More Ethanol Means Fewer Pheasants

In the continuing cost-benefit analysis of ethanol, a Saturday article from that Sioux Falls paper notes that increased ethanol production may reverse the current pheasant population boom [see Ben Shouse, "Ethanol Boom Could Limit Hunting Prospects," that Sioux Falls paper, 2007.09.01]. Pheasant numbers right now are the best since 1963, thanks in part to 1.55 million acres enrolled in the Conservation Reservation Program, which "pays farmers who set aside land for grass, which is ideal cover for pheasant nests" [Shouse]. Problem is, farmers looking to ride the ethanol wave next year are likely to plow 18% of those CRP acres and plant them to corn. Pheasants feed in cornfields in the fall, but mama and baby birds need grass for nesting cover.

Of course, ethanol could produce a benefit for the pheasants. Shouse notes that if researchers can make cellulosic ethanol and turn the industry toward native grasses, then farmers, drivers, and hunters may all be happy. So instead of following Poet/Broin's research path and trying to squeeze a little more ethanol out of corn cobs and stalks, we have one more reason -- pheasants and our hunting economy -- to focus our research dollars on cellulosic ethanol from corn, which requires lots of water and petroleum-based fertilizers, to switchgrass:

Perennial grasses, such as switchgrass, and other forage crops are promising feedstocks for ethanol production. "Environmentally switchgrass has some large benefits and the potential for productivity increases," says John Sheehan of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The perennial grass has a deep root system, anchoring soils to prevent erosion and helping to build soil fertility. "As a native species, switchgrass is better adapted to our climate and soils," adds Nathanael Criers, NRDC Senior Policy Analyst. "It uses water efficiently, does not need a lot of fertilizers or pesticides and absorbs both more efficiently." [Diane Greer, "Creating Cellulosic Ethanol: Spinning Straw into Gold," BioCycle, May 2005, posted on HarvestCleanEnergy.org]