Some Minnesota Pheasants Forever news and notes:

Minnesota's 75 Pheasants Forever chapters and two Quail Forever chapters completed 1,027 wildlife habitat projects in 2009, benefitting over 11,200 acres for pheasants, upland birds and other wildlife. This includes 1,971 acres of land acquired and then opened to public hunting and recreation as state Wildlife Management Areas or federal Waterfowl Production Areas.

Minnesota Pheasants Forever's annual state meeting will be held on Friday, January 15th and Saturday, January 16th at Ruttger's Sugar Lake Lodge in Grand Rapids to recognize the efforts and the volunteers that made the habitat accomplishments possible. Pheasants Forever will also use the meetings to train volunteers, gather input on key state and federal habitat issues. Members of the media are invited to attend. For more information, contact Eran Sandquist at 763.242.1273 or via email at esandquist@pheasantsforever.org, or Scott Roemhildt at 507.327.9785 or via email at sroemhildt@pheasantsforever.org.

Pheasants Forever is expanding its Farm Bill Biologist program in Minnesota with the addition of a position covering McLeod and Meeker Counties. Farm Bill Biologist Michael Schultz joins Pheasants Forever from the Blue Earth Soil and Water Conservation District in Mankato, Minnesota, where he worked as the Cobb River Watershed Coordinator. Schultz is based out of the Meeker Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) office in Litchfield, Minnesota. The new Farm Bill Biologist position was created in partnership with the Meeker SWCD, the McLeod SWCD, the Minnesota Farm Bill Assistance Partnership, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Meeker County and McLeod County Chapters of Pheasants Forever. Schultz will educate farmers and landowners – through one-on-one consulting - about the benefits of conservation programs (such as the federal Conservation Reserve Program, or CRP) & assist those farmers and landowners after programs have been implemented. Michael is a native of Norwood Young America and can be contacted at (320) 693-7287 and mschultz@pheasantsforever.org.

Avid outdoorsman and Minnesota native Michael Schultz joins "The Habitat Organization."