Oakford Conservation Area (Illinois)

A partnership of state and local organizations recently completed the first step in revitalizing the wildlife habitat at the Oakford Conservation Area. Members of the local Prairie Rockets Chapter of Quail Forever joined with IDNR staff from Sand Ridge State Forest and New Salem State Park for a controlled burn on the local state-managed hunting site near Oakford, IL, along the Sangamon River.

The March 29th, 2007 controlled burn was conducted under the oversight of IDNR biologist Buck Cunningham with support from Quail Forever biologist Tom Schwartz, and will be followed up with additional habitat enhancement projects over the next several years. According to Cunningham, “The Oakford Conservation Area is unique in many ways. While it is an area of relatively small size, it offers huge potential in terms of providing quality wildlife habitat for ring-necked pheasants, bobwhite quail and many other species of wildlife. Especially important is the fact that the bobwhite quail is identified in the IDNR's Wildlife Action Plan as a species in Greatest Need of Conservation.” This project was made possible under grants from the national Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever organizations and the IDNR Habitat Stamp program.

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