MONROE, La., September 30, 2005 – Ducks Unlimited (DU) is pleased to announce the promotion of Jerry Holden to Director of Conservation Programs in Louisiana. Holden, who will transfer with his wife Melissa to Monroe, La., has worked for DU as the Manager of GIS and Remote Sensing for nearly 6 years. He will join a staff of ten biologists and engineers who are responsible for DU’s habitat conservation programs in Louisiana

“Jerry is a dedicated waterfowler and a proven achiever. He has played a significant role in the planning and delivery of our conservation programs,” said Curtis Hopkins, DU’s Director of Conservation Programs for the Southern Region. “DU has accomplished a lot in the Southern Region, thanks, in large part, to Jerry’s interest and commitment to sustaining wetlands and waterfowl resources.”

Holden’s new position will expand his role within DU. He will lead DU’s efforts in implementing and coordinating the organization’s involvement with local, state and federal agencies. In Louisiana, DU has partnered with such agencies as the USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy and others, to foster wetland and waterfowl conservation. Holden will oversee DU’s interest in the restoration component of the Wetland Reserve Program, which is administered by the NRCS. The program focuses on re-establishing bottomland hardwood trees and hydrology restoration on enrolled lands in the delta. He will also lead DU’s wetlands restoration efforts along the Louisiana Gulf Coast.

With more than a million a supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the worlds largest wetland and waterfowl conservation group. The United States alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands natures most productive ecosystems and continues to lose more than 100,000 wetland acres every year.