Insights

By Don Young, Executive Vice President
Farming the Flyways

Agriculture and conservation interests must continue working together to raise a healthy crop of waterfowl The business of conservation and the business of agriculture are not entirely unalike. Farmers and conservationists both impact the land to produce a product, be it soybeans, rice, corn, or, in DU's case, ducks. Both parties recognize the value of a healthy landscape in their endeavors. Both also recognize the limitations of our land and the problems arising from the increasing demands being placed on it.

Land is a limited resource. We need it to grow crops to feed a hungry world. We also need it to grow trees and raise livestock and build homes. At the same time, thousands of wildlife species need land to breed, feed, and find shelter. But there is only so much land available.

Today, nearly three-fourths of our nation's remaining wetlands are on private land. This means that effective efforts to restore and protect wetlands and other wildlife habitat must involve landowners. And while some environmental groups pursue litigation to prevent farmers and ranchers from going about their business, DU has taken a different approach. For decades, DU has worked with farmers and ranchers to help make their operations more wildlife-friendly and more profitable at the same time.

Innovation is the key to finding win-win solutions to land-use challenges. In many areas of the country, we're helping farmers with the equipment and engineering expertise to flood their fields after harvest. This provides prime waterfowl habitat while helping to control weeds, conserve soil, and purify water sources. In other areas, we're helping ranchers set up rotational grazing systems, which help establish upland cover for nesting ducks while improving grassland quality for livestock. And across North America, we're helping make it economically feasible for farmers to retire marginal cropland and supplement their income through conservation easements.

The Farm Bill (at press time still being debated in the Senate) is another area where DU has worked for the benefit of both wildlife and farmers. DU's support of the Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, and the new Grasslands Reserve Program in the Farm Bill comes from a recognition of the exceptional values that these programs present for agriculture and wildlife. Landowner demand for these programs has never been higher, and their importance in establishing millions of acres of rich wildlife habitat is widely recognized.

There is no better steward of our land than the American farmer. There is no better steward of our waterfowl and wetlands than Ducks Unlimited. In cooperation, these two entities are having a powerful impact on the landscape.

Many of our most important wetland resources have been lost, and we continue to lose wetlands in every corner of North America. DU's mission is more important now than ever. In the battle to reverse these losses, to restore what has been lost and protect what remains, we're counting on the help of a number of partners. Continuation of DU's historic partnership with agriculture is not only important, it is a critical component in the plan to reach our long-term goals.