Speakers Bureau Created to Provide Kansans with Conservation Know-how
Pheasants Forever 01.04.12
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Kansas Grassroots Conservation Campaign (KGCC) announce the commencement of the newly formed Kansas Grassroots Speakers Bureau. The bureau supports the Kansas Grassroots Conservation Campaign in combating the loss of critical upland habitat throughout the state by offering local communities opportunities to learn about KGCC’s goals, the future of Kansas’ outdoor heritage, as well as offer simple ways people can become involved in conservation.
An inaugural KGCC event recently took place in Hiawatha, Kansas and was organized by Jim Lafrenz, leader of the Speakers Bureau, and the Hiawatha Kiwanis Club. During the event, community members, including the local Boy Scout troop, were updated on ways they could help Kansas’ outdoor spaces through conservation. Chad Bachman, Hiawatha Kiwanis Club President, stated, “It is truly important to have organizations and opportunities like this dedicated to getting children outside to experience nature and participate in the other activities we did when we were children.”
The Kansas Grassroots Conservation Campaign is moving fast towards helping the state save its upland tradition, but the program is dependent on support from concerned Kansans. The campaign to date is focused on comprehensive initiatives designed to combat the potential 1.7 million acre loss of Kansas wildlife habitat occurring by the end of 2017, a steady decline in upland bird populations, the 40% decline of Kansas pheasant hunters since 1982, and the 55% decline in Kansas quail hunters since 1982.
“Our main goal is to motivate local community leaders and organizations to start participating in programs that help reverse current negative outdoor trends,” says Jim Lafrenz, who is also a Quail Forever Life Member, “Kansas’ youth are the key to ensuring that people are speaking up for the outdoors; that is why we keep emphasis on youth education and participation throughout all of our presentations.”
The Kansas Grassroots Conservation Campaign is a partnership between the 40 Pheasants Forever and 11 Quail Forever chapters in Kansas, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, corporations, foundations, and individuals to improve Kansas acres for pheasants, quail and other wildlife.
For information on how to support this initiative or to have a member of the Kansas Grassroots Speakers Bureau participate at your next club or organization’s meeting in Western Kansas, please contact Tony Jacobs, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Regional Representative, at (785) 764-6240 or Email Tony. For information in Eastern Kansas, please contact Jordan Martincich, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Development Officer, at (785) 242-3175 or Email Jordan.
Pheasants Forever launched Quail Forever in August of 2005 to address the continuing loss of habitat suitable for quail and the subsequent quail population decline. Bobwhite population losses over the last 25 years range from 60 to 90 percent across the country. The reason for the quail population plunge is simple - massive losses of habitat suitable for quail. There are five major factors leading to the losses of quail habitat; intensified farming and forestry practices, succession of grassland ecosystems to forests, overwhelming presence of exotic grasses like fescue that choke out wildlife, and urban sprawl.
