Nebraska State Council Makes $32,000 LAF Contribution Legislative Action Fund Enables PF to Work in D.C. on Conservation Policy The Nebraska State Council of Pheasants Forever recently donated $32,000 to the organization's Legislative Action Fund (LAF). Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) use LAF contributions to fund efforts shaping conservation policy in Washington, D.C. and in state capitals. "In our unique financial model, our chapters retain control over the decision on how to spend the funds they raise locally. Consequently, we have to market our internal initiatives to our own chapters, and request donations from our chapters to pay for those initiatives," explained Howard Vincent, PF & QF's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our Legislative Action Fund has always been one of the organization's strongest initiatives because chapters can see the fruits of our efforts in Washington, D.C. each time they step onto a CRP field to chase roosters." The 652 Pheasants Forever and 109 Quail Forever chapters raise millions of dollars each year at local fundraising banquets across the nation. Those dollars are put to good use in a variety of ways each year; from land acquisitions to youth mentor hunts to habitat restoration projects. LAF funds are used to make those locally generated dollars deliver a broader impact to the organization's wildlife habitat conservation mission. "Most chapters understand how we use LAF dollars to work in Washington, D.C. or in their own state capital, but LAF dollars have also made initiatives like our unique Farm Bill Biologists program happen, as well as helping us garner state and federal matching grants. LAF dollars have also helped us create unique state CREP initiatives and allowed us to fight to maintain our hunting heritage," added Vincent. "LAF is a great way for us to show national conservation leadership and deliver local habitat results."  |