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We are Brown County Minnesota Pheasants Forever Chapter #166 (BCPF), a nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1987 dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasants and other upland bird populations in North America.
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OVERVIEW & PRESIDENTS REPORT
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Hello everyone! I just wanted to get a quick newsletter out with a few upcoming events and recent updates involving our chapter. - On Friday August 15th from 9-11:30 A.M. there will be a Native Grass Management Workshop at Bashaw WMA.
This is being led by our local Pheasants Forever Field Biologist Reva Ecker, Jeff Zajac of the MN DNR, and Teddy Giefer from the Brown County Soil and Water District. They will be covering topics about controlling unwanted weed/trees, improving water quality, and supporting wildlife. RSVP needs to be completed by Wednesday, August 13th. Please contact Reva at (507) 794-4491 or email her at recker@pheasantsforever.org. (See flyer below)
- Upcoming meeting schedule: We will be starting regular chapter meetings again in September. We pencil it in for the 2nd Thursday of each month, but this is subject to change. Meeting #1 is Thursday September 11th at 7 PM at the Dawg House Bar in Sleepy Eye. Meeting #2 is Thursday October 9th at 7 PM at Tavern 507 in New Ulm. As of now the October meeting may include representatives from the Brown County Commissioners Board and Sherriff Office as they are looking for input on proposed changes to deer hunting laws in MN regarding the option to allow rifle hunting in Brown County. As always these are open meetings to everyone, not just our Board members so feel free to attend! Who knows, maybe you’ll find these meetings enjoyable and decide to come to more or get more involved with our Chapter!
- This past weekend at Game Fair, Tim Kraskey and I accepted an award on behalf of our Chapter for the Outdoor News Outdoor Leaders Award. This award was made to recognize Minnesota
Outdoor organizations, chapters, and clubs that have made influential contributions to benefit the outdoor community. They highlighted our recent work on WMA’s, public land acquisitions, area youth support, and pollinator programs. There will be an article outlining our chapter in the upcoming issue of Outdoor News which will be available in time for the 2nd weekend of Game Fair.
Although Tim and I made the picture, we had a lot of help from others on our Board and local volunteers to make this happen. So,…Thanks again for the support!
- Minnesota Outdoor youth day: The day was a big success again. Thank you to Nicollet County Pheasants Forever and Nicollet Conservation Club for hosting and organizing. Our Brown County Chapter set up a shotgun shooting stand for youth to shoot either a .410 ga or 20 ga off a table at a still target. We had roughly 100 kids participate at our stand; shooting about 200 rounds.
Enjoy the rest of your summer. Fall is nearer than you think!
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Thanks, Steve Eckstein,
President Brown County Pheasants
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This Friday August 15th from 9-11:30 A.M. there will be a Native Grass Management Workshop at Bashaw WMA. Some of the items to be discussed are:
- Controlling unwanted
weed/trees
- Improving water quality
- Improving grasslands
- Supporting wildlife and diverse habitat
This a landowners workshop for folks enrolled in: CRP; CREP;EQIP;CSP and RIM or any wildlife program.
This is being led by our local Pheasants Forever Field Biologist Reva Ecker, Jeff Zajac of the MN DNR, and Teddy Giefer from the Brown County Soil and Water District.
RSVP needs to be completed by Wednesday, August 13th. Please
contact Reva at (507) 794-4491 or email her at recker@pheasantsforever.org.
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USDA to Open General and Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Enrollment for 2025
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that agricultural producers and private landowners can now enroll in the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (Grassland CRP). The sign-up runs from today, July 14, to Aug. 8, 2025. Grassland CRP, offered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency
(FSA), is a voluntary working lands conservation program that enables participants to conserve grasslands while also continuing most grazing and haying practices.
Grassland CRP emphasizes support for grazing operations, plant and animal biodiversity, and grasslands and land with shrubs and forbs under the greatest threat of conversion.
General CRP
Currently, more than 25.8 million acres are enrolled in CRP, with nearly 9.7 million acres in Grassland CRP. On May 12, FSA opened General and Continuous CRP enrollment for 2025. FSA is currently reviewing submitted offers and will announce accepted offers at a later date. Due to the 27-million-acre statutory cap, only 1.8 million acres are available for all CRP enrollment this fiscal year. Stay tuned this may change in the near future.
Continuous CRP
Unlike General CRP, Continuous CRP offers are not subject to a competitive bid process. To ensure enrolled acres do not exceed the current statutory cap of 27 million acres, FSA is awaiting further enhancements to this program as part of the US Farm Bill renewal.
Continuous CRP participants voluntarily offer environmentally sensitive lands, typically smaller parcels than offered through General CRP including wetlands, riparian buffers, and varying wildlife habitats. In return, they receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource-conserving vegetative cover.
Continuous CRP enrollment options:
- State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement Initiative: Restores vital habitat in order to meet high-priority state wildlife conservation goals.
- Highly Erodible Land Initiative: Producers and landowners can enroll in CRP to establish long-term cover on highly erodible cropland that has a weighted erodibility index greater than or equal to 20.
- Clean Lakes, Estuaries and Rivers (CLEAR) Initiative: Prioritizes water quality practices on the land that, if enrolled, will help reduce sediment loadings, nutrient loadings, and harmful algal blooms. The vegetative covers also contribute to increased wildlife populations.
- CLEAR30 (a component of the CLEAR Initiative): Offers additional incentives for
water quality practice adoption and can be accessed in 30-year contracts.
- Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP): Addresses high priority conservation objectives of states and Tribal governments on agricultural lands in specific geographic areas.
For more information on CRP participant and land eligibility, approved conservation practices and detailed program fact sheets, visit FSA’s office or reach out to Reva – Brown County Pheasants Forever Land Biologist.
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| The day was a big success again. Thank you to Nicollet County Pheasants Forever and Nicollet Conservation Club for hosting and organizing. Our Brown County Chapter set up a shotgun shooting stand for youth to shoot either a .410 ga or 20 ga off a table at a still target. We had roughly 100
kids participate at our stand; shooting about 200 rounds.
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We will by fall hunting season have installed a few new parking areas on Brown County WMAs. Look for better parking and signage on our WMAs.We hope you will be able to join us in one of our future habitat days.
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| Minnesota Outdoor News selected Brown County Pheasants Forever for its Outdoor News Outdoor Leaders Award. This award was made to recognize Minnesota Outdoor organizations, chapters, and clubs that have made influential contributions to benefit the outdoor community. They highlighted our recent work on WMA’s, public land acquisitions, area youth support, and pollinator programs.
In the upcoming issue of Outdoor News which will be available in time for the 2nd weekend of Game Fair.
Although Tim and I made the picture to receive the award, we had a lot of help from others on our Board and local volunteers to make this
happen. Thanks again for the support to our volunteers and members!
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BCPF has acquired a few new
parcels over the last couple of years. One parcel being 80 acres which is part of the expanding Bashaw complex. During our habitat day we posted and removed barb wire fencing so this parcel will be open to the public.
Additionally, we had donated to us a 40-acre parcel which will be posted and added we hope open to the public this fall. Another 80+ acre parcel was acquired in March and again we hope will open to the public this fall. Stay posted for updates on these two parcels.
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Key Dates to Mark Your Calendar
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August 12, 2025 - BCPF Habitat Workshop
September 1, 2025 - MN Small Game, Dove and Waterfowl (Teal Only) Opener
September 11, 2025 - BCPF Chapter Meeting, Dawg Haus, Sleepy Eye 7:00 P.M.
September 14, 2025 - MN Deer Archery Season Opener
September
21, 2025 - MN Waterfowl Opener (Split Season)
October 9, 2025 - BCPF Chapter Meeting, 507 Tavern, New Ulm 7:00 P.M.
October 11, 2025 – MN Pheasant Opener
November 9, 2025 - MN Deer Rifle Season Opener
November 30, 2025 - MN Deer Muzzleloader Season Opener
March 21, 2026 – 2026 Brown County Banquet & Family Fun Night
MN DNR Hunting Regulations and Dates
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The monies we receive through donations, fund raising, and membership are critical to us enhancing or purchasing lands for all the public to enjoy. We encourage everyone to renew their membership to Pheasants Forever or upgrade to a Lifetime membership.
Pheasants Forever is the only national organization with a model of chapters keeping 100% of the funds they raise. While belonging to a larger national organization that has a voice on federal and state conservation policies, chapters are tasked with finding projects for their funds. Minnesota takes full advantage of this model using funds raised for projects locally as well as other areas in the state of Minnesota.
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Again, we want to thank all our members and volunteers who do so much to
help in the Brown County Pheasants Forever (PF) mission.
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BROWN COUNTY PHEASANT’S FOREVER ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
- FOUNDED 38 YEARS AGO and SPENT OVER $6 MILLION in Brown County for HABITAT.
- OVER 500 HABITAT PROJECTS benefiting OVER 5,000 ACRES on PRIVATE land.
- PRESERVED OVER 3,500 ACRES for PUBLIC ENJOYMENT & HUNTING. Brown
County has NEARLY 40 WMA/WPAs encompassing OVER 5,000 ACRES.
- BROWN COUNTY HAS OVER 24,000 acres in HABITAT.
- HOSTS AND PARTICIPATES IN ANNUAL MENTORED YOUTH HUNTS with more than 200 KIDS
PARTICIPATING
- SUPPORT our LOCAL TRAP SHOOTING TEAMS.
- PARTICIPATE in MN DNR
Adopt-a-WMA program. Planting food plots, replacing signs, removing trash & barb wire, creating parking areas, and more.
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Brown County Pheasants Forever
1783 Buerkle Circle
St. Paul, MN 55110
United States
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