Habitat Key For Pheasant

WESTMINSTER — Providing habitat for the county's ring-necked pheasant could curtail the decline in its population, a supervisor from the wildlife program of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources said.

"It all boils down to habitat. If we provide the proper habitat, the population will come back, at least to a reasonable level," said Peter Jayne, upland game program supervisor.

Maryland has 10 percent of the pheasants it had 20 years ago, Jayne said Thursday at the monthly Agribusiness breakfast at Baugher's Country Restaurant.

The pheasant population has dwindled because ofdisease, starvation, weather extremes and accidents, he said.

Programs to restore wildlife habitats are available through DNR, Jayne said. Trained personnel will visit properties to help identify what components are lacking and prepare a management plan.

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