Michigan Pheasant Restoration Initiative Coalition partners recently compiled a 2020 annual report sharing accomplishments attained last year.
2020 highlights:
Coalition partners worked together to enhance and restore over 10,000 acres of grassland habitat and close to 1,000 acres of wetland habitat.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources acquired 440 acres of land for the new Potterville State Game Area in Eaton County, which will provide recreation opportunity and excellent habitat for wildlife, including pheasants.
Over 15,000 acres of farmland were enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, a federal land conservation program that aims to reestablish valuable land cover to help improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and reduce loss of wildlife habitat.
There were increased opportunities for enrollment of wildlife habitat in the Conservation Reserve Program through State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement initiatives, of which Michigan had three (Southern Michigan Grasslands, Native Pollinator Habitat and Southern Michigan Pheasant and Monarch Recovery Effort). Michigan had historic high acceptance rates of proposals in this sign-up, with 100% of State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement offers being accepted and an overall acceptance rate of 94%.
The Michigan Pheasant Restoration Initiative Coalition offered 82 education and recruitment events in 2020, with over 3,000 participants.
The Adopt-a-Game-Area program helped to enhance and restore 181 acres of grassland habitat. Over $200,000 was raised to help improve and restore pheasant habitat on Michigan public lands.
“Even with the challenges that we all faced in 2020, the MPRI coalition made important progress on wildlife habitat in Michigan,” said Bill Vander Zouwen, Pheasants Forever regional coordinator. “It signifies the end of the first 10 years of the MPRI, and we’re looking forward to many more years of productive partnership for the people and habitat of Michigan.”
The Michigan Pheasant Restoration Initiative is a conservation initiative to restore and enhance Michigan pheasant habitat, populations and hunting opportunities on private and public lands. It works by acquiring state, federal and other partner resources to assist landowners in the cooperatives to improve wildlife habitat on their properties and by improving habitat on selected state game areas, recreation areas or other public lands. Learn more at:
