By Emily Spolyar

In North Dakota, Pheasants Forever (PF) chapter members are putting their money where their boots and birddogs want to be most: in high-quality, accessible habitat. Recognizing the significant loss of habitat in their area and the implications of these lost acres, the Pheasants Forever MonDak Chapter 619 hatched a plan to bolster quality wildlife habitat. Specifically, they wanted to impact lands that would be open for public hunting. The state walk-in access program, Private Land Open to Sportsmen (PLOTS), run by North Dakota Game and Fish Department (NDG&F) offered the best opportunity for them to do that.

With hopes to leverage funding and further their impact, they worked with both NDG&F and PF staff to apply for grant dollars from the North Dakota Outdoor Heritage Fund (OHF). As volunteers, the grant application process and program development was a major undertaking for the MonDak Chapter, but their passion for the habitat mission and desire to make an important impact in their communities fueled their fire. Their hard work paid off when the proposal was accepted by the OHF board.

This program will allow Pheasants Forever to provide landowners in Williams and Divide counties with an additional incentive payment for enrolling in the PLOTS program and planting new habitat acres. The program will help implement 5,000 acres of new habitat that will be open to public access.

Kent Reierson, chapter representative for the MonDak chapter, had this to say about the program:

“Our chapter knows that wildlife in northwest North Dakota need quality habitat to survive our northern extremes. We also live in an area of high hunter pressure with low public access. Partnering with the existing NDG&F program was a natural fit. It is hard to imagine anything better than more birds and more access.”

If you’re a landowner in Williams and Divide Counties, call 701-770-3815 or stop by the Williston NDG&F office to chat with their Private Lands Biologist, Erica Sevigny, to learn more about the program and payment rates.

Emily Spolyar is a Dakota Edge Outdoors contributing writer and the State Coordinator for North Dakota Pheasants Forever.

Featured Photo: Members of Pheasants Forever and agents of the North Dakota Game & Fish Department pause for a photo after a recent OHF award. DEO Photo by NDPF/Seth Owens.