QUAIL INITIATIVE HABITAT TOUR AND DINNER

Reserve your spot by Oct. 15

PRATT – Landowners and anyone interested in improving quail habitat on their property are invited to attend a quail habitat tour and free dinner Tuesday, October 21 at Melvern Wildlife Area, Reading. Starting at 4:30 p.m., a tour of completed and active habitat projects on Melvern Wildlife Area will be conducted, followed by a catered meal at the Reading City Building around 6 p.m., compliments of the Neosho Valley Quail Forever and Emporia Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation chapters. Those interested in attending are asked to meet at the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) office, 2272 Road 250, on the east side of Reading. 

Following dinner, KDWPT staff will update participants on the progress of the Quail Initiative Project and present information on bobwhite biology and habitat management. Local Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) personnel will also be on hand to discuss relevant cost-share programs available, as well as representatives from other local conservation organizations. The evening will wrap up with a time for questions, discussion, and the opportunity to sign up for habitat planning assistance.

The Kansas Quail Initiative is an effort spearheaded by KDWPT to implement additional funding in two areas of eastern Kansas to improve habitat for quail and monitor the changes over the next five years. The goal is to improve quail populations by 50 percent in these focus areas. The area of focus for this meeting includes the Melvern Wildlife Area and more than 190,000 acres in portions of Lyon, Wabaunsee, Osage and Coffey counties.

“We plan to offer 100 percent cost-sharing for landowners in these areas to implement ‘quail friendly practices’ on their land,” said Jim Pitman, KDWPT small game coordinator. “KDWPT has designated $100,000 each year to this effort and those dollars can be used to supplement the normal 75 percent cost-share rate from federal habitat programs. The bottom line is that landowners in this focal area will work with biologists to plan habitat improvements for quail and cost-share payments will cover all the costs,” Pitman added.

Some of the practices eligible for cost-share funding include native grass and forb planting, removal of invading trees from grasslands, prescribed burning, hedgerow renovation and prescribed grazing. During its first two years, the initiative has directly impacted nearly 1,300 private land acres and 4,400 public land acres.

To register for the tour and dinner, call (620) 342-0658 by October 15.

For more information on the Kansas Quail Initiative, contact KDWPT district biologist, Pat Riese, at (620) 583-5049.

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KANSAS RECOGNIZED FOR USE OF NATIVE GRASSES IN CRP

Group Achievement Award presented to Kansas federal agriculture agencies

WICHITA – The National Bobwhite Technical Committee (NBTC) recently bestowed their Group Achievement Award to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Kansas. The award reflects achievements of groups of individuals or organizations that have had a measureable positive impact on wild bobwhite quail populations. The NBTC consists of the nation’s top bobwhite biologists, researchers, resource managers and conservation groups who are dedicated to restoring native bobwhite quail populations. 

With this award, the NBTC is praising the Kansas offices of NRCS and FSA for their unique implemenation of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which became part of the Farm Bill in 1985. CRP pays private landowners to take highly-erodible farmland out of production and plant it to grass. In the program’s early stages, Kansas policy makers were faced with critical decisions about the types of grasses that would be required in a state with such a wide diversity of soil types. Those policy makers determined the most beneficial cover for CRP would be mixes of warm-season, native grasses, the same grasses found in our native prairies. Looking back, it appears to have been one of those moments in time where all the stars aligned and policy was developed that would have major implications for the future of wildlife and other natural resources in Kansas.

The decision was not met with unanimous support. Other states wanted consistency across state lines and were pushing the use of Old World bluestems, which were cheap and relativity easy to establish. Native grasses were more expensive and practical experience in establishing those grasses was lacking. Many assumed the CRP program would not be around long enough to warrant the cost of expensive grass mixes only to see the land broken out again in the future. But staff in Kansas NRCS offices reasoned that establishing a mix of native grasses would provide the producer greater options for future use once the contracts expired. Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism staff knew the value of native grasses to wildlife and the department’s field biologists had been working with private landowners to establish native grasses through wildlife habitat enhancement programs. A seed company in western Kansas was already selling native plant materials and had experience developing mixes for various parts of the state.

With agreement among technical staff across agency lines in Kansas and private industry ready to meet the needs of producers, administrators within NRCS and FSA strongly backed the decision to use natives, ensuring long-term benefits for many Kansas wildlife species.

During the late 1990s, KDWPT began documenting the presence of the lesser prairie chicken in portions of their historic range where they had not been seen for more than 60 years. This significant re-occupation was due to nesting cover provided by native grasses in CRP. FSA and its partners in Kansas had been targeting CRP enrollment within the historic range of the lesser prairie chicken since 1996 by establishing Conservation Priority Areas. Since that time, increases in pheasant and quail populations have also been observed in those same areas. That portion of western Kansas is one of the only places in North America where quail populations have trended upward over the last couple of decades.

In making this award to NRCS and FSA, the NBTC also wanted to recognize individuals who were instrumental in making the “first native first” policy a reality nearly 30 years ago. Those individuals include James Habiger, former NRCS state conservationist, Jess Crockford, former NRCS state range conservationist, Bob Higgins and Rich Hager, former NRCS biologists, Al Schmatter, former FSA Conservation Program Manager, Bob Wood and Charles Lee, former KDWPT agriculture liaisons and Sharp Brothers Seed Company of Healy Kansas.

WEBINAR TO PROVIDE LESSER PRAIRIE CHICKEN UPDATE

Watch from home or visit one of 17 satellite sites to participate in webinar

PRATT – The potential listing of the lesser prairie chicken (LPC) as a threatened or endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has raised concerns for many landowners and land managers. State and federal agencies have conducted numerous public meetings to provide information, as well as gain input from the public. To keep the information flowing and to address landowner concerns, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) and Kansas State Research and Extension are hosting a webinar on April 30, 2013, beginning at 7 p.m.

Speakers from KDWPT, the Farm Services Agency and the Natural Resources Conservation Service will

provide background on the LPC listing status, as well as updates on the state planning effort, goals of the plan and priority areas. Detailed information on the conservation value of land and allocation of offset payments to landowners will be provided. State and federal programs specifically designed to improve habitat for LPC and what a proposed listing means to those enrolled in federal programs will be explained.

A webinar is an online communication technique that allows those with high-speed internet access to connect with the host site to view and hear the speakers on their home computer and chat via the internet with any questions or comments. Those who don’t have high-speed internet access can participate at one of the 17 satellite sites listed below. Staff will be onsite to transmit questions and comments to presenters.

To view from home, log on to: http://connect.ksre.ksu.edu/ksuasi

For more information please contact your local county extension agent or Charlie Lee (clee@ksu.edu or785-532-5734). Below are the satellite sites:

Ashland Community Building, 800 Main St., Ashland
Finney County Extension Office, 501 S. 9th St., Garden City
Western State Bank Expo Center, 11333 Hwy 283, Dodge City
Grant County Civic Center, Lawson Room, 1100 W. Patterson, Ulysses
4-H Building, 17002 W. Hwy 50, Cimarron
Hamilton County Extension Office, 520 N. Hamilton, Syracuse
4-H Building, S. Atkin St., Jetmore
Kiowa County Commons Conference Room, 320 S. Main, Greensburg
Courthouse Meeting Room, 710 W. 2nd, Oakley
Morton County Extension Office, 625 Colorado, Elkhart
Ness County 4-H Building, 105 S. Pennsylvania, Ness City
KDWPT Office, 512 SE 25th Ave., Pratt
Williams Carpenter Building, East Fairground Road, Scott City
Seward County Activity Building, 810 Stadium Road, Liberal
Sherman County 4-H Building, 417 Main Street, Goodland
Stevens County Courthouse, Memorial Hall, 200 E. 6th, Hugoton
Wakeeney Public Library, 610 Russell Ave., Wakeeney

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PHEASANTS FOREVER ADDS TWO FARM BILL WILDLIFE BIOLOGISTS FOR KANSAS

Biologists will help improve pheasant, quail, and lesser prairie chicken habitat
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) have announced the addition of two new Farm Bill wildlife biologist positions in Kansas. Kirby Calhoun will cover Dickinson, Clay, Ottawa, and nearby counties, while Mark Witecha will cover Ness, Lane, Hodgeman, and nearby counties. The positions were created in partnership with the Kansas division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

PF's Farm Bill biologists provide-on-the ground technical assistance to farmers who implement federal Farm Bill conservation programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Reserve Program. They also assist farmers with various programs and practices recommended by PF and partner organizations.

"I am really excited about the additions to the growing Kansas Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever team," said Steve Riley, PF and QU Farm Bill wildlife biologist manager. "They come with some great experience, and both are just finishing up their master’s degrees. They will definitely help us achieve our habitat goals."
Calhoun will complete his master’s degree in wildlife management from Texas A&M University this year. Previous to this, Calhoun spent 2010 working for the U.S. Forest Service as a wildlife biologist. He has four years of military experience and is a decorated Army veteran. Calhoun will work out of the NRCS Center in Abilene and can be reached at 785-263-1351.

Witecha previously interned at the Aldo Leopold Foundation near his home in southcentral Wisconsin. He will join Pheasants Forever in early June after finishing his master's of science degree at Texas A&M, Kingsville, where he has been studying the effects of wildfire and drought on the abundance, movement, and species richness of small mammals. Witecha will be based out of the Ness City Service Center and can be reached at 785-263-1351.

MIAMI COUNTY FORMS NEW QUAIL FOREVER CHAPTER

Chapter meeting Tuesday, April 12
PAOLA — Quail hunters and conservationists in Miami County have formed the 12th Quail Forever chapter in Kansas. The group, known as the Border Bobs Quail Forever chapter, will dedicate its efforts to improving habitat for bobwhite quail and providing opportunities for youngsters to learn about hunting, conservation, and the outdoors.

The chapter is led by newly-elected president Paul Scruggs of Paola. Scruggs' passion for quail hunting is fueled by owning bird dogs, and his passion for creating habitat has been fueled by efforts to improve quail numbers on his own property.

"Having a Quail Forever chapter provides a much more visible opportunity for others to get involved and will help conservation outreach to area landowners," Scruggs says. He adds that working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, and conservation districts in Miami, Franklin, Johnson, and Wyandotte counties to promote federal Conservation Practice 33 to landowners will also be crucial. Better known as "bobwhite buffers," the program establishes edge habitat along fields, streams, and woods that bobwhite quail need. There are currently 39,344 such acres enrolled in Kansas.

Scruggs also says the chapter's youth focus is equally important. "You can spend millions on habitat, but if you don't have anyone to take over down the road, it's all in vain. The Border Bobs Quail Forever chapter wants to get youth excited about being outdoors, to put that fire in them."

The chapter's next meeting is 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12, at the Gardner Public Library. For more information about the chapter, including upcoming meetings and events, phone Scruggs at 913-221-5705.