By Sara Strong
The latest land acquisition of Pheasants Forever puts 153 more acres in a permanent state of wildlife management by the Department of Natural Resources.
This purchase, which hasn't quite been finalized, is part of a growing number of acres that the organization has contributed.
Even though hunters are some of the most active Pheasants Forever members, that's not the only use for the land. By turning the land over to the DNR, it becomes public for other outdoor activities like photography, bird watching or hiking. Hunting would take place on the land only about three to four months of the year.
When acquired as public land, it is taken out of agricultural production but not completely off the county credits. The DNR makes payments in lieu of taxes that are close to what the land would have been worth if it were privately owned.
For example, the land Pheasants Forever is working on purchasing now earns the county $2,100 in property taxes. The state will make a $2,065 payment to the county in place of those taxes.
Townships and the Rock County Board must give permission for sales to go through and, have so far, been unanimous in favor of Pheasants Forever.
Local Pheasants Forever president Jeff Wieneke said, "We use money that we raise locally to purchase land that is not ideal for agricultural use and restore it to habitat that is beneficial to a wide range of wildlife. This also benefits, conservationists, farmers and all concerned with the environment."
Perry Loegering, area wildlife manager for the DNR, said that land taken out of production privately may not have the long-term impact that public land does.
"Things can change when ownership changes, and the private owners might not be as consistent," Loegering said.
The upcoming purchase is large enough to be a habitat area on its own. "By having a site like this we can impact the pheasant population. They have small home ranges and don't travel far, so the woody cover and food plots will help them survive the winter."
This particular area in Springwater Township is near natural springs and on the watershed. A benefit to the county in this case is that agricultural chemicals won't be a risk for entering the water supply.
Once the land is in the DNR's hands, it is returned to a natural prairie state, which helps control the spread of noxious weeds without using chemicals.
Now and forever
To date, Rock County Pheasants Forever has completed 1,286 acres of food plots, 103 acres of tree plantings, 367 acres of nesting cover and 613.4 acres of land acquisitions. The combined projects have cost almost $300,000.
The organization has 150 members with an additional 75 members in the Ringnecks youth program.
New in 2002 for Pheasants Forever is a grain wagon purchase. The Rock County chapter purchased the grain wagon that will be filled with corn so people can feed wildlife during harsh winters. In years past, the group rented or borrowed the wagon. Corn from feed plots is used to furnish the wagon.
PF rotates food plots among different crops to avoid using herbicides or other means of chemically helping a crop.
Even though the DNR manages the land, local members plant trees, remove fences and clean the areas.
When Pheasants Forever purchases land, it's often through the cooperation of different groups. PF has received matching funds from the state through the Prairie Heritage Fund and the Reinvest in Minnesota Critical Habitat Match Program. The Rock River Gobblers, a chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, has donated money for land acquisitions along the Rock River.
PF's upcoming acquisition was partially funded by Minnesota Habitat Fund, which is funded by state PF chapters that donate money for land purchases throughout the state.
The large local organization with lots of buying power didn't start out that way. Formed in 1984, it started to raise money at banquets to buy trees and food. These projects were done on private land, and there was no guarantee they could be used by the public. Rock County PF made its first land acquisition, 40 acres, from Duane Mulder in 1992 at a cost of $15,000. The largest land acquisition came in 1993 from Lawrence Willers, which was 291 acres.
Wieneke said, "The support from our members and the public has been terrific since the Willers acquisition. [WeÕve] since dedicated our efforts to creating more wildlife management areas."
That goal of creating more public land that benefits wildlife has been central to the organization since its founding. Prior to Pheasants Forever, Rock County had no wildlife management areas.
Habitat chairman Chuck Van Wyhe said he is proud of the organizationÕs commitment to pass hunting down as a tradition. He hopes that diversified prairie plots around the county help all types of habitat for generations to enjoy.
Members pay annual dues of $21. The monthly meetings deal with planning and goals for the organization and are usually announced on community calendars.
Major fund-raisers for PF are the banquets that include raffles, a live action, drawings and a sit-down dinner.