Ducks Unlimited receives grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust

    LINCOLN, Neb. – Sept. 15, 2008–Ducks Unlimited will restore 78 acres of wetlands along the Loup River with a $120,000 grant from The Nebraska Environmental Trust. The trust uses profits from the Nebraska Lottery and awards grants to organizations like Ducks Unlimited to fund natural resource conservation projects in Nebraska.

    “We are going to improve the floodplain habitat along the Loup River,” said Jonas Davis, Ducks Unlimited regional biologist Jonas Davis. “By clearing the trees and brush from sandbars and excavating degraded sloughs and river channels, we will restore water flow to the backwaters and wetlands associated with the Loup.”

    Waterfowl and marsh birds use wet meadows, sandbars and backwater wetlands along the Loup River for roosting, loafing and feeding. The river also provides recreational opportunities, and the wetlands help filter runoff water and protect residents from flooding. Ducks Unlimited’s restoration project will enhance the benefits of the river and its wetlands by improving water flow throughout the watershed and removing invasive trees that choke the river.

    “One of the important habitats associated with the Loup River are the wet meadows,” Davis said. “These meadows are critical to migrating birds, and we are going to restore the hydrology to a few key areas.” 

    Other contributions to the project include $34,000 from Ducks Unlimited, $15,000 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through its Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and $10,000 from private landowners.

    Like the Platte River, the Loup River has undergone significant alterations and degradation of associated wetlands. Migrating ducks, geese and other marsh birds depend on the natural resources provided by the Loup River to rest and refuel on their way to breeding grounds farther north and wintering grounds to the south. Through projects like this, Ducks Unlimited is helping to raise awareness about the importance of the Loup and its connection to the Platte.

    With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization with more than 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.

    Using revenue from the Nebraska Lottery, the Trust has provided grants to 1035 projects across the state. The Nebraska Environmental Trust works to preserve, protect and restore our natural resources for future generations. Visit the Trust’s website at: www.environmentaltrust.org for more information.

Media contact:
Jennifer P. Kross, Bismarck, 701-355-3500