New Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist Covers Iowa’s Pottawattamie, Harrison, and Monona Counties
Pheasants Forever 06.13.14
Pheasants Forever has named Erin Kucera as its newest Farm Bill Biologist in Iowa. Based out of the USDA Service Center in Logan, Kucera is covering Pottawattamie, Harrison and Monona Counties working with farmers and landowners in promoting the wildlife habitat and financial benefits of conservation programs, as well as assisting landowners after programs have been implemented.
Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologists work to accelerate enrollment in the suite of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Bill conservation programs, adding wildlife technical assistance in USDA offices to assist the Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA) and other conservation partners with the delivery of conservation programs to landowners. Not only are biologists knowledgeable about federal, state and local conservation programs, but they promote programs on a personal basis, helping landowners find the right programs to meet their land-use goals.
This three-county Farm Bill Biologist is a partnership position between the NRCS, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), several Soil and Water Conservation Districts and the Loess Hills Alliance.
“Farm Bill Biologists like Kucera play a critical role in connecting farmers and other landowners with the available technical and financial assistance to implement voluntary programs and best management practices for wildlife and to protect soil and water resources. These important positions would not be possible without the support of Pheasants Forever chapters and our many local, state and federal partners,” said Ryan Heiniger, Pheasants Forever’s North Region Manager.
“The Farm Bill Biologist position has been an extremely important part of our partnerships with Pheasants Forever,” added Dale DuVal, NRCS district commissioner for Harrison and Pottawattamie counties. “Erin will assist landowners in addressing their resource concerns involving all types of wildlife. She will provide valuable and quality assistance to these three counties.”
A Nebraska native, Kucera received her B.S. in biology from Wayne State College, and her M.S. in biology from The University of Nebraska-Omaha. Kucera can be reached at (712) 301-8867 and via email.
Pheasants Forever’s 12 Farm Bill Biologists in Iowa are the result of a collaborative partnership that includes Pheasants Forever chapters, the DNR, USDA NRCS and FSA, IDALS, Soil and Water Conservation Districts and more. The biologists provide Farm Bill program advice for eligibility, application deadlines and other important details for landowners interested in improving wildlife habitat on their property. Find a Farm Bill Biologist.
Iowa is home to 101 Pheasants Forever chapters, three Quail Forever chapters, and more than 19,000 Pheasants Forever and/or Quail Forever members.
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.
