New Partnership to Help Restore Bobwhite Quail

A ground-breaking memorandum of understanding has been signed between the NWTF and the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative to help restore bobwhite quail populations.

The partnership between the NWTF and NBCI combines a network of quail enthusiasts with proven track records of restoring and enhancing upland habitat. Efforts will take place on projects within focal areas that address the most critical conservation needs of both wild turkeys and bobwhite quail. These areas will be developed on regional, state and local levels and utilize cutting edge geospatial technology and existing partnerships to identify and implement these critical habitat projects.

“This agreement will allow us to bring together our biologists and volunteer resources with the NBCI’s professional staff to benefit both wild turkeys and bobwhite quail,” said NWTF Chief Conservation Officer James Earl Kennamer, Ph.D. “This is a tremendous win-win opportunity for conservationists and hunters of all kinds. We welcome the challenge of working with NBCI to bring back bobwhite quail to their original numbers.”

Added NBCI Director Don McKenzie: “Targeted on-the-ground efforts of our private conservation partners that are coordinated with the states’ NBCI implementation strategy are absolutely critical to achieving the goal of restoring huntable populations of wild bobwhite quail at the landscape level. We’re extremely excited about NWTF, our largest private conservation partner, stepping up to the plate in this fashion.”

The NWTF is best known for its 40 year history of working with wildlife agency partners, NWTF chapters and corporate sponsors to reestablish wild turkey populations across North America.  While the wild turkey restoration is all but completed, the NWTF remains committed to improving critical wild turkey habitats across the United States and Canada.

During the past 15 years, NWTF has established itself as the leader in upland habitat conservation and has been responsible for conserving and enhancing millions of acres of upland habitat through cooperative projects with its conservation partners.  These projects have benefited wild turkeys and a wide variety of wildlife species, including the bobwhite quail.

NBCI is a unified strategic effort made up of 25 state fish and wildlife agencies and various conservation organizations to restore critical native grassland habitats and huntable populations of bobwhite quail. NBCI provides national leadership, coordination and assistance to states and partners to accelerate implementation of efforts to restore bobwhite quail in its core range.  The NBCI is based out of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

National Wild Turkey Federation

The National Wild Turkey Federation is the leader in upland wildlife habitat conservation in North America. The NWTF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving the wild turkey and preserving our hunting heritage.

Through dynamic partnerships with state, federal and provincial wildlife agencies, the NWTF and its members have helped restore wild turkey populations throughout North America, spending more than $331 million to conserve nearly 16 million acres of habitat. Wild turkeys and hundreds of other species of upland wildlife, including quail, deer, grouse, pheasant and songbirds, benefit from this improved habitat.

The NWTF also brings new conservationists and hunters into the fold through outdoor education events and its Women in the Outdoors, Wheelin' Sportsmen, JAKES and Xtreme JAKES youth outreach programs. Our dedicated NWTF volunteers introduce about 100,000 people to the outdoors through these programs every year.

Founded in 1973, the NWTF is headquartered in Edgefield, S.C., and has local chapters in every state and Canada. According to many state and federal agencies, the restoration of the wild turkey is arguably the greatest conservation success story in North America's wildlife history.