Quail Forever and the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (NBCI) have established a partner commitment to quail conservation efforts by signing a Memorandum of Understanding through the year 2022. The announcement was made during the Partners in Conservation Reception at the recent National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic in Minneapolis and finalized this morning at the 82nd North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference.

“We believe the unified range-wide strategy being implemented by the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative and its 25 partner state wildlife agencies represents the brightest future for quail populations in the United States,” stated Tim Caughran, director of field operations for Quail Forever. “Quail Forever is elated to be a partner in this endeavor, and we have confidence in our local chapters and growing membership to strengthen the initiative moving forward.”

The MOU establishes a framework of cooperation between Quail Forever and NBCI to work jointly with state agencies and other groups to promote the restoration of early successional habitat on public/private lands with the most benefit for bobwhite quail and other wildlife. As part of the agreement, Quail Forever will contribute to NBCI range-wide efforts through the following means:

• Work with NBCI and its state partners to engage Quail Forever chapters in an effort to support local habitat projects and research
• Implement bobwhite conservation partnerships on private and public land utilizing Quail Forever’s local model and Farm Bill biologist partnership where applicable
• Strategize with NBCI to improve and strengthen Farm Bill conservation programs that promote early successional habitat within the historical range of the northern bobwhite
• Support state wildlife agencies and the NBCI Coordinated Implementation Program (CIP) – adopting CIP quail focal areas and executing wildlife habitat projects where applicable

“Restoring bobwhites to desirable levels across their range is such a monumental challenge that our conservation efforts must be coordinated effectively and leveraged at all levels, from the ground to the states and to the top levels of federal government,” said Don McKenzie, director for the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative. “NBCI and Quail Forever have complementary abilities and roles that can boost each other while strengthening the states’ initiatives and growing the entire bobwhite restoration movement.”

About the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative

The NBCI is the unified range-wide strategy and initiative of 25 state wildlife agencies, along with numerous conservation group and research institution partners, to achieve widespread restoration of native grassland habitats, wild quail and other grassland wildlife.  NBCI provides landscape-scale, habitat-based strategic plans for habitat restoration and population recovery; conservation leadership at national and regional levels; leveraging capabilities to magnify resources available at state and local levels for native grassland habitat management; tools and services that enable states and partners to do more and better bobwhite conservation.

About Quail Forever

Quail Forever, including its pheasant conservation division, Pheasants Forever, is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 149,000 members and 700 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Chapters are empowered to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds are spent; the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever has spent $708 million on 517,000 habitat projects benefiting over 15.8 million acres nationwide.

Caption (L to R): Howard Vincent (President & CEO of Quail Forever), Don McKenzie (NBCI Director), and Tim Caughran (Director of Field Operations, Quail Forever) gather for the MOU signing between Quail Forever and the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative