09-22-2007, 01:10 AM
New York, New York - The Twin Rivers Chapter of Pheasants Forever in Jones County, Iowa, has been named the 2007 Conservation Chapter of the Year by Field & Stream magazine. The chapter will be honored at the second annual Heroes of Conservation Awards on Thursday, September 20th at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
During 2007, the chapter, which covers all of Jones County and parts of Dubuque and Linn counties, has completed three land acquisitions for public use with total expenditures of approximately $1.1 million. The chapter has closed on a 72-acre addition to Muskrat Slough near Olin, Iowa, and a 144-acre addition at Whitewater Canyon. Details are not yet available on the chapter's third acquisition this year.
"It is not how many ideas you have, it is how many you make happen," said Matt McQuillen the chapter's past president and current habitat chair, "We are truly blessed with having a number of dedicated souls, who rather than just having ideas, make ideas happen. As long as our chapter's board continues to raise funds with the expectation of putting them to the furtherance of our passion, which is enhancing and creating conservation, I believe that we will continue to have success similar to what we have experienced in the past."
"At Pheasants Forever, our biggest assets are the local volunteers in each community," said Howard Vincent, Pheasants Forever's National President and CEO. "The Twin Rivers chapter shows exactly why Pheasants Forever's local model works. They've raised dollars and put them directly in the ground, and it's having a dramatic impact on local habitat. We thank Field and Stream magazine for bestowing such an honor on a well-deserving group of dedicated conservationists."
"Although our chapter has received much recognition for our success in completing land acquisitions, our success would not be possible without the great partnerships that we have formed," McQuillen added, "We also have very strong relationships with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Jones County Conservation Board and Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. We have received grant funds from many sources including the REAP Fund and Wildlife Habitat Stamp Fund, the Iowa Pheasants Forever State Trust and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. With these strong partnerships and a history of successful projects, we have established a great degree of credibility so that when we pursue a project, those we ask to participate respond favorably."
The Twin Rivers chapter has been successful in coordinating three other significant acquisitions in recent years: The 69-acre Scotch Grove Prairie; the 200-acre Hale Wildlife Area; and the 138-acre addition to Muskrat Slough in Jones County. In addition to the acquisitions the chapter coordinated, the chapter also has contributed toward other land acquisitions in the surrounding areas: The160-acre Ringneck Ridge near Worthington, Iowa; the 20-acre addition to Indian Bluffs Wildlife Area in Jones County; the 419-acre original purchase of Whitewater Canyon, and two purchases in Clinton County.
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. PF/QF has more than 115,000 members in 700 local chapters across the continent.
During 2007, the chapter, which covers all of Jones County and parts of Dubuque and Linn counties, has completed three land acquisitions for public use with total expenditures of approximately $1.1 million. The chapter has closed on a 72-acre addition to Muskrat Slough near Olin, Iowa, and a 144-acre addition at Whitewater Canyon. Details are not yet available on the chapter's third acquisition this year.
"It is not how many ideas you have, it is how many you make happen," said Matt McQuillen the chapter's past president and current habitat chair, "We are truly blessed with having a number of dedicated souls, who rather than just having ideas, make ideas happen. As long as our chapter's board continues to raise funds with the expectation of putting them to the furtherance of our passion, which is enhancing and creating conservation, I believe that we will continue to have success similar to what we have experienced in the past."
"At Pheasants Forever, our biggest assets are the local volunteers in each community," said Howard Vincent, Pheasants Forever's National President and CEO. "The Twin Rivers chapter shows exactly why Pheasants Forever's local model works. They've raised dollars and put them directly in the ground, and it's having a dramatic impact on local habitat. We thank Field and Stream magazine for bestowing such an honor on a well-deserving group of dedicated conservationists."
"Although our chapter has received much recognition for our success in completing land acquisitions, our success would not be possible without the great partnerships that we have formed," McQuillen added, "We also have very strong relationships with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Jones County Conservation Board and Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. We have received grant funds from many sources including the REAP Fund and Wildlife Habitat Stamp Fund, the Iowa Pheasants Forever State Trust and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. With these strong partnerships and a history of successful projects, we have established a great degree of credibility so that when we pursue a project, those we ask to participate respond favorably."
The Twin Rivers chapter has been successful in coordinating three other significant acquisitions in recent years: The 69-acre Scotch Grove Prairie; the 200-acre Hale Wildlife Area; and the 138-acre addition to Muskrat Slough in Jones County. In addition to the acquisitions the chapter coordinated, the chapter also has contributed toward other land acquisitions in the surrounding areas: The160-acre Ringneck Ridge near Worthington, Iowa; the 20-acre addition to Indian Bluffs Wildlife Area in Jones County; the 419-acre original purchase of Whitewater Canyon, and two purchases in Clinton County.
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. PF/QF has more than 115,000 members in 700 local chapters across the continent.