Quail Unlimited Undertakes Largest Savanna Restoration Project in the Eastern United States

Quail Unlimited announces the largest habitat restoration project in the eastern U.S. for bob white quail, upland birds and shrub dependant wildlife on the Catoosa Wildlife Management Area in eastern Tennessee.

Edgefield, SC (PRWeb) February 21, 2007 -- True to its sole mission, Quail Unlimited is very proud to announce the 6,000 acre Catoosa Oak Savanna Restoration project in eastern Tennessee. The $155,000 project is a joint effort between Quail Unlimited, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. This is a solid reflection of our dedicated members and sponsors who made this possible by their support of Quail Unlimited" states Craig Alderman, Director of Marketing and Public relations for QU. Funding for the project was made possible through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation with support from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Anheuser-Busch Companies Budweiser Outdoors Program.

"This project will restore and maintain 6,000 acres of oak savanna on the Catoosa Wildlife Management Area for bobwhite quail, Kentucky warbler, hooded warbler, Henslow's sparrow and other grass and shrub dependant wildlife," explains Roger Wells, National Habitat Director of Quail Unlimited "Habitat projects to be employed are roller chopping, prescribed burning along with timber harvest and a monitoring protocol system established to collect baseline information for wildlife." Wildlife surveys will be conducted by the University of Tennessee Center for Native Grasslands Management who will document wildlife response to the management activities along with an annual early morning quail censuses in September and October. Hunter harvest data will be collected by wildlife management area personnel and wildlife officers, providing an index of quail abundance in the savanna.

Restoration of this prime quail habitat is expected to take up to 2 years to complete with work to begin very quickly.

QU, through its dedicated chapter members coast to coast, is leading the charge to restore the natural habitat of wild quail, working with private landowners as well as state and federal agencies across the country with unprecedented partnerships. By putting on local events and fundraisers, QU chapters raise conservation dollars that are then used for on the ground projects in their area.

"We would like to thank the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for the assistance in obtaining this combination of federal and private funding, and need to recognize the substantial funding provided through the Anheuser Busch Companies. Anheuser Busch's historic commitment to habitat restoration and wildlife population recovery is making a substantial difference across the country," emphasized Alderman.

Quail Unlimited (QU) is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the restoration of habitat for wild quail. Its almost 300 chapters nationwide raise local project dollars for on-the-ground projects, including private and public land management with banquets, auctions, sporting clay events and more. QU has a highly trained staff of biologists, state and regional directors and dedicated members that work with private landowners and state and federal agencies to restore quail populations. In 2005, Quail Unlimited chapters and partners invested over $2.2 million dollars in quail habitat improvements. For more information on QU, go to the website at www.qu.org.

Contact: Craig A. Alderman, Director of Marketing

Quail Unlimited

Ph: (417)-345-5960

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