RJ
04-02-2007, 09:26 AM
New Chapters Rest on Opposite Sides of Hudson River in Downstate New York
Hudson Valley, New York – March 30, 2007 – Two new Pheasants Forever (PF) chapters have recently formed in the Hudson Valley region of New York.
Residents from Red Hook and the surrounding eastern valley area have formed the Dutchess Rooster Raiders Chapter of PF, while residents from the Middletown and surrounding western valley area have formed the Lower Hudson Valley Chapter of PF. Both groups have targeted youth education and area habitat improvement as goals.
"These two chapters, located approximately 50 miles apart, have the opportunity to have a cumulative effect on habitat and youth education in the lower region of the Hudson Valley," said Shon Robbins, PF's Regional Wildlife Biologist in New York. One major potential project area for both chapters includes the 566-acre Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, keeping the area grassland and controlling the invasion of weeds, wood shrubs and trees is the highest management priority for the refuge, and Robbins said both chapters have expressed interest in such management work.
Dutchess Rooster Raiders Chapter of Pheasants Forever The Dutchess Rooster Raiders are led by newly-elected president Guy Tucker, a teacher and father of five. Not coincidentally, the chapter will concentrate its efforts primarily on youth education.
"In our area, we're losing hunting lands to development at an alarming rate," Tucker said. "Our major priority is to get more and more youth involved in the outdoors and ensure that trend reverses itself in the future." As a teacher, Tucker says he's seen interest in hunting and other outdoor activities wane in the past several years. "Our thing has got to be youth education. We need to find ways to connect them to the outdoors to ensure a future generation of conservationists."
Tucker said the chapter is planning a number of projects and activities to get youth involved with hunting and conservation education including a family pheasant hunt, a youth pheasant hunt, a youth fishing contest and a youth archery contest. "This chapter recognizes there's great potential in the Hudson Valley to reach out to youth and mold them into the conservationists of tomorrow," Robbins said.
In addition to Tucker, the Dutchess Rooster Raiders have elected Frank Bottego of Red Hook as treasurer and Dana Kilgour of Clinton Corners as habitat/youth education chair. The Dutchess Rooster Raiders will hold their next meeting on Monday, April 2 at 8:15 PM at the VFW in Red Hook. The public and media are invited to attend. For more information regarding the meeting and the chapter, contact Guy Tucker at (845)532-6048.
Lower Hudson Valley Chapter of Pheasants Forever Two outdoor enthusiasts and friends looking to make a difference for wildlife habitat, Jeremy Kosteczko and Justin Kisiday, have formed the Lower Hudson Valley Chapter of PF. Kosteczko, of Pine Bush, is the new chapter's president, and Kisiday, of Westbrookville, its treasurer. The chapter plans to enhance habitat and youth education in Orange, Ulster and Sullivan Counties.
"I've seen the habitat going south here in a hurry due to development and poor farming practices, and nothing's being done to help boost the pheasant population," Kosteczko said.
"There's a great amount of sportsmen and women in the area, and the Lower Hudson Valley chapter aims to reach out and galvanize them," Robbins said.
The Lower Hudson Valley Chapter of PF will hold its next meeting in early May. The public and media are invited to attend. For more information regarding the meeting and the chapter, contact Kosteczko at (845)744-3549 or Kisiday at (845)754-7161.
Hudson Valley, New York – March 30, 2007 – Two new Pheasants Forever (PF) chapters have recently formed in the Hudson Valley region of New York.
Residents from Red Hook and the surrounding eastern valley area have formed the Dutchess Rooster Raiders Chapter of PF, while residents from the Middletown and surrounding western valley area have formed the Lower Hudson Valley Chapter of PF. Both groups have targeted youth education and area habitat improvement as goals.
"These two chapters, located approximately 50 miles apart, have the opportunity to have a cumulative effect on habitat and youth education in the lower region of the Hudson Valley," said Shon Robbins, PF's Regional Wildlife Biologist in New York. One major potential project area for both chapters includes the 566-acre Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, keeping the area grassland and controlling the invasion of weeds, wood shrubs and trees is the highest management priority for the refuge, and Robbins said both chapters have expressed interest in such management work.
Dutchess Rooster Raiders Chapter of Pheasants Forever The Dutchess Rooster Raiders are led by newly-elected president Guy Tucker, a teacher and father of five. Not coincidentally, the chapter will concentrate its efforts primarily on youth education.
"In our area, we're losing hunting lands to development at an alarming rate," Tucker said. "Our major priority is to get more and more youth involved in the outdoors and ensure that trend reverses itself in the future." As a teacher, Tucker says he's seen interest in hunting and other outdoor activities wane in the past several years. "Our thing has got to be youth education. We need to find ways to connect them to the outdoors to ensure a future generation of conservationists."
Tucker said the chapter is planning a number of projects and activities to get youth involved with hunting and conservation education including a family pheasant hunt, a youth pheasant hunt, a youth fishing contest and a youth archery contest. "This chapter recognizes there's great potential in the Hudson Valley to reach out to youth and mold them into the conservationists of tomorrow," Robbins said.
In addition to Tucker, the Dutchess Rooster Raiders have elected Frank Bottego of Red Hook as treasurer and Dana Kilgour of Clinton Corners as habitat/youth education chair. The Dutchess Rooster Raiders will hold their next meeting on Monday, April 2 at 8:15 PM at the VFW in Red Hook. The public and media are invited to attend. For more information regarding the meeting and the chapter, contact Guy Tucker at (845)532-6048.
Lower Hudson Valley Chapter of Pheasants Forever Two outdoor enthusiasts and friends looking to make a difference for wildlife habitat, Jeremy Kosteczko and Justin Kisiday, have formed the Lower Hudson Valley Chapter of PF. Kosteczko, of Pine Bush, is the new chapter's president, and Kisiday, of Westbrookville, its treasurer. The chapter plans to enhance habitat and youth education in Orange, Ulster and Sullivan Counties.
"I've seen the habitat going south here in a hurry due to development and poor farming practices, and nothing's being done to help boost the pheasant population," Kosteczko said.
"There's a great amount of sportsmen and women in the area, and the Lower Hudson Valley chapter aims to reach out and galvanize them," Robbins said.
The Lower Hudson Valley Chapter of PF will hold its next meeting in early May. The public and media are invited to attend. For more information regarding the meeting and the chapter, contact Kosteczko at (845)744-3549 or Kisiday at (845)754-7161.