AGFC hosting quail habitat workshops for landowners

Nov. 3, 2017

Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has partnered with the United States Department of Agriculture and the Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts to host five special quail-focused workshops throughout the state on Nov. 7 and Nov. 9.

Thanks to new initiatives under the Working Lands for Wildlife partnership, many programs are available to provide landowners with tools to increase wildlife habitat on their properties without taking them out of production for agriculture or other land uses. Combined with other Farm Bill programs, these can help offset costs of putting critical wildlife habitat back on the ground to help support the comeback of the northern bobwhite.

“The AGFC has nine private lands biologists throughout the state that can show landowners what they can do to help bring back habitat for quail as well as many other game species,” said Marcus Asher, quail program coordinator for the AGFC. “They also can guide landowners through the proper steps to get some of this habitat work paid for.”

Asher says landowners interested specifically in quail habitat restoration also have another group of biologists that can help.

“Through recent grants completed by the AGFC, Quail Forever has two new biologist positions that are currently active and assisting landowners, while five more biologists are in the process of being hired. These positions were funded to provide additional technical assistance for private landowners in reestablishing northern bobwhite habitat on their property in the same way our private lands biologists work with the public,” Asher said.

In addition to an overview of available funding opportunities for landowners, presenters at the scheduled workshops will cover basic quail biology and habitat management as well as an update on the AGFC’s quail habitat restoration program on public land.

Dinner will be provided at the workshops for landowners who register in advance. Call 877-297-4331 to register.

Workshops will be held at the following locations and times:

6-9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7

Baxter County Fairgrounds
1507 Fairgrounds Drive
Mountain Home, AR 72653

Southwest Arkansas Agricultural Research Extension Office
362 Highway 174
Hope, AR 71801

6-9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9

Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center
8300 Wells Lake Road
Fort Smith, AR 72916

Pocahontas Junior High School Cafeteria
2405 N. Park Street
Pocahontas, AR 72455

Camp Robinson Field House
331 Clinton Road
Conway, AR 72032