Takeaways from the Pheasant Summit January 16, 2014 Tom Landwehr MN DNR Commissioner

MN Pheasant Summit Governor Dayton convened a Pheasant Summit. Purpose: query citizens on how to sustain pheasants & hunting Held Dec. 13, 2014 in Marshall.

A Call to Action 300 conservationists, hunters, farmers and government officials attended the summit to offer their views and technical advice. 740 provided on-line input prior the summit. 1,000 people helped to identify priorities, action items, and strategies for public and private lands.

Trends in pheasant numbers

Habitat is the Key Grasslands for nesting cover Wetlands & woody cover for winter Only 2% of the land is public

Summit recommendations The top 33 citizen- recommended actions were combined into nine categories of actions

Rough Cut Summit Priorities Summit participants’ top 5 ideas: 1.Improve roadsides and riparian buffers. 2.Increased bonding funds for acquisition. 3.Target funding to protecting high quality habitat on private lands. 4.Increase payment rates of private lands programs. 5.Restore more habitat on private land. 6.These will be better fleshed out.

Next Steps – Strategies for 2015 Convene Steering Committee and Technical Team to fully develop plan by spring. Develop Buffer Initiative. Reconvene roadside task force. Aggressively promote and expand voluntary Ag. Water Quality Certification Program. Promote CREP, RCPP, and WIA proposals to USDA. Secure funding from 2015 Legislature to accelerate activities.

Next Steps – Strategies for Specific strategies to be developed by Steering Committee, to include: Optimize public land habitat, including buffers, roadsides and wildlife lands. Improve programs for private land habitat conservation. Expand hunting opportunities and support hunter recruitment & retention.

Collaboration is Essential Effective implementation will require help from landowners, government agencies at all levels, nonprofit partners and elected officials - and will take time.

Working With Agriculture Engage key Agricultural Groups. Strengthen Grass-based agriculture. Seek program adjustments and incentives. Use flexibility and innovation to meet goals.

Measures of Success – 1.More habitat in the pheasant range. 2.Stable or increasing pheasant populations and harvests. 3.Stable or increasing hunter numbers. 4.Improved habitat for all grassland species and in support of water quality goals.

Why should somebody in Minneapolis who doesn't hunt pheasants care about this? The pheasant is a “canary in the coal mine”. The pheasant is sharing a landscape with the mallard, meadowlark, and monarch, the Topeka shiner in the water, and with people who are drinking the groundwater. Pheasant populations are an indicator of the health of the land in the agricultural part of the state. This is about quality of life in Minnesota.

Questions?