Pheasants Forever’s Farm Bill Program in South Dakota Does Conservation Work on 500K Acres 8-17-2010

Pheasants Forever’s Farm Bill Program in SD Does Conservation on 500K Acres
One-on-one landowner contacts improving delivery and speed of conservation
Brookings, S.D. - Pheasants Forever’s Farm Bill Biologist program, which provides conservation service to landowners through one-one-one consulting, launched in South Dakota in 2003. In just seven years, the program has worked to improve soil, water and wildlife habitat quality on more than 500,000 South Dakota acres. Pheasants Forever looks to add to that total during the current Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign-up.The Farm Bill Biologist program is a partnership of Pheasants Forever, the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Since 2003, South Dakota’s seven Farm Bill Biologists have made more than 13,000 landowner contacts, working a combined 100,000 hours to evaluate 508,890 acres for conservation improvements. Primarily, the biologists work to accelerate and enhance enrollment in CRP and other Farm Bill conservation provisions that work with farm operations. With the first CRP general sign-up in four years under way, Farm Bill Biologists continue working conservation’s front lines with more acres and landowners than ever before.

“Pheasants Forever’s Farm Bill Biologist program is especially suited for South Dakota,” says Matt Morlock, Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist based out of Brookings, “There is lots of land and lots of landowners in need of the service we’re providing.” Two years ago, Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologists in South Dakota helped drive interest in the CRP’s State Acres For wildlife Enhancement program (SAFE), then a brand-new continuous CRP practice. The initial demand was so great that it helped secure an additional acreage allotment for the state; that demand continues to grow.

With just short of 150,000 South Dakota CRP acres slated to expire from the program on September 30th of this year, Morlock says the state needs to do two things during the current CRP general sign-up. “First, we need to offset the acres that will leave CRP this year due to contract expiration,” he said, “Second, we need to showcase the demand for CRP, so that it’s not another four years before the next general sign-up period.”

CRP General Sign-up 39
During the sign-up period, farmers and ranchers may offer eligible land for CRP’s competitive general sign-up at their county Farm Service Agency (FSA) office. Check out Pheasants Forever’sCRP signup page for more info.

Contact a PF Farm Bill Biologist in SD

Mike Blaalid
Mitchell
SD
mblaalid@pheasantsforever.org
(605) 996-1564 x3

Emmett Lenihan
Webster
SD
elenihan@pheasantsforever.org
(605) 226-3360 x3

Matt Morlock
Brookings
SD
mmorlock@pheasantsforever.org
(605) 881-8258

Amanda Richardson
Faulkton
SD
arichardson@pheasantsforever.org
(605) 598-6237

Jim Ristau
Chamberlain
SD
jristau@pheasantsforever.org
(605) 734-5413 x3

Marcus Rock
Huron
SD
mrock@pheasantsforever.org
(605) 796-4476 x111

Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologists
Pheasants Forever’s Farm Bill Biologist program is designed to provide wildlife technical assistance to farmers and ranchers - through one-on-one consulting - about the benefits of conservation programs (such as the Conservation Reserve Program), as well as assisting farmers and landowners through program implementation. Pheasants Forever first began employing Farm Bill Biologists in 2003 and now has more than 60 biologists working in 11 states - Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Farm Bill Biologists have contacted and consulted with over 35,000 landowners, resulting in the improvement of over 1.4 million acres of land for wildlife.

Pheasants Forever is dedicated to the conservation of pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public awareness, education and land management policies and programs.