Event to raise awareness and support for conservation throughout the state

Des Moines, Iowa – Sept. 26 – Pheasants Forever is pleased to announce Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and former Iowa Governor, plans to speak at the organization’s Rally for Iowa’s Outdoor Legacy event this weekend.  The two-day conservation rally and summit for all residents of the Hawkeye state is slated for September 28 & 29 at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in Des Moines.  The first-time event will bring together Iowans for a common cause: the protection of the state’s outdoor resources.

As part of Saturday’s conservation summit, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will address the Rally’s attendees. The Secretary is slated to speak at Saturday's luncheon.

In addition to Secretary Vilsack’s address, the weekend rally includes several speakers and panelists who are to highlight challenges and opportunities for conservation in Iowa as well as lessons from around the U.S. and other countries. Sessions and panel discussions include, but are not limited to, Private Land Management for Wildlife Diversity & Outdoor Recreation, Natural Resources Management and Economic Development, and Agriculture & Environmentalism – Perspectives from the Field.

“This rally is to remind Iowans that we live in an incredible state, but if we don’t take charge of our natural resources and work to protect them, we stand to lose them,” says Matt O’Connor, Pheasants Forever Iowa Conservation Director, “If our natural resources disappear, so will our healthy ecosystems and our outdoor heritage. I believe those attending will further appreciate and understand all that Iowa has to offer and what we can do to protect our state.”

Renowned outdoor advocates and conservationists Shane Mahoney and Dave Murphy will act as the summit’s keynote speakers. Mahoney is the Founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Biodiversity, Ecosystem Science and Sustainability at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.  He is recognized as an international authority on conservation. Murphy is the Executive Director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM). CFM is the largest private citizen conservation organization in Missouri. CFM has over 100,000 members and 80 affiliated organizations acting as leaders in conservation of natural resources and protection.

Iowa’s Conservation Summit Details

• Weekend tickets include Friday reception, Saturday luncheon, and Iowa’s Outdoor Legacy dinner and auction Saturday evening. Tickets are now available and can be purchased here.
• All Pheasants Forever members are invited. Find out more information HERE
• Event sponsors include Iowa Pheasants Forever, Iowa Association of County Conservation Boards, Iowa’s Water & Land Legacy, Iowa’s Natural Heritage Foundation and others.

Iowa is home to 105 Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters and nearly 20,000 combined PF and QF members. For more information about the rally or to reserve tickets, call Mark Langgin, representative of Iowa’s Water and Land Legacy, at (515) 244-3468 or Matt O’Connor at (563) 926-2357 / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For all other inquiries, please contact Rehan Nana, Pheasants Forever Public Relations Specialist, at (651) 209-4973 / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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 700 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Chapters are empowered to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds are spent, the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure.

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