Area biologist helps improve habitat

Since his start in February 2012, Pheasants Forever (PF) Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist Josh Meissner has worked with area landowners and farmers to enroll more than 2,700 acres of habitat for wildlife in the Alexandria area.

Meissner covers Douglas County and is located in the National Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) offices in Alexandria.

For 2012, Meissner was able to get 82 out of 88 contracts approved, 93 percent, which is significantly higher than the statewide acceptance rate of 50 percent. In fact, 36 percent of the acres that were accepted in Minnesota in 2012 were from Douglas County.

“Implementing these acres would not have been possible without landowners who recognize the value of conservation measures on the landscape,” says Meissner.

Farm bill wildlife biologists contacted and consulted with more than 60,000 landowners, resulting in the improvement of more than 2 million acres of land for wildlife.

Primarily, biologists work to accelerate enrollment in the suite of U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Bill conservation programs. Farm bill biologists add wildlife technical assistance in USDA offices to assist the NRCS, Farm Service Agency (FSA) and other conservation partners with delivering conservation programs to landowners.

These biologist positions wouldn’t be possible without funding from state wildlife agencies, USDA-NRCS, local PF and Quail Forever chapters, soil and water conservation districts, foundations, and other state and local partners.

Those interested in habitat management work on their property should contact Meissner at (320) 763-3191, extension 3.

For more information on the Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist program, contact Eran Sandquist, PF central and northern Minnesota regional wildlife biologist, at (763) 242-1273 or e-mail ESandquist

@pheasantsforever.org.

The Douglas County Chapter of Pheasants Forever will hold its annual fundraising banquet on Saturday, February 23 at Arrowwood Resort near Alexandria.

For more information, contact Dean Krebs at (320) 763-4122 or dean.krebs@anteagroup.com.

Tags: local news, news, biologist, habitat