The heart of NAGP lies in on-the-ground, pro-grouse action, facilitated through state and provincial chapters. When partnered with other state, federal or local efforts, chapter projects directly benefit grouse, their habitats, and people.

Starting a State or Provincial Chapter

The first step in beginning a state or provincial chapter is to find people in your area who are interested in grouse. A good beginning step is to contact your state department of natural resources and ask for the upland gamebird program leaders or coordinators. Tell them about NAGP, give them a copy of Grouse Partnership News and explain that we can help them to benefit grouse in the state through our collective efforts. Check back in a few after they have had time to digest the material you left to get their opinions about what they have read. Then ask for names of groups and individuals who might be willing to join with you in your efforts, i.e. grouse biologists, land owners, outdoor writers, hunting guides who specialize in grouse, birders or birding groups, private or public land managers, ranchers, or anybody else who could be interested.

The next step is to contact those on the list you have developed. Make sure they get a copy of the NAGP newsletter. Follow up with a call and ask them to join in and help. Once you have at least three committed individuals, you can start a state or provincial chapter. Ask leaders or friends in other conservation organizations in your state if you can make an announcement about the new state chapter of NAGP at their next meeting. Each Chapter must have a Chairperson, a Program Coordinator, and a Secretary-Treasurer.

Be sure to contact editors of outdoor magazines in your state as well as local newspapers including those with sporting columns. These publications often write about new topics and especially ones that relate how ordinary people can contribute positively to help the environment.

If you are comfortable with calling a statewide or perhaps a regional introductory meeting to help form the state chapter, you can probably get the outdoor writer to announce it in his/her newspaper column. It is important to have a good program ready to present should you take this route. You can contact the National NAGP office for help and suggestions.

Good ideas for projects come from many sources, you can discuss possibilities with the help of your state department of natural resources or with grouse experts in your area. Find a "hands on" grouse conservation project that your new state chapter can tackle or support, and submit this idea to the NAGP State Chapter Project Committee through the National office. It will be referred to the Committee to help insure your project is beneficial, practical, and viable for grouse in your area.

Guidelines for forming a chapter can be downloaded from:

State and Provincial Guidelines