PORT CLINTON, Ohio, Nov. 21, 2007 –

Ducks Unlimited and the Ohio Division of Wildlife teamed up once again to host the sixth annual Ohio Partnership Hunt on Nov. 7-9 in Port Clinton, Ohio. About 70 Ducks Unlimited staff, volunteers, Division of Wildlife staff, guests and members of local hunt clubs attended. James Donnell Konkel, a former Ohio resident, was honored at the hunt with a wetland dedication at the Pickerel Creek State Wildlife Area.

Konkel’s passion for wetlands and waterfowl was ignited in 1979, inspired by his grandfather, James C Donnell II, a waterfowl enthusiast and philanthropist. Konkel began volunteering for Ducks Unlimited (DU) in Findlay, Ohio, and moved up from there. He has held a number of volunteer positions, currently serving as senior member of the development committee, the state campaign chairman for Maine and a member of the DU Inc. and DU Canada board of directors. Now hailing from Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Konkel is a philanthropic leader in DU’s Wetlands for Tomorrow campaign, an initiative to secure $1.7 billion for continental wetlands conservation.

“We owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Donnell for passing on his passion for waterfowling and conservation to his grandson,” said Bob Hoffman, director of DU’s Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Office. “Jim has generously shared his time, talents and treasures with DU for more than 25 years and has contributed to DU’s mission in major, lasting ways. He has rooted himself securely throughout our organization and we thank him for his continual support and participation in all that we do at DU.”

Ducks Unlimited President Bruce Lewis spoke on behalf of DU, thanking Konkel for his long-time support of the organization and its mission.

The James Donnell Konkel Wetland Restoration is a 40-acre mix of grasslands and wetlands, including seven excavated potholes. It is located in the Pickerel Creek State Wildlife Area, which covers more than 2,800 acres bordering the Sandusky Bay. This area is crucial to migrating and wintering waterfowl, especially the American black duck. The Konkel restoration was a cooperative effort between DU and the Division of Wildlife, with funding from a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant.

The Ohio Partnership Hunt was established in 2002 to honor the partnership between DU and the Division of Wildlife, and to invite DU supporters to spend time in the Lake Erie and Sandusky Bay marshes. This area is located at the crossroads of the Mississippi and Atlantic flyways, making it a prime spot to see many types of migratory waterfowl, including teal, mallards and black ducks. It is also part of DU’s Lake Erie priority area. Local hunt clubs throughout the area generously host the Partnership Hunt guests for two mornings each year.

With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization with almost 12 million acres conserved. The United States alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands - nature’s most productive ecosystem - and continues to lose more than 80,000 wetland acres each year.

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MEDIA RESEARCH ALERT:

• For further information about the Ohio Partnership Hunt, please contact:

          Heather Braun, Regional Biologist
          (734) 623-2000; hbraun@ducks.org