Insights

By Don Young, Executive Vice President
Sixty-five and Counting
Ducks Unlimited has done much in its storied history, but challenges continue to loom on the conservation front

Ducks Unlimited observed its 65th anniversary on January 29. By any measure, that is an impressive number. So, too, are the most important of those posted in the corporate ledger: more than 10 million acres of wetlands and other wildlife habitats conserved throughout North America.

From the beginning, sportsmen and women have picked up much of the tab for these conservation efforts. Indeed, Ducks Unlimited's founding fathers were duck hunters. And, for the most part, businessmen. They knew it would take more than goodwill to ensure the future of wild ducks and geese. So they devised a plan and went to work. The official purpose of the fledgling conservation organization was quite clear: These individuals planned to go about raising money for developing, preserving, restoring, and maintaining the waterfowl habitat on the North American continent. They knew that quality habitat was the key to maintaining healthy waterfowl populations year in and year out.

Ducks Unlimited has not swayed from its original mission. And, quite frankly, we have at times been criticized for maintaining the "singleness of purpose" mantra. There have been those who have denounced DU for not getting involved in this battle and that battle, or for not supporting this issue or that issue. Unfortunately, we cannot be all things to all people. Rather, we try to be the best that we can be at what we do.

The focus of Ducks Unlimited's conservation programs has always been clear. We work to do whatever we can wherever we can on behalf of the continent's waterfowl and wetlands resources. These efforts have benefited myriad other wildlife species as well as man and the overall environment. All because Ducks Unlimited has not wavered from its original mission.

Once confined to Canada, Ducks Unlimited's habitat conservation work now spans the United States and Mexico. We also now work with cooperating agencies in Latin America and the Caribbean on issues that affect North America's waterfowl. Additionally we share our technical expertise with DU representatives in Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. Along the way, Ducks Unlimited has forged partnerships with private sector business leaders as well as state and federal agencies. We work in concert with researchers representing all of those groups, as well as universities and private land managers. Advancements in scientific research and technology have put us on the cutting edge of landscape-level conservation. And we have also developed relationships with policy makers who make laws and regulations that impact wildlife and their habitats.

We know that natural cycles of drought will return to the breeding grounds, just as they did when DU was founded 65 years ago. Keeping that in mind, our most important long-term challenge is to secure and enhance productive habitat on Great Plains breeding areas in the U.S. and Canada. We will then strive to maintain this habitat in a condition that will allow duck populations to respond positively.

This will work only with the continued support of Ducks Unlimited's incomparable members and volunteers-and in particular our legions of waterfowl hunting enthusiasts who have been our lifeblood for generations. We will also look to increased support from business and industry, foundations, and other sources sharing our practical and cooperative rather than confrontational approach to wetlands and waterfowl conservation.

Good things will continue to happen when those whose belief in our singleness of purpose collectively channel their energy and creativity for the benefit of the wetlands and waterfowl we all hold dear. Sixty-five years later, Ducks Unlimited's relevancy continues to be as strong as ever. This positions us to aggressively meet the conservation challenges in the decades ahead. Won't you continue to help us in that mission?