Lake Erie Marshes to benefit from grant

TOLEDO, Ohio – June 7, 2010 – Called “some of the most valuable wetland habitat in the hemisphere” by Ohio Rep. Marcy Kaptur, the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area will soon receive $150,000 through Ducks Unlimited to bring portions of it back to prime condition.

DU and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources - Division of Wildlife (DOW) have been awarded funds to enhance and restore 392 acres of coastal wetlands at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area along the western portion of Lake Erie. The $150,000 grant was awarded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), the $475 million federal program targeting the most significant ecological problems in the Great Lakes watershed, including habitat loss, invasive species, non-point source pollution and contaminated sediment.

“Lake Erie marshes are of incredible value to wildlife and people,” said Roy Kroll, manager of conservation programs for DU. “This project will enable Magee Marsh to be more biologically productive, diversify the food sources for wildlife and improve much-needed recreation land for the citizens of Ohio.”

DU partnered with the DOW in the successful grant application. The GLRI funds were awarded to DU through the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture, a coordinating body of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that delivers conservation strategies and tools to habitat implementation partners for all bird species. This year, additional grant funding was provided to the Joint Venture through the GLRI.

“Magee Marsh is more than one of the jewels in the ‘emerald necklace’ that rings Lake Erie,” said Rep. Kaptur. “It is also some of the most valuable wetland habitat in the hemisphere. We are committed to preserving it for future generations to enjoy.”

Despite extensive losses, the coastal wetlands and open water bays of western Lake Erie are used extensively by migrating and wintering waterfowl and other wildlife.  The area is especially important to waterfowl, songbirds, raptors, bald eagles, shorebirds and colonial nesting wading birds. This region serves as a primary migratory corridor for waterfowl and provides habitat for the highest concentration of staging American black ducks in North America, with average annual peak daily counts of 40,000 birds. Hundreds of species of neo-tropical migratory birds are also documented as using the habitats of Magee Marsh.
 
From mid-April to May each year, Magee Marsh and its well-known public-access boardwalk host approximately 150,000 visitors primarily for birdwatching.   

Ducks Unlimited is the world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 12 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever.

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Kristin Schrader   kschrader@ducks.org  734.623.2000