U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Steve Williams will join thousands of upland bird hunters, conservationists and others to help celebrate 20 years of resource accomplishments by Pheasants Forever during the organization's first national convention Friday through Sunday at the Radisson South hotel in Bloomington, Minn.
Williams is expected to join Jim Moseley, deputy secretary of agriculture, and Bruce Knight, chief of the USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service, at Pheasant Fest, which celebrates 20 years of conservation accomplishments by Pheasants Forever.
The Service will have representatives from its Partners for Fish and Wildlife program, and National Wildlife Refuge System on hand to answer questions and provide information on habitat conservation and public use opportunities on refuges.
The Partners for Fish and Wildlife program assists private landowners to restore and protect develop and maintain wildlife habitat through partnerships between the Service, state fish and wildlife agencies, local agencies, communities, individuals and conservation organizations including
Pheasants Forever. The successful program is accomplished through the voluntary cooperation of landowners, who offer drained wetlands and degraded uplands to restore as wildlife habitat. Habitats are restored at no cost to participating landowners, who agree to protect their restored wetlands and uplands for a minimum of 10 years. Through their voluntary cooperation, landowners retain all previous ownership rights and responsibilities, including the right to limit public access, on their restored habitats.
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The National Wildlife Refuge System has a long tradition of working with conservation organizations, such as Pheasants Forever, to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources.
In addition, many refuges offer opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing and other wildlife-dependent recreation.
