etree AU ile ONe Bele LL, T LN 7 
Status Report on the Prairie Chicken 
By Joseph W. Galbreath 
Here is the latest summary of the activities of the Prairie Chicken Founda- 
tion of Illinois: 
Hs 
Because of the ending of the 
Soil Bank grasslands program, 
1965-66 will be a critical year 
for the survival of the Prairie 
Chicken in Illinois. 
Yeatter Sanctuary No. 1 con- 
tinues to serve as the main 
nesting and _ brood-rearing 
habitat in south central IIli- 
nois. 
McGraw Sanctuary No. 2 has 
been partly bull-dozed to in- 
stall a drainage system on a 
share-cost basis with the Soil 
Conservation Service. Most of 
this area is now in grass; it 
served in 1963-64-65 for nest- 
ing cover. 
Sanctuary No. 3 was used for 
share cropping of wheat; it 
was sowed to red top grass in 
February 1965, and _ should 
provide good nesting cover 
from 1966 on. 
. Proposed Sanctuary No. 4: We find it difficult to obtain suitable land at 
a reasonable price. Paying $500 an acre with Foundation funds is not 
justified where the usual price is about $300. The search continues. 
Individual Leasing Proposal: This involves an offer of $80,000 to buy 
land which will be leased back to the P.C.F.I., with a provision for 
annual donation of specific areas. All acreage would eventually be ac- 
quired by the Foundation. : 
Tax Exemption: We are still working with the County Board of Review 
in an attempt to make sanctuary land exempt from state and county 
property taxes. 
Research Program: Nesting success was 74% in 1963 and 88% in 1964. 
The most critical period was during the harvesting of clover around 
active nests. This emphasizes the need to establish permanent strips of 
clover for brood-rearing cover. 
Contributions: Have averaged from $5000 to $8000 per year. Fully 
$250,000 is needed if we are to achieve our goal of preserving the Prairie 
Chicken in Illinois. Here are steps that all of us can take: 
. Send a Group Donation to the Prairie Chicken Foundation of Illinois at 
the office of Dr. Paul W. Parmalee, Treasurer, c/o The Illinois State 
Museum, Springfield, Illinois. 
. Ask Your Members by means of your newsletter or meeting notices to 
send in a contribution to the P.C.F.I. Appeal leaflets are aveilable from 
