The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WALLA WALLA—On February 18th, 2023, the Walla Walla-based Blue Mountain Pheasants Forever (BMPF), Chapter #258, was awarded the 2022 “National Chapter of the Year.” The award recognized the chapter’s education and outreach efforts last year. It provided 23 conservation-related events and reached approximately 450 participants in Southeastern Washington – more than any other Pheasants Forever (PF) chapters.

“Just being nominated for this national award was an honor, but to actually receive it – to stand out among over 800 chapters – left us speechless. Taking a step back to look at what we had accomplished in 2022 illuminated just how hard this Chapter’s volunteers work, their personal investment, and the value they see in Pheasants Forever’s missions.” Said BMPF Advisory Board Chairman Brad Trumbo.

Pheasants Forever (PF) is a Minneapolis, Minnesota-based nonprofit called “The Habitat Organization.” It was founded in 1982 to focus on wildlife habitat conservation; it is a grassroots, volunteer, membership-based organization. The chapters raise funds, execute on-the-ground habitat projects, and recruit and educate members on conservation, firearms safety, and upland hunting. PF is unusual for national conservation nonprofits giving the chapters one hundred percent control over the funds they raise to be reinvested in the local communities.

BMPF was founded in 1988 and has completed approximately 75 habitat projects in Walla Walla and Columbia Counties in Washington, and Umatilla County, Oregon. Each year, BMPF sponsors a youth education and shooting program. In 2022, BMPF started “Women on the Wing,” an outreach program to bring more women into upland hunting and conservation. The program was successful in its first year, drawing participants from as far as La Grande, Oregon, and Missoula, Montana.

The BMPF annual fundraiser banquet is scheduled for February 25 at the Walla Walla County Fairgrounds. A few tickets are still available and can be purchased at tinyurl.com/pforever.

BMPF is completing six local habitat projects and rolling out 2023 program details. To learn more about BMPF, donate, or get involved with this highly active and effective PF chapter, visit their website at http://www.bmpf258.org, email bmpf@bmpf258.org, and find them on Facebook and Instagram (@pheasantsforever258).