TPWD Signs Commitment To Foster Quail Populations
Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) have established a partner commitment to conservation by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) through the year 2020. The organizations have agreed habitat in Texas needs proper development, be enhanced and managed on both public and private lands, and will work together to provide the best possible habitat conservation measures for the future of Texas wildlife.
“Quail Forever is a long-time partner that we have come to trust at a very high level,” said Ross Melinchuk, deputy executive director of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “By collaborating to improve quail habitat, we combine the vitality and passion of volunteer grassroots efforts with TPWD’s biological expertise and trusted relationship with Texas farmers, ranchers and landowners for a major quail conservation win.”
The MOU establishes a framework of cooperation between Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever, and TPWD to maintain and enhance the productivity of quail, pheasant and other wildlife habitats on private and public lands during the next four years. The partner MOU signing was held on January 14th in conjunction with a Quail Forever national meeting to determine future goals of “The Habitat Organization” in Texas.
The state’s quail habitat and hunting traditions are considered a top priority for Quail Forever, and the organization has announced its five-year goals for Texas including:
• Creating additional quail hunting opportunities for Texans and their guests
• Improving 200,000 acres of wildlife habitat by 2020
• Acquiring and improving lands open to public hunting
• Increasing Quail Forever membership in Texas to more than 10,000 members
• Building strong partnerships with state agencies and other conservation groups
• Expanding its grassroots network of local chapters to 50 throughout the state
“We are thrilled to be working side-by-side with Texas Parks and Wildlife as we deliver complex solutions for quail habitat and populations in the coming years,” stated Howard K. Vincent, president and CEO for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. “With the resurgence of quail in Texas and the return of a missing generation of upland hunters in 2015, Quail Forever is urging Texans to harness this momentum for quail conservation and join our ranks in the coming year.”
Quail Forever is seeking new volunteers, donors, and partners, to carry out the organization’s five-year goals and to be involved in the excitement surrounding quail conservation efforts. For more information, contact Laura McIver, Regional Representative for Quail Forever in Texas, at [email protected] or (907) 750-2600.
