started in 1982
St. Paul, Minnesota
- 1982 pheasant hunters saw the connection between upland habitat loss and declining pheasant populations
- 145,000 members
- 700 local chapters
- more than 100 wildlife biologists
Pheasants Forever
1783 Buerkle Circle
St. Paul, Minnesota 55110
(877)-773-2070
About Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever is an upland habitat conservation organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota, founded in 1982 by hunters alarmed by the loss of grassland habitat and falling pheasant numbers. The spark was a March 7, 1982, column on Minnesota grassland habitat by Dennis Anderson, then outdoor editor of the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Dispatch, which drew more than 100 letters and 50 phone calls from concerned readers. The group’s first banquet, held in St. Paul on April 15, 1983, drew more than 800 people, and membership grew from 1,000 in 1983 to 46,000 by 1989.
Pheasants Forever is known for its local model: chapters decide how 100 percent of the money they raise is spent, so banquet dollars go to habitat projects in the members’ own communities. In 2005 it launched Quail Forever as its quail conservation division. Today the combined organization reports more than 750 local chapters in over 40 states and parts of Canada, more than 300 biologists on staff, and 480,000 members, supporters and partners. It has enhanced more than 6 million acres since 1982, and its chapters host hundreds of youth events each year, helping recruit the next generation of bird hunters.
Key Facts
- March 7, 1982: Dennis Anderson column on grassland habitat loss sparks the movement
- 1982: Pheasants Forever founded in St. Paul, Minnesota
- April 15, 1983: First banquet draws more than 800 people
- 1989: Membership reaches 46,000
- 2005: Quail Forever launched
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Sources
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