PF 2011 Annual Report: $50 Million Efficiently Spent on Conservation

12,680 acres purchased, permanently conserved and opened to public hunting

Saint Paul, Minn. – January 14, 2012 – Pheasants Forever spent more than $50 million on its wildlife habitat conservation mission in 2011. The highest annual expenditure in the nonprofit organization’s 29-year history, those mission dollars helped “PF” accomplish 15,439 wildlife habitat projects spanning 817,511 acres, and put 22,216 youngsters through mentored hunts and shooting sports events. In doing so, PF also improved its program efficiency to 91.7 percent, continuing to be the most efficient national conservation organization in the country.

Program efficiency means Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, spends 91.7 cents of every dollar it raises directly on mission work, with the remainder utilized for fundraising and administrative functions. In 2005, PF’s efficiency rating was 90.3 percent, so the already-efficient nonprofit has managed to increase the wildlife habitat impact of each dollar by nearly 1.5 cents. “Our challenge always is to do better for pheasants and quail, and also for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters, members and donors,” said Howard Vincent, President and CEO, Pheasants Forever, Inc., “Thanks to all who support ‘The Habitat Organization’ and we’ve accepted the challenge to do even better in 2012.”

Mission Statement: 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.

Habitat Improvement

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapter projects accounted for 238,195 acres of habitat improvement in 2011. Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologists - who educate landowners about the benefits of conservation programs - made more than 12,000 landowner contacts in 2011, resulting in 579,316 acres of habitat improvement.

Land Acquisition

Of Pheasants Forever’s 2011 program expenses, 32 percent, or more than $16 million, was spent on purchasing land, These 71 land acquisitions protected 12,680 acres and opened them to public hunting and outdoor recreation. This included a 2,700 acre Idaho ranch, the largest land purchase in the organization’s history.

Youth, Education & Public Awareness

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters held more than 500 youth conservation education events in 2011. In the last year, 7,622 youth participated in chapter-led mentor hunts and 14,594 in target shooting programs. Pheasants Forever also announced a $1.27 million pledge from Larry and Brenda Potterfield, founders of MidwayUSA, to launch itsFOREVER Shooting Sports Program, a comprehensive shooting sports program with its chapters and partners.

Land Management Policies and Programs

One of the nation’s leading advocates of federal Farm Bill conservation programs, namely the Farm Service Agency’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and an entire suite of Natural Resources Conservation Service led programs, Pheasants Forever was pleased to host Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, at National Pheasant Fest for his announcement of a 2011 CRP general signup for landowners, which resulted in 2.8 million acres being enrolled in the program. With 6.5 million acres set to expire from the Conservation Reserve Program this fall, PF continues to push the administration for a new CRP general signup and continuous CRP improvements to mitigate potential losses.

Pheasants Forever is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Pheasants Forever’s full Annual Report will be published in the Spring 2012 issue of the Pheasants Forever Journal of Upland Conservation.

Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 130,000 members and 700 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Chapters are empowered to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds are spent, the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure.