Local Pheasants Forever win top award for habitat and youth education

(Photo contributed) Plymouth County Pheasants Forever president John Koley (right, holding plaque), receives the award from John Linquist, regional representative of Pheasants Forever in Iowa, honoring the chapter for spending more than $500,000 on habitat improvements and youth education in Plymouth County. Linquist made the presentation at a local meeting of the chapter. [Click to enlarge]

The Plymouth County Pheasants Forever chapter and its local volunteers have been recognized as a top chapter in the nation for investing more than $500,000 on habitat improvements and youth education in Plymouth County.

The award was announced at the recent state convention awards program. John Linquist, Regional Representative of Pheasants Forever came to Le Mars to present the plaque to chapter members.

"That's a nice award and recognition," John Koley, newly-elected president of the Plymouth County Pheasants Forever said. "We're the number one chapter in the U.S. in support of habitat and youth."

The local chapter boasts 207 youth members.

Koley said the chapter is trying to expand the buffer strip program and has set aside $40,000 to accomplish that goal, offering a bonus of up to $200 an acre through NRCS qualified programs for the buffer strips that are planted.

The chapter started in 1985.

So far, the chapter has completed 1,822 projects that affected 17,151 acres of habitat, while providing nesting cover, food plots and wintering cover for upland populations. The chapter has also planted more than 322,000 trees on the local landscape in an effort to provide a better community for future generations of Iowa.

"Being number one nationally is a tremendous honor, but even more importantly to me is how they lead conservation efforts locally," said Linquist in a press release.

"For a chapter to spend this kind of money to improve wildlife habitat, water quality, soil erosion and youth education in times like these is unbelievable. These volunteers are truly the heroes of Pheasants Forever in Iowa and they should be very proud of their accomplishments," said Linquist. "Also, these kinds of accomplishments do not happen without banquet attendees, sponsors, supporters and members locally. So, the entire community should be proud of what has been done to leave a legacy in Plymouth County."

Local member Randy Jelken is a founding member and board member of Plymouth County Pheasants Forever. He was honored at the chapter's 2008 banquet with the Service to Wildlife award.

Jelken has set aside 15 acres for grasslands and has planted hundreds of trees and shrubs to enhance habitat for pheasants and other wildlife.

He has also planted 20 acres of riparian strips.

"The riparian strips are planted along the creeks so that water is cleaned through the grasses before it runs off into the creek," Jelken explained.

The strips, also called buffer strips, range between 60 to 300 feet in width along the creek.

"It provides a very good place for nesting for the pheasants, plus the strips are really starting to clean up the streams in Iowa," Jelken said of the program. The strips separate the farmland from the creeks.

The trees and grasslands provide a good habitat for pheasants and other wildlife.

"I've got a lot of pheasants around all the time so it must be working," Jelken said of the planting he has done on his land. He has also planted food plots in the reserved areas.

Hunting is allowed in the habitat areas, Jelken added.

"The main thing our organization does is to try to put in as much habitat as we can and educate as many kids as we can," Jelken said. "It's just amazing, we have more than 200 Ring Neck members."

Ring Neck members are youth 18 years of age or younger.

According to Linquist, the Pheasants Forever's model is designed to empower local volunteers to raise money, evaluate local needs and to implement a plan to accomplish those needs. Pheasants Forever is the only national wildlife organization that leaves 100 percent of the net revenue under the control of the local committee.

"As the landscape of Iowa continues to change, the volunteers of Plymouth County stand strong and provide a stable and steadfast role in conservation efforts for Iowa," added Linquist.

Since 1985, Iowa's Pheasants Forever chapters have raised and spent $33,439,806 on the organization's wildlife habitat mission. Chapters have planted 500,495 acres of nesting cover, 219,845 acres of food plots, 10,380,955 shrubs and trees for winter cover, and improved 56,062 CRP acres. Additionally, Iowa Pheasants Forever has restored 17,494 acres of wetlands and contributed to 602 land acquisitions that permanently protect 73,694 acres of public wildlife habitat.

Pheasants Forever is a non-profit conservation organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. Pheasants Forever has more than 129,000 members in 700 local chapters across the continent.