Fall/03

Membership Dollars at Work: The Bobwhite Quail Conservation Initiative

At a recent gathering at Mississippi State University, representatives of national, regional and state conservation agencies and organizations announced the first multi state initiative designed to restore declining bobwhite quail populations, which have been declining at 3.8% per year.

These population declines have been attributed to the effects of large scale deterioration of quail habitat quality. Historic quail population levels were a natural by product of land use and in modern landscapes quail occur only where habitat is created. Restoration of quail populations requires creation and maintenance of early successional plants.

Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation worked with U.S. Senator Thad Cochran to help the Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) Wildlife Habitat Management Institute (WHMI) to evaluate the effects of conservation practices used in the conservation provisions of the 2002 Farm Bill on bobwhite quail. It will be conducted in cooperation with Quail Unlimited and Mississippi State University, who has had an active bobwhite quail research program for nearly two decades and continues to conduct studies through its Forest and Wildlife Research Center.

The bobwhite quail is considered the gentlemen game bird of the South. Photo by Michael Kelly.

Bobwhite populations will be greatly emphasized from this national effort. Due to the intense interest in quail throughout its range, the Southeast Quail Study Group, which consists of more than 100 professionals at state and federal agencies, universities and private organizations, developed the restoration plan called the Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative. This plan has set goals of stabilizing populations in 5 years and restoring populations to 1980 levels in 20 years.

Bobwhite quail populations have been significantly declining over the past three decades. I am pleased that the Senate Appropriations Committee has included language, at my request, to establish the Bobwhite Quail Conservation Initiative. I hope this program will help restore quail populations to historic levels.
U.S. Senator Thad Cochran

The overall effort by these organizations provides technical and financial assistance to enhance habitat on private lands. It is primarily directed at providing nesting and brood rearing habitats. The WHMI will develop an evaluation process for the purpose of determining the effectiveness of the effort and to make recommendations for improvement.

Technical assistance on bobwhite habitat management will be provided. Landowners may receive assistance for establishing and maintaining specific types of early successional habitats through existing conservation programs (Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, Conservation Reserve Program, etc.). Practices that contribute to the enhancement of quail habitat will be incorporated into existing conservation programs. There will be a research project to monitor and establish success.

The Bobwhite Quail Habitat Restoration Project
The Southeast Quail Study Group, made up of members from state wildlife agencies, Quail Unlimited, the WHMI, Mississippi State University, the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the NRCS and others, has already done significant work. The Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative provides numerous recommendations to help restore bobwhite quail throughout their native range. The NRCS contributed to the development of the plan, with substantial effort from the National Resource Inventory and Analysis Institute and their biologists in southeastern states.

The WHMI, state wildlife agencies and other organizations have funded a new 3 year position established to coordinate the implementation of the initiative. The concept is to bring significant effort to bear on implementing the practices that provide the habitat deemed necessary for quail reproduction and survival throughout the year.

The initiative also calls for the development of demonstration projects and yearly evaluation of quail population responses. It will involve the cooperation of private landowners, using various U.S. Department of Agriculture farm bill programs offered by the NRCS. State Technical Committees will play a major leadership role, as will other entities that may offer financial assistance.

Old fields can be enhanced to improve bobwhite quail habitat. Photo by Michael Kelly.

The Product
The end product of such a cooperative effort is better management recommendations on cropland, pastureland, rangeland and woodlands. As projects are implemented, field demonstrations will be held, job sheets and technical notes developed for landowners and specialized technical assistance will be provided. A final report will be written and used to conduct symposia, workshops and training sessions for biologists and landowners.

The initiative is intended to provide funds for many efforts to develop and transfer new technology. In addition, quail projects, currently being funded by the WHMI, may be considered for continued financial support.

One of the great benefits of the Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative will be, that in addition to quail, an entire suite of birds and other wildlife will benefit from the habitat created by putting conservation practices on America's working lands.

According to Bruce Knight, Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, “NRCS will play a role by providing technical assistance with conservation planning and financial assistance through various conservation provisions of the 2002 Farm Bill such as the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program. Our partners will provide us with technical assistance and training as well as serving as advisors to guide the project guidance that will be invaluable in our work with landowners who want to restore wildlife and bobwhite quail habitat.”

Pete Heard, the Institute's Director, said “The intent of the project led by NRCS WHMI and Mississippi State University is to bring the best minds together to return bobwhite quail populations to the prominence they deserve on America's working lands.”

According to Jeff Clark, President of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation, “The Foundation is pleased to be an integral part of such an important undertaking that, no doubt, will add ways to improve bobwhite quail habitat and positively impact many other species.”