Duck Stamp Wealth Poured into Prairie Pothole Region

WASHINGTON, DC, March 15, 2004 (ENS) - Half the amount in this year’s Duck Stamp Fund, $21 million, will be awarded to support wetland and grassland acquisition in the prairie pothole region, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Friday. Stretching from Montana through Iowa, the region is the most important waterfowl producing area on the continent, generating more than half of North America’s ducks.

Of the 800 migratory bird species in North America, more than 300 rely on this region – 177 species for breeding and nesting habitat and another 130 for feeding and resting during spring and fall migrations.

Located in the heart of the Prairie Pothole Region, North Dakota contains wetland densities of more than 150 wetlands per square mile. (Photo courtesy USFWS)

Like the venture capitalists of Wall Street in that they are visionaries, these public and private ventures allow waterfowl conservationists in both sectors to organize themselves into partnerships, called joint ventures.

The Prairie Pothole Joint Venture intends to provide breeding habitat capable of supporting 6.8 million breeding ducks, including 1.2 million mallards and 1.1 million pintails, that produce a fall flight of 9.5 million ducks under average environmental conditions.

The Prairie Pothole Joint Venture’s habitat protection, restoration and enhancement projects have been completed using money provided through partner contributions, the North American Wetland’s Conservation Act, and the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, commonly called the Duck Stamp Fund. Hunters must annually purchase the stamps by law.

“The success of the joint venture partnership protects prairie habitat throughout the Midwest,” said Robyn Thorson, regional director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Great Lakes-Big River Region, which includes Minnesota and Iowa.

“Funds made available through the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund allow acquisition of key tracts of prairie pothole habitat while still available, to help preserve this vanishing landscape,” Thorson said.

Prairie pothole wetland surrounded by upland cropland. (Photo by R. Tiner courtesy USFWS)

This loss of habitat has caused steeper, more consistent and more widespread declines in grassland birds over the past 25 years than any other North American bird group.

"Pheasants Forever applauds this decision,” said Joe Duggan, the group's vice president of corporate relations and marketing. “It’s good science, it’s good policy, it’s good for the ducks, pheasants and other wildlife."

Hunters subsidize the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund through the sale of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, commonly known as the Duck Stamp.

Ducks take flight in the prairie sunset. (Photo courtesy USFWS)

"I hope that this is the first year of a long term commitment of funding at this level provided by the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund for the prairie landscape,” said Jeff Nelson, director of Ducks Unlimited's Great Plains Region.

“The Prairie Pothole Joint Venture's approach to habitat conservation has been so successful that, at this time, there are far more willing sellers than money available.”

Extending northward into Canada, the entire Prairie Pothole Region produces over half of the continent's waterfowl. It also provides the most productive breeding habitat in North America for hundreds of other migratory bird species.

Canada goose and goslings (Photo courtesy USFWS)

Some songbirds, such as meadowlarks, sparrows, and swallows, are easily seen from roads, while others can be found by walking and quietly observing. The district is also home to white-tailed deer, badger, skunk, beaver, raccoon, mink, muskrat, ring necked pheasant, and sharp tailed grouse.

This 300,000 square mile region was created by retreating glaciers roughly 12,000 years ago. Covering parts of the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba in addition to its U.S. territory, it once contained some 25 million wetlands, or an average of about 83 per square mile; a density unmatched anywhere in the continent.

Conservation of this region is guided by the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, a partnership of individuals, organizations, and agencies representing Canada, the United States and Mexico whose goal is to safeguard wetlands and increase waterfowl and wetland bird populations.

The plan seeks to restore waterfowl populations in the three countries to the levels recorded during the 1970s, a benchmark decade for waterfowl.

(Map courtesy Kulm Wetland Management District, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)

Management boards identify the most effective conservation techniques to sustain waterfowl populations within working landscapes and prioritize them. They also develop and secure funding for conservation projects.

In addition to habitat focused joint ventures, species joint ventures have been formed to address monitoring and research needs of specific species or species groups. The species joint ventures are international in scope as well.

To plan, deliver, and safeguard habitat conservation, partnerships under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan obtain the best results when they include community leaders, Aboriginal, Native American, indigenous and local communities, and subsistence users in addition to conservation interests.