The US fish and wildlife service partners for fish and wildlife program are partnering with pheasants forever INC and quail forever pfqf to create a habitat strike for the intention of restoring and…

This Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (CFDA 15.631) provides $1,468,320.00 to Pheasants Forever, Inc. to restore and maintain natural communities within the Tri-State Mining District in Missouri. The project will involve treating invasive species, expanding prescribed fire activity, and diversifying and restoring native habitats on prioritized public and private lands. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be substantially involved, including manually removing invasive species, installing fencing, planting native seed, conducting field visits, monitoring construction, and participating in outreach events. The award will support a crew of one leader and four full-time habitat specialists to implement these habitat restoration and management activities over the project period from December 31, 2024 to December 30, 2029.

The US fish and wildlife service partners for fish and wildlife program are partnering with pheasants forever INC and quail forever pfqf to create a habitat strike for the intention of restoring and maintain natural communities within a prioritized landscape the tristate mining district is a highly degraded landscape identified by US environmental protection agency due to extreme levels of lead cadmium and nickel contamination as a result of the mining industry. Restoring habitat within the tsmd, specifically jasper, barry, lawrence, and newton counties of missouri, requires considerable commitment and expense and is achieved more effectively and sustainably through partnerships. We present such a collaboration, wherein the service and partners propose to treat invasive species, expand prescribed fire activity, and diversify and restore native habitats on prioritized sites. Bipartisan infrastructure law (BIL) funds and natural resource damage assessment and restoration (NRDAR) settlement funds will support a CREW leader and four full-time habitat specialists (CREW) that will restore areas on public and private lands by using habitat best management practices (BMPS). Projects to be completed throughout the year will be communicated to pfqf and agreed upon in advance projects will be mutually beneficial and meet the missions of both organizations.full details of the service S substantial involvement are described in the workplan approved by the service biologist. The service project officer (i.e., partners program biologist) identified in the project contacts section of this letter will be substantially involved in this project including, but not limited to: (now list out specific activities tasks that are described in the workplan, such as: manually remove invasive species, install a fence, plant native seed, participate in field visits, monitor construction, participate in outreach event etc.)