The Crowing Post:  10/29/07

Quail Forever has received a $50,000 grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust that will address water shortages, provide wildlife habitat and create public hunting access opportunities in Nebraska’s Platte and Republican Basins.

There are still about 60,000 acres to be enrolled in the Platte-Republican Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) area.  QF hopes to increase the signup by working with Pheasants Forever, the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, the Nebraska Environmental Trust, the Department of Natural Resources, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the United States Department of Agriculture and the Tri-Basin Natural Resource District. 

“This is a win-win solution for water issues, wildlife habitat and local economies in the Platte-Republican CREP area.”  said Pete Berthelsen, QF Senior Field Coordinator.  “The economies of these basins depend upon ag production, so this gives us a unique way to promote hunting and eco-tourism by providing public access to wildlife habitat on private lands.”

Through CREP, landowners receive incentive payments for installing specific conservation practices that help protect environmental sensitive land.  Initiated in the spring of 2005, the Platte-Republican Resources Area CREP is a cooperative effort between the State of Nebraska and the USDA to reduce the use of irrigation water and protect stream flows in the Platte and Republican Rivers.

 habitat today….pheasants forever!