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"We Are Wetlands" Campaign Seeks 80,000 Signatures for 80,000 Acres

Saint Paul, Minn. – January 6, 2009 – Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) are urging all its members take a moment and sign the Petition to Save America's Wetlands. The petition is part of the "We Are Wetlands" campaign. A campaign of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP), "We Are Wetlands" is intended to raise awareness for the importance of wetlands and clean water in our daily lives and why this resource is now more at risk than ever. Sign the Petition Today!     

The "We Are Wetlands" campaign is seeking a minimum of 80,000 signatures – one for every acre of natural wetlands lost each year – calling for restored federal wetlands and clean water protections. America has lost more than half of its original 221 million acres of natural wetlands and we continue to lose approximately 80,000 more acres each and every year. This trend will continue and likely accelerate due to weakened federal protections for wetlands under the Clean Water Act. In recent years, Supreme Court decisions have stripped federal protections for geographically isolated wetlands and intermittent ephemeral streams. As a result, it is now easier for wetlands and other waters to be polluted, drained, filled in and paved over.

As part of the "We Are Wetlands" campaign, the Petition to Save America's Wetlands is being circulated. To be delivered in early 2009, the petition asks the President of the United States to support restored federal protections for wetlands.

"The importance of wetlands are well-documented, but only through a grassroots effort will we gain the stronger wetlands protection we need," said Howard Vincent, President and CEO of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever who serves on the TRCP Board of Directors. "Our nation's wetlands are vitally important. Healthy streams and wetlands naturally filter and replenish our drinking water supplies. They protect our homes and other property by controlling floods and buffering erosion. They maintain and enhance water quality by filtering pollution and sediment, and they provide critical habitat to fish and wildlife and hunting and fishing opportunities for sportsmen and -women."

"Wetlands are an important ingredient in the pheasant habitat mix as well," Vincent explained for PF's keen eye on this issue. "Any late season bird hunter knows that cattail sloughs provide tremendous winter cover for pheasants. This is not just a duck and fish issue. We need wetlands for roosters, and we need wetlands for a healthy environment."

For more information about the "We Are Wetlands" campaign, log onto www.wearewetlands.org or contact Geoff Mullins, TRCP Wetlands Initiative manager, at 202-654-4609 or gmullins@trcp.org.

About the TRCP
Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the traditions of hunting and fishing.

About Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. PF/QF has more than 129,000 members in 700 local chapters across the continent.

For additional information please visit www.PheasantsForever.org and www.QuailForever.org