Oshkosh, WI June 20, 2006 — Monsanto Company, a CropLife America member company, recently donated more than $30,000 of AquaMaster herbicide to Ducks Unlimited (DU) for controlling cattail growth at Horicon Marsh and Rush Lake. CropLife America and Ducks Unlimited are partnering on a national level in a novel Wildlife Conservation-Technology Initiative. The goal of this five-year initiative is to expand the use of plant science technology in the restoration and management of habitat for the benefit of North American waterfowl and other wildlife.

By contributing herbicides, fungicides and technical assistance, the member companies of CropLife America are working with Ducks Unlimited to manage invasive weeds and enhance natural habitat in key waterfowl landscapes across the U.S.

Encompassing 32,000 and 3,000 acres respectively, Horicon Marsh and Rush Lake are among the most important wetlands for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent wildlife in Wisconsin. Over time, stable water conditions and nutrient and sediment runoff from the surrounding watershed have caused monotypic strands of cattails to choke these wetlands.

“These cattail monocultures replaced high quality wetland habitat that used to provide a haven for a variety of wetland wildlife. This donated herbicide will allow managers to treat over 700 acres of cattail, which will allow beneficial wetland plants to reestablish, such as smartweed and bulrush that provide energy rich seeds,” stated Dr. John M. Coluccy, Ducks Unlimited regional biologist.

Established in 1933, CropLife America represents the developers, manufacturers, formulators and distributors of plant science solutions for agriculture and pest management in the United States.

With more than one million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest wetland and waterfowl conservation organization. Since its founding in 1937, DU has raised more than $1.5 billion and conserved nearly 11 million acres of critical wildlife habitat across North America. Wetlands are nature’s most productive ecosystems, but the United States has lost more than half of its original wetlands and continues to lose more than 80,000 wetlands.