FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kelli Alfano,
Public Affairs Coordinator
734/623-2000 or kalfano@ducks.org

Ohio Ducks Unlimited Unveils New License Plate Design
All Funds Used to Save Ohio Wetlands

OH – May 16, 2006 – Ohio Ducks Unlimited (DU) has put a new face on its conservation license plate! The DU plate, which raises funds for wetland conservation, has been updated with a new logo, but with the same message: “Saving Wetlands”.

Wetland conservation is what Ducks Unlimited is all about. “DU’s mission is to conserve, restore and manage wetlands for North American waterfowl, other wildlife and people,” states Sid Lark, Ohio state chairman for DU. “The DU license plate is a great way to support wetland conservation because $15 from the sale and renewal of every plate goes directly to Ducks Unlimited to conserve and restore wetlands specifically in Ohio.”

Since Ohio started selling DU plates in 1999, over $150,000 has been raised to support DU’s conservation projects throughout the state. License plate dollars have been used to fund wetland restoration projects at Grand River and Mosquito Creek Wildlife Areas in Trumbull County, at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, and other projects across Ohio.

Ducks Unlimited Regional Biologist, Heather Braun states, “The funds raised through the Ohio license plate program have really helped us to conserve more of Ohio’s critical wetlands. However, wetland protection and restoration costs a lot of money, and we have a lot more work to do.” Over 90 percent of Ohio’s original wetlands have been drained and remaining wetlands are threatened by development and urban sprawl. “The DU license plate is another way people can contribute directly to the conservation needs of Ohio’s natural resources.”

Wetlands have long been an undervalued component of the landscape. But in addition to providing habitat for waterfowl and other wetland wildlife, wetlands provide a host of ecosystem functions, including recharging and purifying ground water, moderating floods, reducing soil erosion and providing invaluable educational and recreational opportunities.

DU’s conservation programs in Ohio are supported by grassroots dollars raised at volunteer-led events, as well as funding from major donors, foundations and grants. Since 1985, DU has worked with partners including the Ohio Division of Wildlife to conserve over 70,000 acres of critical habitat in Ohio.

Please do your part in conserving Ohio’s vital wetlands! Choose the license plate with the blue duck head! Plates can be ordered at any deputy registrar’s office by mail or on-line at www.oplates.com. Please feel free to call the Bureau of Motor Vehicles at 1-888-PLATES3 (1-888-752-8373) or Ducks Unlimited at 734-623-2000 for more information.

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.

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