2002 QUAIL UNLIMITED HABITAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

by Roger Wells, National Habitat Coordinator

Background 

      The following report details habitat improvement and related projects performed by QU chapters during calendar year 2002. Survey forms were mailed to the chairmen of 250 active QU chapters in January 2003. Reminder notices were sent to chapter chairmen who had not responded in February 2003 plus, QU regional directors also called those who had not responded during  in March and April 2003. Information from these chapters is the basis for the material continued in this report.

       Chapter activities were categorized into 12 major groupings:

National Seed Program; Seed Purchases; Food Plots & Standing Crop Purchases; Tree and Shrub Purchases; Chapter Planting (Direct Assistance) Projects; Controlled Burning; Equipment Expenses; Water Site Developments; Youth Events and Activities; Farmer/Landowner Contacts; Information and Education; and a catch all category of Other Conservation Activities. Information was also collected on activities performed with state and federal land management agencies, private companies and other conservation partners.

      The data are summarized by chapter, state and nationally. Regional summaries are presented in separate reports following each category. Regions were determined through their geographic similarities, similar quail habitats and likewise similar habitat improvement activities performed. The states included in each region are as follows:

                              Atlantic Coast          DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, NJ, SC, VA, WV

                              Midwest                             IL, IN, MI, MO, OH, WI

                              Midsouth                                        AL, AR, KY, LA, MS, TN

                              Great Plains                  KS, OK, TX

                              Western                                   AZ, CA, CO, NM, NV, OR, UT

Report Highlights

      Quail Unlimited chapters reported spending $988,782 of chapter funds on habitat and related activities during the calendar year 2002. The expenses in each category were as follows: National Seed Program  $104,122; Seed Purchases  $159,091; Standing Crop Purchases  $22,325; Trees & Shrubs  $12,430; Chapter Planting (Direct Assistance)  $37,488; Prescribed Burning - $10,754; Equipment  $148,422; Water Site Development  $81,383; Information & Education  $73,397; Youth Events   $166,273; Farmer/Landowner Activities  $11,340; Other Conservation Projects  $161,756.

      In addition to the chapter funds spent, chapters reported that outside agency and private or corporate project partners contributed an additional $729,420 to chapter habitat projects. Therefore, in total, QU chapters were responsible for spending over $1.718 million on habitat improvement activities in 2002. When combined with the replacement value of seed received under the National Seed Program ($2.152 million), the total spent is over $3.870 million in the value of habitat and related projects during 2002!

National Seed Program

       The National Seed Program has for many years impacted more acres than any other single activity performed by QU chapters. Again, in 2002, this was a major activity of local chapters. Under this program, QU receives surplus grain seed from major, national seed companies for use in food and cover plantings for wildlife. The seed companies make available to QU chapters grain seed that has been declared surplus, but is still valuable for wildlife plantings. This seed is distributed to cooperating QU chapters under what is called the National Seed Program.

      QU chapters in 19 states participated in the program and distributed over 1.685 million pounds of seed in 2002. The seed had a replacement value of $2.152 million to the organization. QU chapters were able to distribute this seed at a cost of about $104,000, which included mainly trucking and handling costs. It is estimated that this seed provided about 133,000 acres of food and cover for wildlife.

      The amount of each type of seed distributed and the acres planted with that seed was grain sorghum (milo)  828,300 lbs., 67,800 acres; corn  146,300 lbs., 6,800 acres; sunflower  339,300 lbs., 43,400 acres; wheat  217,300 lbs., 3,600 acres; soybean  44,700 lbs., 1,700 acres; forage sorghum  57,900 lbs., 6,900 acres; and sudan  1,900 lbs., 150 acres.

      The states most actively involved in the National Seed Program were Tennessee (220,000 lbs.), Kentucky (213,000 lbs.), Texas (174,000 lbs.), Georgia (135,000 lbs.) and Indiana (130,000 lbs).

      The Midsouth region used the most seed of any region at 575,000 pounds followed by the Great Plains region (377,000 lbs.), the Atlantic Coast region (371,000 lbs.), the Midwest region (297,000 lbs.) and the Western region (65,000 lbs.).

Seed Purchases

      The National Seed Program only provides grain seed for chapter's plantings, and many QU chapters utilize a wide array of other seed for their conservation plantings. As a result, seed purchases are an important activity for chapter food and cover planting projects. Often these are specialty seeds such as the native warm season grasses (NWSG) and special food plot mixes.

      In 2002, chapters reported purchasing or acquiring 339,000 lbs. of this seed at a chapter cost of $159,000. The seed was reportedly planted on more than 30,000 acres.

      In 2002, chapters purchased over 170,000 pounds of special food plot mixes at a chapter cost of $29,700 that was planted on almost 14,000 acres. Chapters acquired 68,000 pounds of Korean lespedeza (cost $30,000), which was planted on 6,600 acres. Supporting native warm season grass planting for quail nesting and brood rearing cover is an increasingly important part of QU chapter projects. In 2002, chapters purchased 39,000 pounds of NWSG that was planted on a reported 5,200 acres.

      Many kinds of seed were grouped into a Miscellaneous category that totaled 47,000 pounds and was planted on almost 2,900 acres. Other seed purchased included bicolor lespedeza  4,400 lbs. and other legume seed  10,400 lbs.     

      QU chapters in Illinois (69,000 lbs.), South Carolina (60,000 lbs.) and Kentucky (48,000 lbs.) led the nation in this category. States in the Midwest region purchased the most seed (114,000 lbs.) followed by the Atlantic Coast region (108,000 lbs.), the Midsouth region (92,000 lbs.), the Great Plains region (19,000 lbs.) and the Western region (5,000 lbs.).

Combined Seed Programs

      The combined seed programs (National Seed Program and Chapter Seed Purchases) represent the largest projects, with most acres impacted, of all QU chapter activities. In combination, chapters acquired and distributed 2.026 million pounds of seed valued at $2.312 million. This seed was planted on an estimated 163,000 acres of quail habitat which is equivalent to a 10-foot-wide strip of food and cover 135,000 miles long!

Standing Crops and Food Plots

      A number of QU chapters encourage farmers to leave standing crops in the field or pay the expenses incurred by landowners to plant food and cover plots for wildlife. In 2002, there was almost 1,200 acres of food plots where the chapter either paid a portion of the cost for planting or paid the landowner to leave crop standing in the field. Chapters invested $22,300 in this activity.

Tree and Shrub Plantings

      QU chapters purchased fewer woody plants in 2002 than they have in past years. Even so, bicolor lespedeza was by far the most popular planting material. Chapters purchased a total of 19,900 plants costing $10,600 in 2002. Of this, over 15,000 were bicolor lespedeza, although the expense was just under $1,000. Miscellaneous deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs account for the remaining plants.

      Tree and shrub planting in the Great Plains and the West often require the use of weed barrier fabric or fiber mat. Plantings supported by two chapters in Kansas and Texas used over 18,700 of this product to ensure survival of their plantings.

Chapter Planting Projects

      Often, chapter members perform the conservation planting activities on public and private lands either as a chapter-sponsored workday or individually. We group this kind of work under a category called Chapter Planting Projects. In 2002, chapters reported planting 12,000 acres on private land and almost 2,300 acres on public land at a total cost of over $37,000. Plantings of grain for food plots accounted for the most acres at 7,700 acres where legume plantings totaled just over 3,000 acres. The acreages planted in the remaining categories were native warm season grasses  1,400 acres, other grass species  300 acres, and trees and shrubs  1,500 acres.

     The Great Plains region performed the greatest amount of this kind of work (5,900 acres) followed by the Midsouth region (2,900 acres), the Midwest region (2,700 acres) and the Atlantic Coast region (800 acres). No chapter planting projects were performed in the Western region.

Controlled (or Prescribed) Burning Projects

      Continuing research on various aspects of quail habitat management has shown that controlled (or prescribed) burning is one of the most important habitat management tools that we have. QU chapters support prescribed burning on public and private land through the purchase of specialized equipment, labor and funding. Over 28,000 acres of prescribed burning was performed in 2002. QU chapters invested over $10,700 in this activity. South Carolina chapters lead the nation in this category by a wide margin.

      Because of the large amount of prescribed burning in South Carolina, the Atlantic Coast region led the nation in prescribed burning projects with 11,000 acres followed by the Great Plains region (2,300 acres), the Midsouth region (2,100 acres), the Midwest region (900 acres) and the Western region (600 acres).

Equipment Purchases, Maintenance and Rental

      Many QU chapters have found that limited access to some of the specialized equipment necessary for wildlife habitat improvements limits the amount and type of improvements that landowners can perform in their area. Therefore, the purchase, maintenance or rental of specialized equipment has become an important QU chapter activity. If not for QU assistance in providing this equipment, much habitat work could not be done.

      In 2002, QU chapters purchased, rented or maintained 167 pieces of equipment at a chapter cost of $148,400. The purchase of 89 pieces of new equipment accounted for most of the equipment expenses at $95,000 with about $26,800 in rental costs and just under $26,600 in maintenance costs.

      Chapters purchased 34 pieces of burn equipment in 2002 along with 13 drills, seeders or planters, 8 sprayers, 4 trailers, 4 disks, 2 mowers, 2 tillers, 2 tractors and a variety of other new equipment including a pickup, root plow, scraper and water pump.

      Illinois chapters spent $46,800 on equipment followed by Indiana ($21,300) and Missouri ($14,500).

      Regional totals on equipment were $88,700 for the Midwest, $24,800 for the Midsouth, $16,300 for the Atlantic Coast, $15,000 for the Western and $16,300 for the Great Plains.

Water Site Developments

      In much of the semiarid and arid regions of the western U.S., access to water is a critical limiting factor to many small game populations. Quail Unlimited chapters have for many years worked closely with their state and federal land management agencies to improve water availability and restore riparian corridors.

       In 2002, chapters reported spending over $81,000 on water site developments which included 24 new guzzlers ($22,600), maintenance of 228 existing guzzlers ($37,800), development of 22 springs and drip lines ($7,600), fence construction and repair around 27 water sites ($5,500) and cover plantings around 17 sites ($2,100). Chapters in California developed 2 wells at a cost of about $5,900.

      Many of the water site projects performed by QU chapters are in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service or DOI Bureau of Land Management. If the project is part of a Challenge Cost Share agreement, then the in-kind value of the QU member's inputs such as mileage and labor is counted as part of the chapter's contribution to the project. A dollar value is determined for these inputs, which is then matched in ÒhardÓ dollars from the federal agency. In 2002, the chapters reported driving 40,200 vehicle miles valued at $10,400 and 6,500 man-hours of labor valued at $53,000 as an in-kind match to federal funds.

      The Western Region dominates water site projects by a wide margin having expended almost $80,000 of the nearly $81,700 spent across the U.S. The only other region with water site developments was the Great Plains with a project sponsored by the Ark Valley (Wichita) Chapter on the Cimarron National Grasslands of Kansas.

Youth Programs

      Most QU chapters in some way sponsor projects that benefit youth. For some, it may be just financially supporting their local hunter education classes while for others it may involve many man-days of planning, preparation and instruction for a multi-day youth camp. No matter which avenue the chapter takes, supporting youth activities is a vital part of many chapter activities.

      In 2002, 107 chapters reported sponsoring 563 youth activities that touched over 240,000 young people in some way and investing over $166,000 in these youth projects. The list of activities includes 22 habitat projects (825 youth participating), 46 camps sponsored or supported (3,500 youth attending), 245 youth outdoor days or youth hunts sponsored for over 16,700 youth, 91 scholarships awarded, 99 hunter safety courses presented (23,000 youth), 106 talks, programs and school events exposing over 4,000 young people to conservation. Also, one program supported by the Ark Valley Chapter (Wichita, KS) touched an estimated 200,000 young people.

      Because of that big program sponsored by the Ark Valley Chapter, the Great Plains region reached the most young people in their activities (222,000 youth), followed by the Western region (11,700 youth), the Atlantic Coast region (8,200 youth), the Midsouth region (3,200 youth) and the Midwest region (2,800 youth).

Landowner/Farmer Contact and Programs

       Private landowners and agricultural producers are the key to wildlife restoration throughout much of the nation particularly in the agricultural regions. Many QU chapters sponsor activities directed toward landowners and producers to share information on land management practices beneficial to wildlife or to introduce landowners and producers to Farm Bill programs that will be financially beneficial and wildlife friendly.

      In 2002, chapters sponsored 21 events (such as landowner appreciation nights, meetings, etc.) attended by about 1,600 landowners and producers and 25 field days attended by about 1,400 people. In total, chapters sponsored 46 events attended by about 3,100 people with a chapter investment of $11,300.

      The Atlantic Coast region had the greatest number of landowners and producers contacted through their chapter activities (1,090 contacts), followed by the Midwest region (900), the Great Plains region (760) and the Midsouth region (350).

Information and Education Projects

      It is the opinion of some that the greatest success of Quail Unlimited is not in the acres that are impacted from our direct efforts but rather in the acres indirectly affected through the increasing awareness of those that hear our message and respond. For this reason, many QU chapters spend a great deal of effort in promoting one on one contact with the public, providing informational and educational materials and sponsoring public workshops.

       In 2002, 115 QU chapters were again active in this area by manning 70 booths at fairs and shows attended by 767,000 people, putting on 33 workshops for 4,700 participants, sending out about 260 newsletters to 41,000 individuals, placing 128 ads in local newspapers with a readership of over 1.2 million, underwriting or purchasing 8 video programs, giving 102 public talks to an audience of 7,600 and producing or underwriting the cost for 29 brochures. A variety of other public outreach activities were performed including a series of bird dog snake avoidance clinics, underwriting the new Managing For Quail booklet, sponsoring the Congressional Sportsman's Foundation breakfast, participating in the Hunters For The Hungry program and attending various meetings and taking part in a wide range of activities. Across the organization, there were 630 information and education type activities costing over $73,000 and reaching an estimated 2.1 million people.

      Every QU region did a significant amount of work and made a big impact in their area. The totals for activities were 164 events in the Atlantic Coast region, with 64,000 contacts made; 76 events in the Great Plains region, with 939,000 contacts made; 123 events in the Midsouth region, with 251,000 contacts made; 160 events in the Midwest region, with 379,000 contacts made; and 107 events in the Western region, with 487,000 contacts made;

Other Conservation Activities

      Quail Unlimited chapters are as varied in their activities as the differing conservation needs in their area. For this reason, much of the work that QU chapters perform does not fall neatly into one of the previous categories. We therefore have a catch all category called Other Conservation Activities.

      In 2002, these projects included support of 32 research projects costing $62,000; 108 wildlife surveys in cooperation with the state or federal wildlife agencies costing about $3,300; 2,000 acres of conservation mowing at $1,400; 2,900 acres of discing at $1,500; 2,000 acres of herbicide spraying at $17,800; 360 gallons of herbicide purchased at $21,500; 845 acres of brush management and clearings costing $19,200; about 25 miles of fence costing $8,300; and 90,000 lbs. of fertilizer purchased at a cost of $7,000. QU chapters contracted for 2,200 hours (about $8,300) of labor to perform these activities. In total, chapters spent over $161,000 on these conservation activities.

      QU chapters in the Midwest region invested $56,000 in these activities followed by the Great Plains region ($36,000), the Western region ($30,000), the Atlantic Coast region ($21,000) and the Midsouth region ($17,000).

Projects With Other Groups or Agencies

      Almost every QU chapter works cooperatively with other conservation partners in their area. They include such partners as their state wildlife agency, federal land management agencies like the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and Corps of Engineers, federal farm agencies such as Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Services Agency, plus many private companies and non-profit organizations. In this survey we asked the chapters to estimate the financial contribution of their project partners. Since many chapters are aware of only a portion of the actual contribution made by their partners, these figures can be considered a minimum.

      Chapter partners contributed over $729,000 to cooperative habitat projects in 2002. The most common partners were the USDA Forest Service  $63,000, DOI Bureau of Land Management  $45,000, DoD Corps of Engineers  $11,000, state wildlife agencies  $220,000, private companies  $92,000 and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service  $67,000.

      QU chapter partners in the Midwest contributed the greatest amount to these cooperative projects ($253,000) led in great part to the Illinois bonus program. Other regional totals were $167,000 in the Western region, $133,000 for the Great Plains region, $93,000 for the Midsouth region and $82,000 for the Atlantic Coast region.

Chapter Volunteer Man-hours

      We asked chapters to estimate the number of volunteer man-hours donated by their members over the course of the year in pursuit of chapter projects. The total came to over 32,600 man-hours of volunteer time spent on chapter activities in 2002.