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Peyton will work closely with conservation partners to protect habitat in Colorado
Fort Collins, Colo. – Sept. 9, 2022
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are pleased to announce the promotion of Michael Peyton to the Colorado State Coordinator. In his new role, Peyton will be responsible for the management of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s programs and field staff in Colorado. He will work closely with partners, local chapters and other stakeholders to ensure habitat continues to be recognized as a critically important driver of abundant wildlife populations, healthy soil, clean water and sustainable agriculture in the state.
“Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are expanding in Colorado and we’re really excited to add Michael to the team there,” said Al Eiden, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s director of field operations for the west region. “He’s an experienced Pheasants Forever staff member with a great background in conservation and the outdoors in general. In addition to his experience, he brings a real passion for protecting wild places to his new position, as well as the work ethic we need to continue to grow in Colorado. I’m really looking forward to seeing what he can accomplish.”
Prior to starting his new position, Peyton was the senior range and wildlife conservationist for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever in Utah. He grew up in Watertown, South Dakota and graduated from South Dakota State University in 2015 with a degree in wildlife and fisheries science.
“I’m really excited to lead the conservation efforts across the state of Colorado,” Peyton said. “One of our top priorities right off the bat is filling a couple of vacant positions and getting Colorado fully staffed from a PF perspective. I’m also looking forward to identifying new growth opportunities in the state where we can have a big impact on habitat.”
Peyton will be based in northern Colorado and began his new role in late August after moving from Utah with his wife Kate and newborn son, Henry. Outside of work obligations, he can most likely be found fly fishing or pursuing upland birds with his two black labs, Sage and Ace.
“Colorado has such a great atmosphere as far as the outdoor lifestyle and culture goes,” Peyton said. “That’s what Kate and I like to do. We both grew up in the Midwest, so to have a chance to live out West and experience Utah and Colorado is really special.”
About Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever make up the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. This community of more than 400,000 members, supporters and partners is dedicated to the protection of our uplands through habitat improvement, public access, education and advocacy. A network of 754 local chapters spread across North America determine how 100 percent of their locally raised funds are spent — the only national conservation organization that operates through this grassroots structure. Since its creation in 1982, the organization has dedicated more than $1 billion to 567,500 habitat projects benefiting 22 million acres.
Media Contact
Casey Sill
(402)-657-4143
csill@pheasantsforever.org
Join us for a fun and exciting evening with your family and friends, dedicated to raising funds aimed at wildlife conservation, habitat improvements, and enhancing local programs for youth and women in the field.
For more information, visit www.pikespeakpheasantsforever.org
Jacob Bobenmoyer of the Denver Broncos has chosen to represent Pheasants Forever during the My Cause My Cleats campaign this year.
My Cause My Cleats celebrates the positive impact that players have made in communities across America and provides players with an opportunity to highlight the cause-related work they are passionate about on the field.
The Denver Broncos announced players’ involvement on Monday, Nov. 28 and the players will have the option to wear their cleats on Sunday, Dec. 4 when the team plays at the Baltimore Ravens.
All participating Broncos and the causes they have chosen to represent can be found here: www.denverbroncos.com/mycausemycleats.
By Greg M. Peters
When Rebecca Burton arrived at the NRCS office in Craig, Colorado, she wasn’t quite sure what to expect for her first day of work. It was 2019 and even though she would be working on private lands conservation under the direct supervision of NRCS staff, Burton wasn’t officially an NRCS employee.
Like more than 19 other conservation professionals across the West, Burton works to advance rangeland conservation through the Sage Grouse Initiative as a Strategic Watershed Action Team (SWAT) member. Many “swatters,” as they’re affectionately known, are trained in rangeland ecology or wildlife biology (like Burton), and their work on western rangelands is part of a shared-capacity approach to conserving the biologically and culturally rich sagebrush sea.
Burton and her counterparts are employed by one of a handful of the NRCS’s Western Working Lands for Wildlife partner organizations; in Burton’s case, it’s Pheasants Forever. Through a multi-year agreement with the NRCS, these organizations can hire and manage these partner positions to add much-needed capacity to the important private lands conservation work that is the NRCS’s specialty.
Michael Brown oversees SWAT staffers across the West (Brown is also a Pheasants Forever employee in a shared-capacity position), and the crew is busy indeed. According to Brown, collectively these positions have developed customized grazing plans on over 2.95 million acres, worked to remove over 333,000 acres of encroaching conifers, and marked or removed 318 miles of fence since SGI started.
So, even though Burton may not have known just what to expect on her first day in the office, the Craig, Colorado NRCS staff was ready for her.
“Basically, they told me, ‘You’re the partner biologist, and you’ll be working on sage grouse and other wildlife-related projects,’” she explained. “The office had a long list of producers who had requested a variety of technical assistance help. That’s where I started – working through that list with a focus on wildlife projects.”
It didn’t take her long to start making a difference. Kendall Smith is the District Conservationist in the NRCS’s Craig/Meeker Office, and he’s thrilled with the added capacity Burton provides.
We are excited to announce the launch of our first fundraiser of 2021. We did not let COVID slow down our outreach and habitat improvement efforts, but we did temporarily pause our fundraising. We now need more help than ever to replenish our coffers, which will enable us to continue to do all of the great things you’ve come to expect from Northern Colorado Pheasants Forever. Details on the event are below.
2021 Super Sweepstakes Details
Our super sweepstakes is an amazing opportunity to win one of 12 fabulous prizes.
Veteran biologist set to lead staff and partnership efforts for statewide upland successes
Denver, Colo. – April 9, 2021 – Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever, and its partners are pleased to announce the hiring of Jeff Yost as the very first Colorado state coordinator. Yost will partner with the Colorado-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and local chapters to coordinate and lead wildlife conservation efforts throughout the state focused on pheasants, quail, and sage grouse, in addition to increased public access.
“I am extremely excited to welcome Jeff into the Pheasants Forever family. He brings a tremendous track record in natural resources management to our team for delivering landscape-level conservation efforts across most of the state and is positioned to be a wonderful mentor for his new team members,” stated Al Eiden, west region director for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.
In his new role, Yost responsibilities will include overseeing Pheasants Forever’s biologist partnership, expanding Pheasants Forever’s role in working with conservation partners throughout Colorado, and overseeing habitat conservation programs such as Colorado’s Corners for Conservation. Likewise, he will also assist in helping implement conservation programs for lesser prairie chickens, sagebrush restoration, and public access.
Yost brings more than 25 years of conservation experience to his new position, having worked in nearly every ecosystem throughout the state. Yost graduated from Colorado State University in 1993 with a major in wildlife and a minor in range management. He began his conservation-focused career as a Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) technician, focusing on upland research and the Pheasant Habitat Improvement Program (PHIP) in northeastern Colorado. In 1997, Yost transferred to a new position as a terrestrial biologist in southeast Colorado, spending eight years working on everything from pheasants, bobwhite and scaled quail, and lesser prairie-chickens to waterfowl, big game, and non-game species. His most recent biologist position with CPW was located in the region of Steamboat Springs, focused heavily on management efforts for bighorn sheep, deer, elk, moose, and pronghorn.
“When I retired from CPW, I never planned to stop working in conservation, but rather adjust to new challenges and new opportunities,” said Jeff Yost. I am ecstatic to be selected as the Colorado state coordinator and feel as if my entire career has been preparing me to seize this moment with Pheasants Forever, contributing to wildlife habitat conservation across the eastern plains and the western slope of Colorado. How cool is that!”
Having developed a deep appreciation for the conservation opportunities and challenges in Colorado throughout his career, Yost is excited to engage landowners and conservation partners throughout region. For more information about Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever in The Centennial State, contact Jeff Yost at jayost@pheasantsforever.org.
About Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 125,000 members and 750 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent over $975 million on 560,000 habitat projects benefiting 20 million acres nationwide. In fact, more than 210,000 of those acres are now permanently protected as public lands.
Media Contact
Jared Wiklund
Jwiklund@Pheasantsforever.Org
(651) 209-4953
Committee members are developing future plans for habitat, access, and R3 initiatives
Montrose, Colo. – April 19, 2021 – Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever in Colorado is pleased to announce the first-ever chapter launch on the state’s Western Slope. Officially chartered as the Western Colorado Chapter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever #978, local volunteers have begun planning outdoor education opportunities, learn-to-hunt events, and future habitat conservation projects to promote the region’s hunting heritage, protect public lands, and conserve critical wildlife resources.
“The mission of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever aligns closely with the outdoor passions shared by our motivated committee,” stated Ranae Williams, newly elected president for the Western Colorado Chapter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. “Although western Colorado lacks vast acres of CRP, we feel the local chapter model could have wide sweeping, positive impacts for habitat conservation efforts of iconic upland birds and other wildlife. We have big dreams for this chapter and feel that the sky is the limit for what we can accomplish with the right support and enthusiastic volunteers.”
Since 1988, chapter volunteers of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever in Colorado have made impressive strides to conserve wildlife habitat and promote youth education. As a whole, volunteers have spent $15.9 million to complete 8,931 habitat projects to improve 126,317 acres for pheasants, quail, and other western wildlife species. It is this grassroots, local conservation model that will be embraced by Western Colorado Chapter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever as they contribute to further habitat improvement projects, state initiatives, and hunting/outdoor education events in their region.
Initial steps for the chapter’s launch include partnering with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to promote the group’s Hunters Education instructors, in addition to establishing annual youth and women’s events with local hunt club affiliations. Connecting to the organization’s core mission, volunteers are prepared to begin implementing quality habitat projects for quail, chukar, grouse, and pollinators throughout the region.
“Pheasants Forever in Colorado is thrilled to have a chapter on the Western Slope that can help support our existing Working Lands for Wildlife biologist who has been on the ground for two years,” said Bob Hix, regional representative for Colorado. “The mission of Pheasants Forever transcends the bird on our logo to include diverse species and stakeholders; all of which our new chapter hopes to engage with. Additionally, their fondness for education and outreach will help this dedicated group deliver each pillar of the organization’s mission.”
The chapter will host monthly meetings on the last Sunday of each month at 9am. Hunters and conservationists interested in joining the chapter as volunteers are encouraged to attend. For more information about the chapter or to become involved, please contact chapter president, Ranae Williams, at ranae.williams@csuglobal.edu.
For more information about Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever in Colorado, to join a chapter or inquire about starting a chapter, contact Bob Hix at (303) 743-8957 / Email.
About Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 130,000 members and 780 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent over $950 million on 560,000 habitat projects benefiting 20 million acres nationwide. In fact, more than 212,000 of those acres are now permanently protected as public lands.
Media Contact
Jared Wiklund
Jwiklund@Pheasantsforever.Org
(651) 209-4953
Join us on Friday, June 11, 2021 at 8604 County Road 6, Wiggins, Co for the Sporting Clays Shoot & Meal.
Pre-registration appreciated, please call, email or online at www.morgancountypf.org
Early Bird Registration Drawing for Case of Shotgun Shells, June 1st deadline
Tim Amen, 970-380-8281, Tim.Amen79@gmail.com
Scott Bryan, 970-380-4854, Scottbr2@msn.com
Check in time opens 12:30 pm, Team instructions 1:45 pm, First Station 2:00 pm,
Meal and Games for Shooters and Non-Shooters approx. 4:30 pm
Event, Station, and Course Sponsorships available—See Sponsorship Opportunities
Shooter price $500/4 person team, $625 5 person team, $125/Individual shooter
All includes Meal and PF Household Memberships
Non-Shooters Meal Only and Membership $50, additional meals $15
Meal following shoot at 4:30 will include some of our traditional games including the popular shot shell drawing, dog tag drawing, card draw and silent auction items. We encourage non-shooters to play the games early and view the action all afternoon!
