Pet Care Leader Purina Announces $1 Million Sustainability Commitment to Pheasants Forever
Funding for Prairie Pothole Region to positively impact soil health and habitat, public access, and open spaces for people and bird dogs
St. Paul, Minn. – October 2, 2019 – Pheasants Forever, Inc. is pleased to announce a $1 million contribution from Purina, the leading pet care company in the U.S., for the organization’s wildlife habitat mission within the Prairie Pothole Region. Utilizing a series of proven programs and initiatives, Pheasants Forever will create the new private lands habitat and soil health program, promote water stewardship and create new public wildlife areas. In total, the programs will impact more than 8,000 acres. Purina’s leadership support will be further augmented as the team applies for matching public and private grants.
“At Purina we’re committed to making high-quality pet food, and we’re also passionate about collaborating with farmers and conservationists to support best-in-class practices that improve habitat and soil health, enhance water stewardship and overall promote a healthy environment,” said Joe Sivewright, Purina CEO. “The Prairie Pothole Region is a special area for conservation and for farming. This partnership will find ways to enhance both so that native plants and cherished wildlife can flourish alongside healthy ingredients like those used in Purina’s complete and balanced formulas.”
Purina has long supported Pheasant Forever’s mission, and the company’s Pro Plan brand is the official dog food of Pheasants Forever. Purina’s latest commitment represents the single largest, one-time donation from a corporation to Pheasants Forever’s mission outside of state and federal funding mechanisms. Focused in a region where Purina sources ingredients for its science-backed pet food products, Pheasants Forever’s three-year plan for the contribution is to provide wildlife habitat and soil health benefits for growers, pet owners and their bird dogs, supporting the company’s core belief that pets and people are better together.
“The level of conservation commitment shown by Purina in the United States is unmatched, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to join together in this new endeavor in sustainability,” said Howard Vincent, president and CEO of Pheasants Forever. “Creating public access where dogs and their owners love to roam while supporting the communities and farmers responsible for growing high-quality ingredients are central themes for this new partnership. Pheasants Forever shares Purina’s core beliefs and looks forward to implementing our collaborative vision for sustainability and conservation by working with growers and through private land investments in the Midwest.”
Building public habitat complexes and achieving measurable soil health benefits on private lands as part of Purina’s donation will be executed through two distinct programs:
- Soil Health and Habitat Program – Utilizing precision agriculture technology, Pheasants Forever will work with producers and growers to analyze data from 30,000 acres of private lands in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa to help enhance soil health, protect water quality and implement conservation planning for 7,200 acres in that same region. Results from the analysis will help guide enrollment of low-production acres into the program, providing those landowners who are contracted to be in the program for five years with a one-time incentive payment for grassland or cover crop mixtures.
- Build A Wildlife Area Program – Enacted in 2003 as a mechanism for protecting public lands, Pheasants Forever’s Build A Wildlife Area Program employs a minimum $3:$1 match to purchase upland acres from willing sellers and permanently protect these investments as Wildlife Management Areas or Waterfowl Production Areas. As part of the Purina’s sustainability contribution, Pheasants Forever will acquire a minimum of 1,000 acres for public access over the next three years while enhancing each property for wildlife and public recreation.
About Nestlé Purina
Nestlé Purina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. A premiere global manufacturer of pet products, Nestlé Purina PetCare is part of Nestlé S.A., a global leader in nutrition, health and wellness. Subscribe here to get the latest Purina news.
About Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 130,000 members and 740 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent $867 million on 540,000 habitat projects benefiting 18 million acres nationwide.
For further information: Jared Wiklund, (651) 209-4953, jwiklund@pheasantsforever.org