland restoration, and grass, forb, and legume buffers) for up to 15 years. In return, USDA-FSA will reimburse up to half of the costs to install those practices plus additional financial incentives. MDARD will then reimburse the remaining half of the practice installation costs plus offer a sign-up incentive and a maintenance payment. Sign-up for CREP is ongoing until funds are depleted.
“MDARD continues to be deeply committed to working with our farming community to reduce nutrient run-off into Michigan’s waterways,” said McDowell. “It will take us working together with USDA-FSA, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, our local conservation districts and our farmers to successfully implement CREP in the state.”
MDARD is also partnering with Michigan State University Extension to help with landowner outreach and training conservation district technicians who, along with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, will also assist in conservation practice implementation.
“We are excited to work with MDARD and offer this great watershed conservation incentive for Michigan farmers,” said Tim Boring, USDA Farm Service Agency State Director in Michigan. “Working together, we can lead the way through climate-smart solutions that will maintain critical environmental benefits through voluntary conservation efforts, increase climate resilience, sequester more carbon, enhance agricultural productivity, and protect the Great Lakes.”
“The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Michigan is pleased to be part of this state-federal partnership to protect our state’s natural resources. NRCS staff will work with CREP participants to help them get the most conservation benefits from the program,” said NRCS State Conservationist Garry Lee.
Landowners interested in applying for CREP should contact their local conservation district or theUSDA’s Service Center.
For more information about CREP, visit https://bit.ly/3vGsO7n. To read the signed agreement, click on the link https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/-/media/Project/Websites/mdard/documents/environment/crep/CREP-Agreement.pdf
Melissa Weaver named new Pheasants Forever Regional Representative for Michigan
MI Chapter Leaders,
Hello all! I have recently been brought on as the new Pheasants Forever Regional Representative for the state of Michigan. I feel honored to be considered worthy to support the Michigan chapters in delivering mission for Pheasants Forever.
I wanted to send out a message to you all to introduce myself. Many of you may have seen this article on the PF Home website, and learned a little bit about me there. I am excited to meet you all in person sometime soon but until then, here is my story:
I spent the first half of my childhood in Plymouth, MI on 5 wooded acres with my parents and 8 siblings. With 9 kids, the house could get chaotic, so my parents often encouraged us to spend time playing outside. My 5 sisters, 3 brothers, and myself all became best friends in these woods, and we have only grown closer since. This property was where my oldest brother raised birds: pheasants, ducks, turkeys, and chickens. He was the self-proclaimed rancher but told 6-year-old Mel that she could oversee growing the gardens. I took this task very seriously. I fell in love with the outdoors at a very young age, always in awe of creation. I loved planting seeds and I remain amazed at the miracle of life each time a seed sends up a sprout. When I was 12, my family moved to a rural town in northern Indiana, just 2 miles south of the Michigan border. I was not thrilled about the move at the time, but soon came to find an appreciation for the slow pace of life in rural Indiana, which would eventually grant me more time in the great outdoors. I disapproved as my classmates cheered for the Hoosiers (Go Blue!) and after school, would often retreat to a small fishing boat or an ice shanty on Eagle Lake (Edwardsburg, MI) with my siblings. But Indiana grew on me: I taught my nieces how to grow their own gardens there, helped my nephews rescue many animals, and watched as Amish friends trained their ponies to pull wagons. I began to call Indiana my home, but was thrilled when my Michigan roots were unburied by summer vacations to northern Michigan. Eventually, my family would acquire some old family acreage on Torch Lake in Central Lake, MI. As I began high school, I loved learning, but was most fascinated by my science courses. I studied biology at a small liberal arts school in Michigan called Hillsdale College, where I was the director of a volunteer program, a member of the women’s golf club, a leader in my sorority, manager of the campus greenhouse, and member of the biology honorary. During summers, between working summer jobs, I would head to Torch Lake to roam the trails, identify plants, help my dad chop wood, and reconnect with my love of fishing.
During my senior year of college, I began hard charging my post-grad career search. I looked for organizations that would allow me to contribute to something greater than myself; to do work I was passionate about and get to be with people through it all. At the forefront of conservation efforts, I found Pheasants Forever. I was ecstatic to get an interview with Pheasants Forever, and quickly learned how relationship-oriented the organization was. The opportunity to work at Pheasants Forever came with the knowledge that this organization would allow my two utmost passions to marry: biology and people. Now, I am thrilled to be learning from some of the most inspirational people I have ever met. Colleagues who are intelligent and motivated but take the time to shoot me an email to welcome me to the Bird Club. I get to do my part to ensure that my great grandkids can grow their own gardens and hunt their own meat, all while enjoying the same beautiful world that I got to experience. And while doing that, I get to wake up early every day because I am excited to connect with the people who value the same things that I do. This past week, that has been my coworkers and superiors, but now that turns to you! I can't tell you enough how excited I am to begin to meet you all -- the people who make it happen. You all are truly there on the front lines, giving of your own time to deliver mission. And I can't wait to be your support.
While I am still learning how to be that support, I want to let you all know that I am eager to help in any way that I can. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions, or to solicit my help with anything at all. I am available as a resource for you, both through email and by phone call. I would love if you could please include me in your individual chapter emails and share with me dates of your upcoming events, so that I might attend your meetings and get to know you all.
Best,
Melissa Weaver | Michigan Regional Representative
Pheasants Forever, Inc. and Quail Forever
St. Clair Co. PF Chapter supports Yale High School Trap Team
The chapter helped support the Yale High Schoo Trap Team this past spring. This is the first time Yale High School has had a shooting team and our chapter was happy to help them out.
The team is coached by Harold Darga. The group of young shooters (3 freshmen, 4 sophomores, 1 junior, and 2 seniors) have been shooting since March. They will be participating in the state shoot on June 18th. One young shooter has already been invited to participate in the national shoot from July 6-10. Good luck to these young individuals at these upcoming events.
Monday, May 2, 2022
St. Clair County Pheasants Forever receives several awards at the Michigan PF State Convention
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| (Howard Vincent (PF CEO) presenting PF Plaques to Bill Furtaw (St. Clair Co. PF President) |
The St. Clair County Pheasants Forever Chapter was recognized at the state level in several categories. The chapter received a Legislative Action Fund Award, a Membership Award, and an Education and Outreach Award. The St. Clair County PF Chapter was also recognized as a Gold Sponsor Chapter and the chapter also received a 35 Year Banquet Award.
These awards represent the commitment that our chapter members and Board of Directors have towards supporting the mission of Pheasants Forever. Congratulations to our members, sponsors, and volunteers in earning this recognition.
Jim Bearss inducted into the Michigan Pheasants Forever Hall of Fame
Jim Bearss was inducted in the Michigan Pheasants Forever Hall of Fame during the Michigan Pheasants Forever State Convention held in Lansing, Michigan on April 30th. Jim was a founding member of our chapter and served as our chapter’s treasurer from the very beginning until his untimely passing on June 28, 2019. The following is the inscription that is on Jim’s Hall of Fame Award. “Jim was a founding member of the St. Clair Chapter and served as the treasurer since the chapter’s inception in 1986. Jim’s passion for the habitat mission and his leadership and organizational skills contributed to making the St. Clair Chapter the longest, continuously running chapter in Michigan. Jim truly enjoyed his family farm. He faithfully worked on habitat projects on his property and enjoyed watching the wildlife that was attracted to the property due to his land stewardship. Time spent with his family and friends walking the trails, shooting the archery course, and working bird dogs was truly priceless! Jim was a Long Spur Society member, a Life Member, and a Michigan Pheasants Forever Volunteer of the Year. Jim passed away on June 28, 2019, and is greatly missed by all who knew him.”
Bill Vander Zouwen (MI PF Regional Representative) and Howard Vincent (PF CEO) presented Jim’s Hall of Fame Awards to Bob Watson who accepted the awards on behalf of the Bearss Family.
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Congratulations VF Sports for being named Michigan Pheasants Forever Partner of the Year!
St. Clair County Pheasants Forever congratulates VF Sports and owners Kelley and Kathy Voight for being selected as the Michigan Pheasants Forever Partner of the Year. The award was presented to Kelley Voight at the Michigan Pheasant Forever State Convention in Lansing, Michigan. Howard Vincent (CEO of Pheasants Forever) and Bill Vander Zouwen (MI PF Regional Representative) presented Kelley with a plaque and shared with the audience several reasons why VF Sports was selected as Partner of the Year. VF Sports has worked with the St. Clair County Pheasants Forever Chapter for the past 37 years. Their support of our chapter has been phenomenal over the years and especially during these pandemic times. The chapter is looking forward to continuing our partnership with VF Sports in the coming years.
Monday, March 14, 2022
Tentative 2022 PF HABITAT GUIDELINES
The St. Clair County Pheasants Forever Chapter #74 is planning on sponsoring a habitat program for the spring 2022 planting season. Unfortunately, at this time, the SCCPF Board of Directors are unable to finalize the habitat program until we can determine a budget based on funds raised at our 35th annual banquet. The board of directors are hopeful that our banquet will be a very successful one and the chapter will offer the same program that was planned for in the spring of 2020. The following guidelines are tentative currently. The SCCPF Board of Directors will make a final determination after the banquet and will contact those members who have expressed an interest in our habitat program with program details. All interested parties should complete a 2022 Habitat Request/Agreement Form this evening and hand it in to Bob Watson who will deliver them to our Habitat Chairman Russell Golm. If a completed 2022 Habitat Request/Agreement Form is not in our Habitat Chairman’s possession by March 18, 2022, it is highly likely that the request will not be honored. Our timeline is a short one to finalize a budget and place seed orders. We appreciate your understanding as we reinstate this program that has been sidelined due to the pandemic and an absence of banquets.
Tentative 2022 PF HABITAT GUIDELINES
All seed distribution will be 100% chapter funded for all cooperators. For those who attend the banquet, the fertilizer will be funded at 50%. The cooperator will be required to fund the other 50%. A minimum amount of fertilizer is required for proper growth.
Due to increasing cost and demand, fertilizer will not be cost covered by the chapter for non-attendees for 2022 at this time.
To obtain seed for PF habitat projects in the spring of 2022, you are required to submit your order no later than March 18th, 2022. Requests received after this date will not be honored. Late requests may be placed on a waiting list and subject to availability should we have funds available. You will need to mail the order form postmarked no later than 3/15/22, to the following address: Russell Golm, 8292 River Rd, Apt. 7, Cottrellville, MI 48039
When a final budget and habitat program is decided upon, those individuals who completed a 2022 Habitat Request/Agreement Form will be contacted to confirm their request. Your order confirmation will be mailed or e-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. 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 4 types of food plot seed available. Corn, soybeans, sorghum, 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.
Round-up ready corn and soybeans are available at extra cost
Seed will continue to be distributed from the Adair Elevator, 3536 PaIms Rd., 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 8:30-12:30. Extra seed and fertilizer may also be purchased at the PF bulk rate.
A wildflower/Pollinator seed mix is available through the State council at -
http://www.pheasantsforever.org/Habitat/StateSeed.aspx or PF Seed
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. Proper soil conditions are very important to your project’s success. Consider a soil test before planting.
No haying or grazing is permitted.
Seed is available for chapter members only. Private land projects funded by PF must be planted in St. Clair or the southern edge of Sanilac County. If you would like to purchase additional seed and/or fertilizer (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, livestock feed, and not for sale or trade.
Habitat cooperators are not required to open their land for hunting.
SAVE THIS PAGE FOR YOUR RECORDS
Thursday, March 3, 2022
35th Annual Banquet just 9 Days Away
9 days from now the St. Clair County Pheasants Forever Chapter #74 will be hosting their 35th annual banquet. The banquet will be held at Perch Point Conservation Club. The doors will open at 3:00 P.M. and dinner will be served at 5:30 P.M. There are still a few tickets left but they are selling quickly. Pick one up today and join us at one of the oldest and best Pheasant Forever banquets in the state of Michigan. Guns, artwork, outdoor equipment, and cash are just some of the awesome prizes that will be won by attendees. Remaining tickets can be purchased at VF Sports in Port Huron, MI.
Sunday, February 20, 2022
Feb. 17, 2022
Contact: Mike Parker, 517-898-3293
DNR announces free Conservation Reserve Program enrollment workshops this Tuesday
The USDA recently announced the opening of a general CRP enrollment to run from Jan. 31 to March 11, and the Grassland CRP signup to run from April 4 to May 13. Both programs are competitive and provide annual rental payments and cost-share to establish conservation cover such as grassland or trees. CRP is the largest voluntary private-lands conservation program in the United States. “The Conservation Reserve Program in Michigan has played a significant role in providing needed habitat for popular game species such as ring-necked pheasants, as well as numerous nongame species like the monarch butterfly, grassland songbirds and important pollinating insects. CRP also protects our water and soil quality,” said Mike Parker, DNR private lands specialist. Landowners interested in learning more about CRP can review CRP fact sheets and other resources or contact their local USDA Farm Service Agency office. Due to the pandemic, most USDA staff continue to work with agricultural producers via phone, email and other digital tools. Contact your local USDA service centers for questions or to schedule an appointment. |
Free information workshops Tuesday
As part of the Michigan Pheasant Restoration Initiative, Michigan’s Farm Bill biologists will host two free virtual workshops at 3:30 and 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22, for landowners interested in learning more about the Conservation Reserve Program.
To register, contact Alyssa Winters at 810-648-2998, ext. 5 and indicate whether you plan to attend the afternoon or evening session. The same information will be presented at both sessions, with plenty of time for participants to ask questions.
For more information contact your local Farm Bill biologist:
- Blue Water Conservation District (Sanilac, St. Clair, Lapeer counties) – Alyssa Winters, phone: 810-648-2998, ext. 5.
- Gratiot Conservation District (Gratiot, Clinton, Saginaw counties) – Kurt Wolf, phone: 989-875-3900, ext. 3002.
- Lenawee Conservation District (Lenawee, Hillsdale, Monroe counties) – Laura Judge, phone: 517-263-7400, ext. 119.
- Tuscola Conservation District (Tuscola and Huron counties) – Barry Weldon, phone: 989-673-8174, ext. 107.
Wednesday, February 16, 2022
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This event is presented as part of a partnership agreement between the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Pheasants Forever, with DNR funding support. |
Monday, February 7, 2022
2nd Birds, Buds, & Brew Night today!
Our 2nd Birds, Buds, & Brew Night is tonight. The St. Clair County Pheasants Forever Chapter #74 hopes to see you at the Murphy Inn tonight, Monday, February 7th. We will be raffling off a PF Edition Henry Golden Boy 22 mag. Tickets will be $10 each or 3 tickets for $20. Only 125 tickets will be printed. If we do not sell a minimum of 100 tickets the raffle will revert to a 50/50 raffle. Drop in between 6:00 P.M. and 9:30 P.M. for pizza and a drink.
Tuesday, February 1, 2022
35th Annual Banquet is just around the corner!
The 35th annual St. Clair County Pheasants Forever Chapter #74 Banquet is shaping up to be one of our best. We were prepared to have our banquet in March of 2020 and had to cancel it due to the pandemic. As unfortunate as the cancelation was, our chapter had secured all our prizes for the event. Since that time, we all know how difficult it is to find a variety of firearms. Well, we have a GREAT variety of firearms, outdoor related equipment, and unique items available to be won at our banquet. One example of the raffles that can be won is the raffling of a PF Sig Sauer P320 Nitron Full Size 9mm handgun. There will only be 200 tickets available for this special raffle at $10 a ticket.
Another raffle will be our special “$20 Ruger 6-Gun Package Raffle”. One winner will win a Ruger 57 handgun in 5.7x 22 mm, a Ruger American 450 Bushmaster with a Go Wild Camo stock and a Leupold Scope & case, a Ruger American 22 mag with a Go Wild Camo stock and a Weaver Scope & case, a Ruger LCP II (lite rack) in 22 long rifle, a Ruger American 6.5 Creedmoor with a Weaver Scope & case, a Ruger EC95 9mm pistol, and Ruger branded items. Tickets will be $20 each or 7 for $100.00.
Other prizes that can be won are a Champion 2000w Inverter Generator, a Makita Tool Package, a Hunting Blind Package, and over 30 plus guns to be won by banquet attendees. We also have unique PF items that highlight our chapter. Our live auction and silent auction have some awesome items available including PF prints of the year.
There is a limited number of tickets still available for the banquet. Tickets this year are $70 for a regular membership, $35 for a spouse ticket, $55 for a student ticket (full membership, 25 years old or younger), and $20 for a Ringneck membership (18 or younger). The banquet will be held on Saturday, March 12, 2022, at the Perch Point Conservation Club. The doors will open at 3:00 P.M. with dinner being at 5:30 P.M. To purchase tickets, contact a Board of Director or visit VF Sports at 4136 Lapeer Road, Port Huron, MI., 48060. Tickets are selling fast so get yours today!
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Applaud USDA General and Grassland CRP SignupsEncourages landowners to submit applications citing higher payment rates and other incentives
St. Paul, Minn. – Jan. 26, 2022 – Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (USDA- FSA) announced a general signup for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) running from January 31st – March 11th, 2022, and a Grassland CRP signup from April 4th – May 13th. CRP has long been the nation’s most important tool for targeting environmentally sensitive lands with conservation practices that produce wildlife habitat, cleaner waters, healthier soils, and a more resilient climate. Landowners should visit their nearest USDA Service Center to learn more about general CRP eligibility.
“At a time when the country is looking for opportunities to improve the environmental and economic health of our nation, CRP once again shines as a tool for American farmers, ranchers, and landowners,” stated Jim Inglis, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s director of governmental affairs. “CRP enables producers to enroll difficult-to-farm acres in the program to improve soil health, water quality, climate resiliency and wildlife habitat, and is a key part of the ecological and economic safety net for rural communities.”
The Conservation Reserve Program has supported wildlife populations and rural communities since President Ronald Reagan signed CRP into law on December 23, 1985. The program reached peak enrollment in 2007 with 36.8 million acres, corresponding with modern-day highs for upland bird harvest in many Midwestern states. Producers and landowners enrolled 4.6 million acres into CRP signups in 2021, including 2.5 million acres in the largest Grassland CRP signup in history. There are currently 22.1 million acres enrolled with a 25.5-million-acre cap set for fiscal year 2022. Additionally, producers and landowners can enroll acres under the Continuous signup, including through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) initiative.
“We highly encourage farmers, ranchers and private landowners to consider the enrollment options available through CRP,” said Zach Ducheneaux, Administrator of USDA’s Farm Service Agency. “Last year, we rolled out a better, bolder program, and we highly encourage you to consider its higher payment rates and other incentives. CRP is another way that we’re putting producers and landowners at the center of climate-smart solutions that generate revenue and benefit our planet.”
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, along with the USDA-NRCS and other state wildlife partners, currently employ partnership biologist positions throughout the country to assist landowners with general CRP signup enrollments – landowners are encouraged to contact their nearest USDA Service Center or local Farm Bill biologist today.
About Pheasants Forever and 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 120,000 members and 780 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 $975 million on 560,000 habitat projects benefiting 22 million acres nationwide.
Media Contact
Casey Sill
csill@pheasantsforever.org
402-657-4143
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