WASHINGTON, April 5, 2006– Ducks Unlimited and its partners were recently awarded seven North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grants to conserve nearly 40,000 acres of habitat. The grants cover projects in nine states. Approximately $16.7 million in matching funds from project partners and more than $6.4 million in NAWCA grant funds will restore, protect and enhance wetlands critical to waterfowl.
“This is fantastic news for waterfowl,” said DU Manager of Conservation Programs Dr. Jasper Lament. “These grants will help DU biologists and our partners put high quality habitat on the landscape, from the grasslands of South Dakota to the wetlands of the Gulf Coast.”
The projects include protection, restoration, and enhancement of crucial wetlands and associated grasslands across the United States. The funds will provide breeding, migration and wintering habitat for North American waterfowl.
“These grants are crucial to DU’s ability to restore and protect wetlands and allow DU to leverage the support of our members to conserve even more habitat” said Dr. Lament. “With the invaluable help of our conservation partners, we are able to bring NAWCA funds to projects in key waterfowl areas.”
Wetlands benefit waterfowl and more than 900 other wildlife species. They also help filter and clean water, reduce flood damage by trapping and slowly releasing floodwaters, and provide great areas to hunt, fish and enjoy the outdoors.
The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) stimulates public-private partnerships in support of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. NAWCA is a non-regulatory, incentive-based, voluntary and competitive habitat conservation grant program. NAWCA provides federal cost-share funding to protect, restore, and manage wetland habitats for wildlife and many projects provide outstanding recreational opportunities for people, from bird watching to hunting.
In Washington, D.C., the Ducks Unlimited Governmental Affairs staff works with Congress and the executive branch in support of annual funding for NAWCA to continue the act’s waterfowl conservation success.
“The president has once again shown his strong support for NAWCA by requesting a $2.2 million increase for the program in the upcoming fiscal year,” said Scott Sutherland, director of the Governmental Affairs Office. “If Congress responds to that request affirmatively, it will help fulfill the demand for this popular and effective program.”
To date, NAWCA has helped fund more than 1,500 projects on more than 20 million acres in all 50 states, every province of Canada and areas of Mexico. Thousands of partners, including private landowners, corporations and state governments have worked together to conserve wildlife habitat through NAWCA grants.
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With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization. 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.