Ducks Unlimited (DU) has donated 138 acres of wetlands, forest and agricultural land northeast of the city of Jackson to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The FWS has designated it as the Malan Waterfowl Production Area (WPA). The land lies adjacent to the Waterloo State Recreation Area and is Michigan’s fourth WPA. The land was purchased with funding from a Grand River Watershed North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant and help from the Washtenaw Land Trust.
“The Malan restoration is a key element of DU’s work in the Southeast Lake Michigan watershed, one of our priority areas for wetland conservation in the Great Lakes region,” said John Coluccy, DU regional biologist. “The watershed supports some of the highest breeding densities of mallards and wood ducks in Michigan, and is important to migrating waterfowl. Our sincere thanks go to the landowners and to our partners for making this critical restoration project possible.”
Prior to its permanent protection, the Malan property was a family farm, with existing wetlands drained and uplands converted for agricultural production. Ducks Unlimited is partnering with the FWS, North American Wetlands Conservation Council, Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Pheasants Forever to restore four wetland basins and convert the surrounding cropland to native prairie. The habitat restoration project, slated for completion this year, will involve removing accumulated sediments, plugging drainage ditches and planting native grasses, resulting in 36 acres of wetland and 74 acres of surrounding prairie that will provide outstanding habitat for breeding and migrating waterfowl and a variety of other wildlife, including grassland-nesting songbirds, white-tailed deer and wild turkey.
Waterfowl Production Areas preserve wetlands and grasslands critical to waterfowl and other wildlife. These public lands, managed by the FWS, are part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Congress authorized the WPA Program in 1958 to preserve natural wetlands that were being destroyed rapidly by agricultural drainage, housing developments and other commercial land use practices. The Michigan DNR Wildlife Division oversees day-to-day management of WPAs in Michigan through a partnership with the FWS. The DNR also was a key partner in securing this property.
Through the permanent protection, restoration and enhancement of wetlands and the reestablishment of associated native prairie plant communities, DU has a goal of conserving an additional 13,000 acres in the next five years within the Southeast Lake Michigan watershed, which spans 19 counties. Since 1997, DU has worked with a variety of conservations partners to conserve more than 7,300 acres in southeast Michigan.
Wildlife is not the sole beneficiary of the conservation work being completed on the Malan WPA. As with the other three WPAs in Michigan—the 160-acre Schlee WPA in Jackson County, the 77-acre Kinney WPA in Van Buren County and the 95-acre Schoonover WPA in Lenawee County—the Malan WPA is open to the public for hunting and other wildlife-dependent activities such as wildlife observation, photography, and environmental education. State hunting regulations apply to the four WPAs. In addition, restored wetlands and grasslands can also provide community benefits of improved water quality and reduced soil erosion. In preserving open space this project will help sustain a healthy community and improve the quality of life for Jackson County citizens.
Contact: Kelli Alfano
Public Affairs Coordinator
(734) 623-2000 or kalfano@ducks.org