Hunting group pushes for pheasant habitat

Pheasants Forever is pushing to expand its “buffer strip”cooperative effort with the state Department of Natural Resources. Theyear-old program encourages farmers to leave erosion- or flood-prone areasalone and enroll them in the Conservation Reserve Program. Those stretchesof grass help soak up field runoff, help keep soil in the fields, and providehabitat for pheasants and other wildlife. Pheasants Forever hired 50 people in 43 counties to discuss the programwith local farmers and encourage them to join the C-R-P. The hunting grouphopes to go statewide this year.