“We would like to see all neighboring
farms participate in this project so that
even small tracts such as ours can
make even more of an impact in improving the quail population in the
whole area,” Ronnie Kordsmeier, project
participant in Conway County said.
“Habitat degradation has threatened
wildlife populations. There was also a
time when the species was one of the
most popular birds to hunt in Arkansas.”
Project partners include:
Bobwhite
Quail Habitat
Project
The Northern Bobwhite
quail is an important part of this landscape,
and it has been in steep
decline in Arkansas since the 1960s.
Zero cost:
The project provides technical and financial support to landowners
seeking to create, restore, maintain or manage habitat for
Northern Bobwhite quail through the NRCS Wildlife Habitat
Incentives Program (WHIP).
In the focal area, the NRCS pays 50 percent of the state
average cost for conservation practices as they are
completed. Southwestern Energy and the Arkansas Game
and Fish Commission each pay 25 percent of the cost,
making the program a 100 percent cost share. AACD
administers funds to landowners.
Importance of habitats
The bobwhite quail is an umbrella species, which means
if habitat for them is improved, it is better for a wide variety
of other wildlife like turkey, deer and rabbit as well as
non-game species like songbirds, shrikes, reptiles and
amphibians. These species now have a new opportunity
to thrive with the Bobwhite Quail Habitat project.
Bobwhite quail habitat
Connecting the habitats is essential to significant bobwhite population increases.
“The quail focal area is a great opportunity to shape
the future of quail conservation in Arkansas. We believe
that our best opportunity for significant bobwhite
recovery is landowners working together to do what is
best for quail and quail habitats,” said Quail Program
Coordinator Steven Fowler of the Arkansas Game and
Fish Commission.
Project purpose:
Conservation of the Northern Bobwhite quail.
Join the project
Project partners:
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Arkansas Game
and Fish Commission, Arkansas Association of Conservation
Districts (AACD) and Southwestern Energy Company.
Project area:
Approximately 45,000 acres in Conway, Faulkner and Van Buren
counties. While some restrictions apply to enrolled land, adjoining
land that is not enrolled in the project is not affected. Please talk
with your NRCS district conservationist to learn more about
project guidelines.
Landowners who own property within the quail focal
area who are interested in improving habitat for quail
should contact their local NRCS office to schedule a site
visit. A wildlife biologist will come out to the property to
perform a habitat assessment, and then create a Wildlife
Habitat Development Plan (WHDP) for the property,
which is the basis for the WHIP contract. In this part of
the state, a typical WHIP will include practices such as
light disking, prescribed burning, forest stand thinning,
native grass planting, and exotic species eradication.
If you are interested in more
information or becoming a landowner
in the Bobwhite Quail Habitat project, please
fill out the information below and send to your
county NRCS district conservationist below.
NAME (please print)
ADDRESS
CITY
STATE
ZIP
PHONECOUNTY
EMAIL
HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE
BOBWHITE QUAIL HABITAT PROJECT?
Van Buren
Conway
Faulkner
Quail Habitat
Focal Area
Conway County
Conservation District:
P.O. Box 478
Morrilton, AR 72110
Ronnach Day
Tele: 501 354 2000, ext. 3
Faulkner County
Conservation District:
110 So. Amity Rd., Rm 102
Conway, AR 72032
Joe Tapp
Tele: 501 327 6509
Van Buren County
Conservation District: 674 Hwy 65B, Ste. 2
Clinton, AR 72031
Jeremy Huff
Tele: 501 745 5161