Ducks Unlimited says funding for wetlands part of ongoing partnership

Ducks Unlimited recently received a grant from the Duke Energy Foundation. The grant will support the three pillars of Ducks Unlimited: conservation, science and public policy. The Duke Energy Foundation has a long history of environmental support in Indiana, and Ducks Unlimited will expand on an already successful partnership with the group to support important local conservation projects.

Ducks Unlimited will use the $95,000 grant from Duke to help conserve 800 acres in the Ohio and Mississippi River Confluence, Indiana Rivers and Ohio Rivers priority areas. Approximately half of this funding will support efforts to enhance, restore and protect 500 wetland acres on public land. The other half will support reforestation and protection efforts on 300 acres of bottomland hardwood forests.

Throughout Indiana, large wetland systems have been drained and cleared for agricultural production. Frequently, wetlands can be restored simply by reconnecting them to adjacent rivers. In other situations, hydrology has been so altered that active water-level management is needed to fully restore wetland functions. In these situations, restoration can include breaking drain tiles, building earthen berms, installing water control structures and sometimes adding the ability to pump water to manage water levels.

"Ducks Unlimited is proud to continue its conservation partnership with Duke Energy," said Michael Sertle, DU regional biologist for Indiana. "We admire Duke Energy's steadfast commitment to habitat conservation for the benefit of Indiana's wildlife and people."