Pheasants Forever Hosting 54 CRP Landowner Workshops in Nebraska

Nebraska Pheasants Forever is hosting 54 CRP Landowner Workshops in Nebraska this February and March to inform farmers, ranchers and conservationists about the Conservation Reserve Program General Sign-Up 43. The sign-up, which runs from March 12, 2012 through April 6, 2012, is crucial to Nebraska’s ring-necked pheasant population.

At the workshops, landowners can learn from Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Wildlife Biologists how to improve the chances of their land being accepted in the competitive CRP General Sign-Up 43. Pheasants Forever will also be informing producers on how conserving marginal lands through CRP can prove mutually beneficial for wildlife and agriculture production.

Grassland habitat in Nebraska has helped maintain the state’s status as one of the nation’s top pheasant producing states, but Nebraska has faced continued loss of critical CRP acres in recent years. Subsequently, Nebraska’s pheasant population dropped 27 percent last year. “These meetings are designed to help landowners understand the conservation program options available to them with CRP as well as a host of additional conservation programs and incentives,” said Pete Berthelsen, Pheasants Forever Senior Field Coordinator. “Even in a time with significant commodity prices, there are often great opportunities where conservation programs can be used to increase farm and ranch income.”

For more information regarding landowner workshops in Nebraska, please visit the Nebraska Pheasants Forever website or contact Pete Berthelsen at (308) 754-5339 / Email Pete. For all other inquiries, please contact Rehan Nana, Pheasants Forever Public Relations Specialist at 651-209-4973 or Email Rehan.

Pheasants Forever

Pheasants Forever launched Quail Forever in August of 2005 to address the continuing loss of habitat suitable for quail and the subsequent quail population decline. Bobwhite population losses over the last 25 years range from 60 to 90 percent across the country. The reason for the quail population plunge is simple - massive losses of habitat suitable for quail. There are five major factors leading to the losses of quail habitat; intensified farming and forestry practices, succession of grassland ecosystems to forests, overwhelming presence of exotic grasses like fescue that choke out wildlife, and urban sprawl.