Protect/restore habitat, develop conservationists, and advocate for grasslands policy

St. Paul, Minn. – Feb. 26, 2021 – Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever announced a historic effort yesterday evening to protect and conserve North America’s upland habitats by launching its first comprehensive, $500 million Call of the Uplands® National Campaign.The bold plan encompasses habitat conservation, education & outreach, and national advocacy strategies to conserve 9 million acres, engage 1.5 million outdoor participants, and enact landscape-level national policy for wildlife and rural communities.

Throughout the pheasant, quail, and native grouse ranges of the United States, more than 53 million acres of grasslands have vanished over the last decade, and less than three percent of the nation’s 90 million historical acres of longleaf pine woodlands remain intact today. These catastrophic habitat losses have contributed to precipitous population declines for pheasants (-27%), quail (-82%), and other grassland bird species (-40% decline) since 1966.

“Conversion of grasslands have quickly transformed this important ecosystem into the Amazon rainforest in our backyard; the unprecedented number of acres and biodiversity wiped from the landscape over a relatively short period have created a pivotal moment for wildlife, hunters, conservationists, farmers and all Americans interested in a bright future filled with abundant natural resources,” stated Howard Vincent, president and CEO of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. “Through the work we do, we have a window in time to flip the script before it’s too late - Call of the Uplands is the catalyst for this change.”

Habitat Conservation:

• Call of the Uplands will strive to establish, enhance, and restore 9 million acres nationwide.
• Permanently protect 75,000 acres through the acceleration of fee-title acquisition and conservation easements.
• Increase private lands technical assistance for the delivery of voluntary conservation programs nationwide.
• And much more!

Education & Outreach:

• Call of the Uplands will reach 1.5 million participants with new and expanded programs to engage them in outdoor recreation, shooting sports, hunting, and habitat conservation.
• Annually host 300 Learn-to-Hunt events to recruit, retain, and reactivate hunter conservationists.
• Deliver the organization’s newly developed Hunter Mentor Training Program for first-time adult hunters in 25 states throughout the country.
• And much more!

Advocacy:

• Call of the Uplands will elevate Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever as the voice of sportsmen and women in the Farm Bill, pushing for an expanded Conservation Reserve Program acreage authorization of 40 million acres, in addition to advocating for other robust programs under the conservation title.
• Enact landscape-level national policy for wildlife and rural communities, including anew initiative for grasslands expansion.
• Increase legislative activities for important state policy issues, participate in state/federal sportsmen’s caucuses, and help development community programs for that are mutually beneficial for agriculture and conservation.
• And much more!

To learn more about Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s monumental campaign to conserve America’s upland landscapes, visit the Call of the Uplands homepage to review current initiatives, watch the launch video, or contribute in various ways to a future filled with diverse grasslands, plentiful wildlife, and increased public access opportunities.

About Pheasants 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 130,000 members and 780 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent over $975 million on 560,000 habitat projects benefiting 20 million acres nationwide. In fact, more than 212,000 of those acres are now permanently protected as public lands.

Media Contact

Jared Wiklund

Jwiklund@Pheasantsforever.Org

(651) 209-4953