For many members, Pheasants Forever’s ongoing work to create public lands is one of the top reasons for joining and continuing to support the organization.
Want a “visual” of the impact of the 218,591 acres that Pheasants Forever has made forever-public to date? It is 341.5 square miles. Walk just the perimeter of each of those square miles and you would travel 1,366 total miles — the distance from The U.S.-Canada Peace Garden Crossing in North Dakota to Round Rock, Texas, just north of Austin.
Imagine what a bird dog would run … and how much land awaits inside each square mile.
Public access is so important, it is right there loud and clear in two words in the Pheasants Forever mission, and permanently public lands are at that core. How does it work?
Pheasants Forever serves as a coordinator for these acquisitions. Pheasants Forever helps with financing but also helps pull together a wide variety of partner organizations to fund a land purchase.
PF chapters across pheasant country are integral to that process by helping identify willing sellers and also putting locally-raised money in the pool. Willing is an important word. It is also noteworthy that many private sellers come to Pheasants Forever because they want to create a legacy of wildlife and wild places for future generations. In short, all sales to PF are voluntary.