Ducks Unlimited

Ducks Unlimited

Type	Habitat Conservation and Hunting
Founded	1937
Founder(s)	Joseph Knapp
Headquarters	Memphis, Tennessee
Key people	John Newman, President Dale Hall, CEO Paul Schmidt, Chief Conservation Officer[1]
Area served	North America
Focus(es)	waterfowl habitat conservation
Volunteers	40,000
Members	597,000
Motto	Conservation Today, Wetlands for Tomorrow
Website	www.ducks.org

Ducks Unlimited (DU) is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people. It had roughly 597,000 members as of January 2012.^[2]

Introduction

Ducks Unlimited was incorporated by Joseph Knapp, E. H. Low and Robert Winthrop on January 29, 1937, in Washington, D.C., as a result of their concerns (and those of other sportsmen) about the loss of wetlands as habitat for waterfowl and the impact this would have on waterfowl hunting.^[3]

Ducks Unlimited Canada was then incorporated in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on March 10, 1937.^[4] Other chapters have since begun operation in Latin America, Mexico, New Zealand, and Australia.^[5]

DU has become a leader in waterfowl habitat conservation and has conserved more than 12.8 million acres (46,900 km²) of waterfowl habitat in North America.^[6] DU partners with a wide range of corporations, governments, other non-governmental organizations, landowners, and private citizens to restore and manage areas that have been degraded and to prevent further degradation of existing wetlands. DU is also active in working with others to recommend government policies that will positively influence wetlands and the environment. DU generates $180 million in revenues each year,^[6] of which a minimum of 80 percent goes directly towards habitat conservation.^[7] Their sources of revenue include Federal and State habitat reimbursements (37%), conservation easements (13%), sponsors and members (24%), major gifts and donations (21%) and royalties/advertisement (5%). Through its conservation activities, DU benefits biodiversity, water quality, the environment, and the economy in the areas in which it is active.

Ducks Unlimited, in keeping with its founders' intentions, also promotes the continuation of safe and regulated waterfowl hunting. The majority of DU's financial contributors and members are waterfowl hunters, and over 90% of those who read DU's magazine are hunters. The DU magazine contains many historical and practical articles on waterfowl hunting, and it obtains revenue from advertisements of waterfowling equipment such as shotguns, ammunition, decoys, and bird calls.

Conservation

Traditionally, most DU wetland conservation projects were conducted on waterfowl breeding areas in the Canadian prairies by its subsidiary, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). DUC has however expanded its operations to include projects in every Canadian province and territory, not just in the prairies. DU has also expanded its operations to include conservation projects in every state of the United States and in Mexico. It retains primary focus on habitats most important to waterfowl; including the restoration of duck breeding habitat in Canada and the northern central states, and also duck overwintering habitat, mostly in the coastal and southern states and in Mexico.

Methods

Ducks Unlimited places strong emphasis on science and research. It works closely with biologists and ecologists to evaluate habitat needs and to monitor how birds respond to various environmental changes. Some of the methods used by Ducks Unlimited to conserve habitats are:^[8]

Restoring grassland

• Grassland cover helps hens conceal their nests and increases their chances of successfully hatching a clutch, as well as increases sexual productivity and heightens the chance of producing offspring.

Replanting forests

• Forests that flood regularly due to overflowing riverbanks, such as the bottomland hardwood forests in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley make for ideal wintering habitat for ducks, and provide essential breeding and foraging habitat for other wildlife species. However, 80% of these forests have been cleared and natural flooding has been reduced by 50–90%.

Restoring watersheds

• When watersheds are disturbed, contaminants wash into wetlands and disrupt the plants, fish and animals. DU restores drained wetlands, protects stream corridors and establishes buffer strips that filter nutrients and silt.

Educating landowners

• DU works with farmers, ranchers and other landowners to improve the agricultural and recreational value of their land while making it more wildlife-friendly.

Conservation easements

• Conservation easements protect the natural resource values of a property in perpetuity. The landowner maintains actual ownership of the land, but agrees to certain development restrictions. Since 75% of U.S. wetlands are on private property, conservation easements play a crucial role in the conservation movement.

Acquiring land

• The direct purchase of wetlands to restore and protect it. Once restoration is complete, DU generally sells or donates the property to a group or agency that will manage it for wildlife.

Ducks Unlimited is also working closely with government leaders, conservation leaders, private landowners, and farmers to ensure that environmental provisions are contained in the 2012 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill supports programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP).

Regions of special interest

Ducks Unlimited takes a continental, landscape approach to wetland conservation. While DU works in all 50 states, the organization focuses its efforts and resources on the habitats most beneficial to waterfowl and in greatest jeopardy of disappearing. The following areas are considered to be DU's top 5 conservation priorities:^[7]

• Prairie Pothole Region^[9]
• Western Boreal Forest of Canada ^[10]
• Mississippi Alluvial Valley^[11]
• Central Valley and Coastal California^[12]
• Gulf Coastal Prairie^[13]

Criticism

Ducks Unlimited was founded by waterfowl hunters intent on preserving their recreational interests, and remains a pro-hunting organization.^[14] The anti-hunting lobbyists have consequently had a historically difficult relationship with DU. These groups accuse DU of simply breeding ducks to be shot. Supporters counter that many species besides waterfowl live in the habitat restored and protected by DU dollars, and wetlands improve the overall health of our environment by recharging and purifying groundwater, moderating floods and reducing soil erosion.^[6]

See also

• Al Agnew

References

External links

• Ducks Unlimited
• Ducks Unlimited Canada