Minneapolis, Minn. – Feb. 19, 2017 – Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s 2017 National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic presented by Federal Premium Ammunition concluded Sunday, February 19th, drawing a record-setting 30,462 supporters to the Minneapolis Convention Center. Planning has already commenced for the much-anticipated 2018 National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic on February 16th-18th in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, which will coincide with the organization’s 35th anniversary.
The annual national convention and outdoor tradeshow featured a very successful, first-ever National Pheasant Summit which hosted Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton, South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard, and Minnesota Congressman Collin Peterson to discuss future conservation efforts in the pheasant range. Of particular note, elected officials all voiced their support for a robust Conservation Reserve Program as part of the 2018 Farm Bill, and Peterson – the Ranking Member on the House Agriculture Committee – voiced his support for raising the national acreage cap from the current allotment of 24 million acres to 46 million acres.
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever also hosted the “Bees, Butterflies, Birds & You” Pollinator Symposium on Friday, February 17th. The event featured eight of the nation’s top pollinator experts who highlighted new programs, strategies and research being used to provide quality habitat for a host of grassland and wildflower-dependent species, including pollinators, upland birds and other wildlife. As part of this effort, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever launched an exciting new partnership over the weekend – the Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund – that is expected to become a frontrunner in the effort to restore critical habitat for bees, butterflies, and other wildlife.