Quail hunters and conservationists from central Tennessee gathered Monday night in Smithville. Led by Smithville resident, Boyd Cantrell, the group started the first Quail Forever (QF) chapter in Tennessee. The new chapter, named the Center Hill Chapter of Quail Forever, will focus their efforts on local quail habitat development.
“I’m really proud to have helped start this new chapter in my home state,” explained Andy Edwards, QF’s regional biologist for Tennessee and a Pulaski, Tennessee native. “I believe this will be the first of many Tennessee QF chapters. We love our quail hunting here and now is the time to do our part for habitat to bring the quail back.”
The new QF chapter leaders said their chapter’s focus would be on local habitat projects with an emphasis on the enrollment of Tennessee’s CP-33 acres. CP-33 is a component of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). CP-33 is commonly referred to as the Bobwhite Buffers component of CRP. Tennessee landowners have been allotted 9,300 CP-33 acres, and there are roughly 2,500 acres currently enrolled in the state. The chapter is also eager to help local, state, and federal natural resource agencies improve wildlife habitat on public lands.
“There is plenty of habitat work we can do to help quail here in central Tennessee,” explained Edwards. “CP-33 acres are going to help. There are a lot of things we can do to increase the edges between farmlands and woodlands that serve as great quail habitat. The conversion of exotic grasses like fescue to more wildlife-friendly native grasses will also help. The key is to get involved and do something good for wildlife.”
To learn more about the Center Hill Chapter of QF, please contact the chapter’s new president, Boyd Cantrell at (615)597-7441. If you are interested in starting a QF chapter in Tennessee, contact Andy Edwards at (574)202-4868 or via email at aedwards@quailforever.org. Or, contact the QF national office toll free at (866)457-8245 or via email at contact@quailforever.org.
QF is a national non-profit conservation organization, comprised of local chapters, dedicated to the protection and enhancement of quail and other wildlife populations in North America. The QF mission is accomplished through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, education, and conservation advocacy. Founded in 2005 by Pheasants Forever, QF applies the successful Pheasants Forever model of empowering local chapters with the responsibility to determine how 100% of their locally raised conservation funds will be spent.
For additional information about Quail Forever, please visit www.quailforever.org