SECURING THE FUTURE OF WATERFOWL - Ducks Unlimited

SECURING THE FUTURE OF WATERFOWL

©D

UC

KS

UN

LIM

ITED

DUCKS UNLIMITED PROGRESS REPORT 2008

Yet every year when I am asked to complete

those hunting surveys, I am amazed (and

disappointed) with how few days I actually

occupy a duck blind. How is it that we can spend so little time at an

activity but identify with it so strongly?

Certainly, our occupation helps shape our identity. So do hobbies

and leisure activities that consume much of our free time. Folks who

consider themselves “runners” are examples of the latter. Th ey tend to

pound the pavement every day, year round. But sometimes our identi-

ty is born not from repetition but from the intensity of the experience.

I believe many waterfowlers are like that. We think about our hunts

long after the season ends, and the replays are more than enough to

carry us through spring and summer, into the next fall.

It’s this same intensity that drives many of us to support the cause

of waterfowl conservation and to contribute our time, talent and

fi nancial resources to Duck Unlimited. For this, I off er you my heart-

felt thanks. I also urge you to persevere, because the Prairie Pothole

Region – the “Duck Factory” of North America – needs your help

more than ever.

As this annual report celebrates the many successes in our Grass-

lands for Tomorrow Initiative, we also bring to your attention many

new challenges facing the prairies. I hope you will rejoice in our col-

lective accomplishments, but I also urge you to consider what more

you can do to help. We need to keep the ducks fl ying and the fi re

burning.

Dr. Jim Ringelman

Director of Conservation Programs, Dakotas and Montana

Jim may be contacted at [email protected]

Like most of you, I am a waterfowler. Duck hunting is not a casual thing with me. It’s part of my identity.

PRESERVING OUR IDENTITY

WWW.DUCKS.ORG/GRASSLANDSFORTOMORROW

The vision of the Grasslands for Tomorrow Initiative is to sustain the duck production capacity of the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region by preserving, restoring, and managing critical wetlands and nesting habitat.

In an area as vast as the Prairie Pothole

Region, targeting our conservation

programs can be a daunting challenge.

Fortunately, science and technology are

on our side. Decades of research have

revealed how ducks respond to wetland

conditions and settle in the landscape.

For example, we now have created a

“duck distribution map,” which reveals

that the fi ve primary duck species con-

centrate in certain areas, particularly

the landform known as the Missouri

Coteau. Th is knowledge has been an

immense help in strategically targeting

our conservation investments.

“Th e wetlands are the magnets that

draw the birds in and stimulate them

to breed,” said Randy Renner, DU

manager of conservation programs for

easements. “But it’s the grasslands that

provide them with nesting cover. So

it takes both elements in combination

– wetlands and grasslands – to make

for successful breeding habitat.”

Despite having lost two-thirds of

our prairie wetlands, the greatest, im-

mediate threat today is to the grass-

lands. And when grasslands are lost,

ducks suff er.

“We have been studying the rela-

tionship between duck nest survival

and the amount of grassland in the

landscape,” said Scott Stephens, direc-

tor of conservation planning, “and the

results are striking.”

Stephens says as the amount of

grassland diminishes and the habitat

becomes fragmented, more nests are

destroyed by predators. Part of this

increase is caused by a change in the

predator community when cropland

replaces grassland, but it also has to do

MAKING A DIFFERENCE ON THE LAND

Decades of research and advanced

computing power enable us to map

duck distributions and target our

conservation programs


with the search effi ciency of predators.

“Finding a nest in a vast grassland is like fi nding a needle in a

haystack,” he said, “but frag-

ment that grassland into small

patches and predators more

easily fi nd the nests.”

DU’s solution is to keep the

grassland intact by acquiring

perpetual easements from

willing landowners. For a

one-time payment, these

easements forever protect the

grassland from being plowed

and require that haying be

delayed until after the primary nesting season is over.

During fi scal year 2007, DU purchased 24,112 acres of grassland

easements along with 3,780 acres of easements to protect wetlands.

Since the inception of Grasslands for Tomorrow, DU and our U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service partners have secured easements on

697,837 acres in the Missouri Coteau.

“Th e partnership between the Service and DU has resulted in the

protection of thousands of acres of grasslands in perpetuity, essential

to the future of waterfowl and other prairie nesting migratory birds,”

said Lloyd Jones, refuge coor-

dinator for the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service.

“Hundreds of landown-

ers are on a waiting list to

sell easements, but our funds

are insuffi cient to meet the

demand,” said Steve Adair,

director of DU’s Great Plains

Regional Offi ce. “Our goal

is to permanently protect 2

million acres of the best wa-

terfowl breeding habitat in the U.S. prairies by 2017. Reaching that

critical mark will take continued investments of our inspired donors

and enhanced conservation funding from our state and federal gov-

ernments.”

If you are interested in donating or selling an easement to DU, contact

Randy Renner at [email protected]

MALLARDS

BUYING LAND FOR CONSERVATION AND EDUCATION

DU’s landholdings are designed to compliment our easement program. When a critical piece of habitat is at risk and the landowner does not want to sell or donate an easement, DU may attempt to buy the prop-erty as part of our conservation land strategy. Using funds reserved in a special pool, DU acquires, restores, protects via easement, and then re-sells land to either an agency or private buyer. Th e revenue from the sale is then recycled into another acquisition. “Th e conservation land strategy lets us accomplish more conserva-tion with a limited pool of capital,” said Bruce Reinarts, manager of land acquisitions in DU’s Great Plains region. “We have learned to be selective about which properties we acquire so as to manage our restoration costs.” Reinarts says DU’s web-based auction site, where we list and re-sell properties, ensures everyone has equal access to the properties. Since the inception of Grasslands for Tomorrow, DU has purchased 33,536 acres, and currently holds 17,366 acres. Th e balance of 16,170 has been “revolved out.” DU’s goal for the GFT conservation land pro-gram is 150,000 acres, and we will continue to re-sell most of it, while hanging on to about 10 percent or 15,000 acres. Randy Meidinger, who manages DU’s properties in the Dakotas, says there are compelling reasons for DU to own some properties. “Many people are unfamiliar with the ecology of this region,”Meidinger said. “We’ve found that hosting neighbors, donors, agency

staff and elected offi cials on our properties allows us to grab their attention so we can explain not only the ecology but also the conserva-tion threats.” After hosting hundreds of guests on DU’s 9,500 acre Goebel Ranch,Meidinger has wit-nessed the magic fi rst-hand. “Being on a well-managed DU property showcases our expertise and enhances our credibility,” he said. “It has opened doors with landowners who now manage their properties better, convinced elected offi cials to enact stronger conserva-

tion policies and motivated donors to support our cause.”

If you are interested in donating or selling land to DU, contact

Bruce Reinarts at [email protected]


“Th e settlers had it fi gured out,” says Wendi Rinehart, a Highmore,

South Dakota rancher. “Th ey wrote in their journals ‘the best is on

top’… meaning this land is meant for grazing, not for cropping. Yet the

prairie is getting ripped up, and once it’s gone, it

can’t be replaced.”

Cattle and ducks need the same things: grass

and water. So it is natural that ranchers and duck

conservationists share common interests. After all,

when grassland disappears, so does the livestock

industry.

For years, ranchers have worked with DU to

enact perpetual grassland easements that forever

save the prairie. And increasingly, it is ranchers

like Rinehart who point to fl awed public policies

as one cause of grassland loss. “Th e 2002 Farm

Bill has had unintended, harmful consequences,”

said Rinehart at a recent farm bill hearing, “consequences that have

made it diffi cult to maintain the livelihood and way of life for us and

many other ranching families across South Dakota.”

DU understands the “rancher connection,” which is why we recently

provided cost-share to 16 ranchers to install water systems during a

recent drought and protected 4,040 acres of grassland in the process.

We also continue to assist with rotational grazing systems and provide

expertise on the best management practices for grasslands.

DU donors also get the connection. In 2007, DU members from

the southern U.S.

traveled to South

Dakota to person-

ally meet with

a rancher who

wanted to protect

his prairie with

conservation ease-

ments. Before they

left, they com-

mitted to paying

for his easements

with their personal

donations to DU. Could there ever be a better model of ranchers and

DU fi nding common ground for conservation?

If you are interested in donating to Grasslands for Tomorrow, contact

Dave Afton at [email protected]

FINDING COMMON GROUND WITH RANCHERS

Much of the Great Plains has undergone irreversible change over the last 150 years. Th e Prairie

Pothole Region is now part of the “breadbasket of

the world.” Yet wetlands still exist in much of the

landscape, causing ducks to settle and make an at-

tempt to breed. Without some form of nesting cover,

they are doomed to failure.

Fortunately, there is an alternative – winter

wheat. Th is crop, because it is planted in the fall

and remains undisturbed during the spring nesting

season, provides a safe nesting haven for ducks. But it takes expertise

to pull off a winter wheat crop in the Dakotas’ unforgiving, severe

climate. Th at’s where DU Regional Agronomist Blake Vander Vorst

comes into play. With a degree in agriculture and experience as a

crop consultant, Vander Vorst provides the technical support needed

by farmers.

“Our winter wheat program emphasizes demonstration plots and

variety trials, but I also spend a lot of time with individual produc-

ers,” Vander Vorst said. “Th ey need the technical support that gives

them confi dence to try winter wheat.” Vander Vorst’s newsletter,

which reaches over 1200 farmers, is widely read, as are his magazine

features. In fact, he is now the recognized expert on winter wheat in

the Dakotas.

Producers, as well as the agricultural industry, are taking no-

tice. Bayer CropScience and Syngenta, Inc. have contributed over

$500,000 in support of DU’s winter wheat program. But the divi-

dends go well beyond dollars. North Dakota’s 2007 winter wheat

acreage was 2.3 times the 2006 crop, and the forecast is for a 40 per-

cent increase in acres in 2008. Th at means alternative nesting habitat

for ducks…where there is no grass.

For more information on DU’s winter wheat program, contact:

Blake Vander Vorst at [email protected]

BUT WHAT IF THERE IS NO GRASS?


NORTHERN PINTAIL

Th ere was an audible yelp from the young fi eld biologist when the blue-winged teal hen sprang from her nest and into the net. At last! Th is was the third attempt to catch this hen. Now researchers could install the plastic markers that give her a unique color and number, enabling future observers to discover whether she successfully raises a brood and returns to nest in this area in subsequent years. It’s all part of understanding duck ecology, which results in more eff ective conservation delivery. Research continues to be a critical part of the Grasslands for Tomorrow initiative. In 2007, biologists found and monitored 2,250 duck nests to en-hance our understanding of the factors that regulate duck nesting success. Th ey also discovered and tracked 55 shorebird and 38 raptor nests. After all, the prairie is home to more than just ducks. Th ese results enable us to fi ne-tune our programs. We now target land-scapes with larger blocks of grassland and avoid areas with fragmentation and excessive “edge.” We also leverage our science to bolster the case for better public policies that maintain native prairie and enhance the benefi ts of the Conservation Reserve Program.

RESEARCH SEEKING ANSWERS, ENSURING SUCCESS


BLUE-WINGED TEAL

Arguably, nothing impacts the landscape of the Prairie Pothole Region like public policies – especially policies that aff ect agriculture. Th at’s why DU’s Grassland for Tomorrow Initia-tive dedicated a full-time biologist to work on the farm bill during 2007. “Th e farm bill is incredibly complex and constantly evolving,” said Joe Satrom, director of public policy for the Great Plains Regional Offi ce. “We have several important programs either up for renewal or in danger of extinction. Th e Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is credited with producing 2 million additional ducks per year. Obviously, we need to get that renewed. Th e Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) may not even be reauthorized, so that also takes lots of attention.” Ducks Unlimited has also been at the forefront of proposing new policies, such as the

“sodsaver” provision that would protect native prairie. “We’re losing native prairie at a rate of 1 to 2 percent per year,” said Scott McLeod, DU’s farm bill biologist. “Th at doesn’t sound like much, but at a 2 percent annual loss rate, half of today’s prairie will be gone in 34 years.” “Much of the newly broken prairie is on marginal land,” McLeod said. “Producers are busting it out because farm bill programs off er insur-ance and commodity payments that provide a fi nancial safety net. We’re saying that taxpayers shouldn’t foot the bill for breaking out new ground. It should be up to the landowner to assume that risk. Th at’s what sodsaver is all about.” Once a new farm bill is crafted, rule-making and implementation follow. DU will stay involved throughout the process, since few programs leave a bigger footprint on the land.

You may contact Scott McLeod at [email protected]

LEVERAGING BENEFITS FROM PUBLIC POLICY

Nearly 820,000 acres of CRP grassland disappeared in the

Dakotas and Montana in 2007. CRP contracts on more than

5 million acres in those states will expire in the next four years.


Anyone can love the mountains, but it takes a soul to love the prairie.

Bismarck’s Karen Kreil loves the quote at the entrance to South Da-kota’s Badlands National Park: “Anyone can love the mountains, but it takes a soul to love the prairie.” “Th e prairie has a lot of meaning to me, the resource, the sense of place,” Kreil said. Kreil wanted to use an inheritance from her mother to do some-thing that would have lasting meaning. She decided she would take the opportunity to help protect the prairie. Karen and her husband Randy became major donors to Ducks Unlimited with a gift to the Grasslands for Tomorrow Initiative. Th e Kreils both work in conservation. Karen is with the North Da-kota Natural Resources Trust and Randy with North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Karen sees their gift to Grasslands for Tomorrow as a way to recog-nize her mother and keep native prairie intact for future generations. “Grasslands for Tomorrow is an incredible program,” she said. “It’s not easy to protect prairie. DU has taken such a leadership role in working with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. It wouldn’t happen without DU working here.”

Why do we care about conservation? We think it’s the same

drive that makes us load up the truck with hunting gear in

the fall and pile the kids into the car in the spring to watch

huge fl ocks of ducks and geese.

Ducks Unlimited is working to keep the skies full of wa-

terfowl in the spring and fall. Th e Grasslands for Tomorrow

Initiative is protecting as much grassland as possible with the

funds available.

We need your help more than ever. With great pressure

today to plow up native prairie, each acre of grass we don’t

protect today is in danger of not being there tomorrow.

Become a major donor to Grasslands for Tomorrow.

Contact: Dave Afton Director of Development 701.355.3511/[email protected]

WE NEED YOUR HELP TODAY TO PROTECT AMERICA’S GRASSLAND

Dan Ray grew up hunting and fi shing the backwoods and cypress swamps of South

Carolina’s Lowcountry. After many years away, Dan and his wife Linda decided to return

to South Carolina and purchase Annandale Plantation, a historic rice plantation along

the Santee River in Georgetown County where he was raised. As a major wintering

ground for various types of migratory birds, the marshes of the Santee River Delta off er

some of the best waterfowling in South Carolina.

Dan and his family have taken great pride in improving the waterfowl habitat on An-

nandale. Th ey are managing a diversity of wetland plants, controlling water depths and

eliminating invasive weeds. Th e Rays also practice quality deer management on their

property and enjoy healthy populations of wild turkeys and other of wildlife, including

alligators.

In 2003, Dan and Linda donated a perpetual conservation easement on Annandale

Plantation to Ducks Unlimited. “We wanted this property to remain in its natural state

so that it could be enjoyed by future generations and to help preserve the integrity of this

unique part of the country,” he said.

Realizing that South Carolina waterfowl fl ights could not be sustained by working

there alone, Dan traveled to North Dakota to experience the prairie potholes where most

of North America’s waterfowl are produced. After seeing the productivity of the prairies

and the threats to its wetlands and grasslands, Dan and Linda made major investments

in both DU’s work in the prairies and in South Carolina.

“We have invested signifi cant time and resources in making our South Carolina

property more hospitable to migrating ducks. In order to enhance and protect that in-

vestment, we realize the grasslands of the Dakotas need to continue to fi ll the skies with

waterfowl,” Ray said. “We want to do our part to insure that production continues.”

Investing in the prairieInvesting in the prairie is a personal and professional decision for Bismarck, N.D.’s Craig Larson. Craig is CEO of Starion Financial, a fi nance enter-prise with banks in North Dakota and Wisconsin. As a company, Starion focuses on community involve-ment and has given generously to protect the prairie. Starion has already given Ducks Unlimited $25,000 and recently pledged to contribute another $25,000 for ease-ment work in North Dakota. “We believe the prairies are an incredible resource in the Dakotas and deserve our investment from a business perspective,” Larson said. “My wife and I also believe in this national treasure, and we give as a family.” Craig and his wife Shelley are members of Ducks Unlimited’s President’s Council.

BRIDGING THE FLYWAYS


THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS AND MAJOR DONORS

Audubon Last ChanceBureau of Land ManagementBureau of ReclamationCentral Flyway Waterfowl CouncilCity of FinleyConfederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead NationCoteau PropertiesDakota Industries, Inc. DBA Professional Tree & Turf EquipmentFarmers Coop Assn.Finley Wildlife ClubGallatin Valley Pheasants ForeverGeorgia Duck Stamp ProgramLake Agassiz RC&D

Land & Water Consulting, Inc.LDL Cattle CompanyMontana Department of AdministrationMontana Department of TransportationMontana Fish, Wildlife & ParksMorse Land CompanyNatural Resources Conservation ServiceNorth American Wetlands Conservation CouncilNorth Dakota Chapter of Th e Wildlife SocietyNorth Dakota Game and Fish DepartmentNorth Dakota Natural Resources TrustNorth Dakota State UniversityNorth Dakota State Water CommissionPheasants ForeverPrairie Pothole Joint Venture

Rock Creek Lands Partnership, LLPSouth Dakota Association of Conservation DistrictsSouth Dakota Department of Game, Fish & ParksState of South DakotaSteele County Water Resource DistrictSully’s Hill Wildlife Refuge SocietyTh e Nature ConservancyU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceU.S. Geological SurveyUniversity of MontanaUniversity of North DakotaUpper Missouri Pheasants ForeverUSDA - Farm Service AgencyWild Rice Soil Conservation DistrictWildlife Management Institute, Inc.

PARTNERS

FOUNDATIONS AND TRUSTSCapital Electric Charitable TrustCumberland Community FoundationDavid F. and Margaret T. Grohne Family FoundationElizabeth and Stephen Bechtel, Jr. FoundationHenry Saff ord Peacock FoundationHomebuilding Community FoundationM. Austin Davis FoundationMDU Resources FoundationMidcontinent FoundationMills Bee Lane Memorial FoundationMorgridge Family FoundationNorth Dakota Community FoundationRichard King Mellon Foundation

Steve Blomeke TrustSteven E. Grosser, Midcontinent FoundationTh e Buchanan Family FoundationTh e Bush FoundationTh e Fanwood FoundationTh e George B. Storer FoundationTh e Kresge FoundationTh e Tucker FoundationTurner FoundationWalker FoundationWaterfowl Research FoundationWolf Creek Charitable Foundation

CORPORATIONSAllen and Company, Inc.Alliance Pipeline, Inc.BASF CorporationBayer CropScienceCanadian National Railway CompanyCeres, Inc.Decoys UnlimitedDuke University Medical CenterEide Bailly L.L.P.Foss Associates ArchitectureGreat River EnergyHennessy Automobile CompaniesHerters and DunnMid Dakota Medical Building PartnershipMidcontinent RadioMonsanto CompanyMycogen SeedsNovartis Crop Protection, Inc.

Nutech SeedsPhilom BiosPioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.Puetz Construction, Inc.Pulse USA, Inc.Sewell Printing Service, Inc.Specialized Title Services, Inc.Starion FinancialSyngenta Crop ProtectionT J Technologies, Inc.T. K. ElectricTesoro - Mandan Refi neryTh e Eco Products FundU.S. BankWachovia Bank of GeorgiaWild Wings, LLCZiff Properties, Inc.

Dr. Stephen & Laura AdairRichard & Nancy AdkersonDavid & Heidi AftonBill & Carol AllenCharles C. Allen IIISteve & Carol AndersenTerry AndersonAnonymous Supporter - GoldeneyeAnonymous Supporter - WigeonAnonymous Supporter - Harlequin Anonymous Supporter - CanvasbackPaul H. ArnfeltJ. Daniel BaasenGregory H. BarnhillDoug “Coach” BartlettEd BattagliaMichael J. Batza, Jr.Joel D. BennettRichard M. BerkeleyJohn & Shirley BerryDrs. David & Julie BlehmDuWayne T. BottJim Bradford, Jr.Forrest “Woody” BrehmKiley P. BrehmJoe & Judy BreidenbachDohn BroadwellKevin & Janie BrownBrown & BigelowBen & Meg BurnleyRichard N. CabelaJ. R. Cargill, DeceasedJerry P. CashmanJohn ChildsKay ChurchSue & Dr. C. Edmund Connelly, Jr.Edwin & Andrea CooperPeter H. & Marilyn CoorsWickham & Hollis CorwinDavid P. Crosby

John & Cheryl DaleRaymond T. DalioSkipper & Cindy DicksonPaul & Beverly DicksonD.J. & Kris DondelingerWilliam & Janet DuffeyKen & Bonnie DurdahlJ. Michael & Carolyn L. DvorakJimmy & Gwendolyn Emfi ngerPaul & Therese EricksonDr. Calvin K. & Doris FerchoSenator William H. FristAllen L. GeisenEdward A. GrassiDr. Joseph C. Greenfi eldKenneth & Marian GreenwoodDave & Marg GrohneJohn F. GrundhoferHenry G. HaganEdwin HaleAllen & Ann HarmsenThomas & Patricia HastingsEdward & Nancy HenryFrank G. HillRuth A. HoefsKevin & Lynn HolthausDuane B. HughesDr. Tom & Katie HutchensLee Ann & Orrin H. Ingram IIBrad & Barty JensenGregory D. JensenRob JordahlDonald W. KallenbergerJames and Sarah KennedyRoger F. KennedyShad & Melissa KetcherJames H. & Karen KillenJohn & Wendy KillenJames & Marietta KingLee & Bonnie Kjos

Judy & William KoppH. Hod KosmanRandy & Karen KreilDennis F. KumlinHal KuykendallCraig & Shelly LarsonFrank & JoAndrea LarsonW. Robert LepczykCraig & Andrea LeSchackRoland R. MacKenzie IIBoyce & Cheryl MagliWilliam P. ManeyChad & Jana ManloveLaurence & Susan ManloveWilliam C. MarcilPaul MayerRory & Joyce McCallumEdwin James McCarthy & Alexandria BjorklundJack & Jimmie Faye McCartyJohn McCulley, Sr.John McDonaldDon McFarlandWilliam J. MeredithP. Anthony MeredithWilliam MilesCandace C. MillerHoward S. MisnerThomas E. & Anne Marie MoormanBilly & Cissye MoungerDr. Gunard NelsonWilliam & Alice OehmigSaf & Betty PeacockRick & Betty PedersonJames & Patti PikeKathleen & Noel F. Pilie, DDSMark & Rebecca Pine FamilyJohn & Donna PittengerTerry L. RandallDan & Linda Ray

John M. ReidBruce & Darlene ReinartsDarrel & Darlene ReinkeRandy & Susan RennerRichard and April RiceGeorge S. RichRichard C. Riggs, Jr.Jim & Jennie RingelmanBrian & Kris RossMr. Donald C. SattlerNeil & Margaret SeverinsonJ. Richard & Isabella G. SilkMark D. Smith, DMDCharles SmithgallAlan SpauldingPaul Stephen SpringmeyerScott & Stacy StephensMyron & Katherine StevensRon & Peg StromstadDon W. Sturhahn FamilyJeff Stutzman

JJ & JM StutzmanBob & Rita SundbergGretchen & Brett Taylor, Jr.Jay & Maris ThompsonH.Dean & Kathy TraugerJ. T. “Skip” Tubbs, Jr.Todd & Kim TylerPeter Van DykeCharles E. ViethWilliam C. VossDr. James F. Walton IIITom WanousRick WarhurstWilliam B. Webster, Sr.Merry & Frederick White, Jr.Bruce & Phyllis WojcikHoward WolfeMartin Frank Wood

THANK YOU TO OUR INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTERS

GREAT PLAINS REGIONAL OFFICE • 2525 RIVER ROAD • BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA 58503

701.355.3500 • WWW.DUCKS.ORG/GRASSLANDSFORTOMORROW

PRAIRIE SMOKE

SECURING THE FUTURE OF WATERFOWL - Ducks Unlimited

Documents

Transcript of SECURING THE FUTURE OF WATERFOWL - Ducks Unlimited