 
|
| Home | PHIP | Chapters | Contacts | Related Links | Start a Chapter | Historical Habitat Results |
|
What is Pheasants Forever? | LEP | Mission | Join Pheasants Forever |
|
|
|
|
| The Pheasant Habitat Improvement Program, or PHIP, is a joint venture of the Division of Wildlife, Pheasants Forever, Inc. and eastern Colorado Pheasants Forever chapters, with a mission of improving pheasant habitat in eastern Colorado. PHIP began in 1992 with 3 Pheasants Forever chapters and has now blossomed into 11 chapters of Pheasants Forever actively involved with doing habitat through PHIP. PHIP has reaped the benefits of strong partnerships with local Pheasants Forever Chapters, in addition to other community groups, including landowners, Future Farmer members, Boy Scouts, Explorer Scouts, Conservation Districts, Natural Resource Conservation Services, to mention a few. Division of Wildlife DWM's, Wildlife Technicians, and both Terrestrial and Habitat biologists have played an important role in PHIP as well. | ||
How does PHIP work? |
||
| The PHIP program's greatest asset is the partnerships that have been created with local chapters of Pheasants Forever, and the dedication and commitment these groups have developed for creating pheasant habitat. The mechanics of PHIP are quite simple. In 2002, as in the past, each chapter signed a cooperative agreement with the Division of Wildlife agreeing to improve pheasant habitat in their given locale, following habitat improvement guidelines developed by the Division. Chapters then contact landowners to explain the program specifics and suggest the types of projects that would increase pheasant habitat locally. After signing a simple 1 page Habitat Project Agreement with the landowner, the chapters prepare the site, purchase necessary materials, and then organize the planting effort, either with chapter volunteers, or in some cases, by sub-contracting the work to a local community group. Each chapter receives some money in advance to cover the cost of necessary materials, but the bulk of the chapter reimbursement comes after each project has been planted, and later inspected by the Division. PHIP reimbursement rates are set to cover all of the costs of materials, plus a small payment for labor. In most cases, chapters use the small labor payment to purchase pheasant habitat improvement equipment, including tree planters, fabric machines, grass and food plot drills, or other types of habitat equipment. Often, the labor rate allows chapters to subcontract out some plantings to local community organizations, like chapters of Future Farmers, Young Farmers, or Boy Scout Troops. | ||
Eastern Colorado Pheasants |
||
| Pheasant population declines can be explained by three factors; Habitat, habitat, and more habitat, or more accurately, the lack of good habitat. Comparisons of Division-led pheasant research programs shows that 1960's era habitat that was considered 'average' at the time is equivalent to or better than the best habitat available today. This has led to a year-round survival problem for pheasants. Indeed, during research conducted in the mid 1990's, the Division found that pheasants faced significant mortality pressures through every month of the year, a finding which has forced us to re-evaluate the focus of PHIP. Throughout the decade of the 1990's, PHIP focused on creating severe winter weather survival cover, which was found to be the limiting factor for pheasants in eastern Colorado during a research study in the early 1980's. With the turn of the century and new research findings, PHIP is moving to address deficiencies in year-round survival cover, with a focus on improving night-roosting cover across eastern Colorado. |
|
Copyright © 2003-2007 Colorado State Pheasants Forever. All rights reserved. |
||
|
Home
|
PHIP
| Chapters
|
Contacts
|
Related Links
|
Start a Chapter
|
Historical Habitat Results
What is Pheasants Forever? | LEP | Mission | Join Pheasants Forever |
||
|
email webmaster |
|
|
