Illinois Build a Wildlife Area
Becomes fifth state to initiate effort to create permanent public wildlife areas
Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) recently announced the launch of the first annual Illinois Build a Wildlife Area campaign. Through the campaign, PF/QF and its partners will raise funds to be used for the acquisition of public game production areas in Illinois. All funds raised through the campaign will be tripled by matching grants.
"Illinois is a state where 95 percent of land is in private ownership, so we're excited to be launching a Build a Wildlife Area campaign as a way to ensure we'll always have places to enjoy the great outdoors," said Aaron Kuehl, PF/QF Director of Conservation in the state, "And what really makes the campaign unique it that it stretches one dollar into three, one hundred dollars becomes three hundred. The Build a Wildlife Area campaign gives you the most conservation bang for your conservation buck."
The campaign is a wide-reaching effort to engage individual donors, corporations, non-profit and government organizations to create permanent public wildlife areas. Once lands are acquired, they are turned over to the state for management and opened to the public for recreation, including hunting. Illinois is the fifth state to launch a Build a Wildlife Area campaign, following Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and South Dakota. Minnesota's campaigns have helped create seven new wildlife areas covering over 2,500 acres, and Iowa's campaign has already helped acquire three new wildlife areas totaling over 400 acres.
The Montgomery County Chapter of PF was the first to contribute to the Illinois Build a Wildlife Area campaign, donating $500. And one Pheasants Forever member (who wishes to remain anonymous) has pledged $25,000 to the campaign! The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have both pledged their support of the Illinois Build a Wildlife Area campaign.
"The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has enjoyed a long partnership with Pheasants Forever in developing wildlife habitats," said John Buhnerkempe, Division Chief, IDNR Wildlife Resources, "This new program further strengthens this habitat partnership which results in more quality wildlife habitat and additional hunting opportunity in Illinois." Added Gwen Kolb of the USFWS's Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, "We know this program works as far wildlife habitat being placed on the ground, and that's what we're all about. This program completely complements our mission and we thank Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever for initiating this program in the state of Illinois."
To learn more, or to make a donation to the Build a Wildlife Area campaign in Illinois, contact Aaron Kuehl at (217)635-5207 or via email at akuehl@pheasantsforever.org, visit the Illinois PF State site (www.illinoispf.org/illinoisbawa) or contact Pheasants Forever toll free at (877)773-2070.
Illinois's 45 PF chapters account for over 8,000 members statewide. Those chapters have spent more than $9.3 million to complete over 27,900 habitat projects since the first Illinois PF chapter was formed in 1985. Those projects have benefited more than 261,000 acres for wildlife. There are also 16 QF chapters in Illinois.
