Memphis, TN, October 1, 2003 Restoration of wetland functions are essential to return this vast area within the Lower Mississippi Valley (LMV) into a sustainable ecosystem, says Chis Cole, Director of Conservation Programs for Ducks Unlimited (DU) when asked about the significance of this project.

Cole works in the southern region and will help lead restoration efforts with the state of Mississippi and others during the summer of 2004 to improve foraging habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife at OKeefe WMA. This project was designed and engineered by DU last winter, and made possible thanks to federal funding received through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. Once complete, the capacity of this wetland complex to attract and hold waterfowl during winter will be greatly improvedproviding the potential for additional public hunting opportunities.

OKeefe WMA is located in Quitman County, MS, roughly nine miles south of Marks, MS, and is a key wintering/staging area for a host of waterfowl species. Specifically, DU and its partners will restore and enhance 1,535 acres of waterfowl habitat at OKeefe WMA:

•  Subdivide 910 acres of the Green-tree Reservoir into three independent management units for waterfowl;

•  Restore an additional 250 acres of moist-soil wetlands through construction of four separate cells; 

•  Enhance 375 acres of agricultural fields--allowing the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries & Parks (MDWFP) to flood these fields in winter for waterfowl.

In addition to benefits for waterfowl, this collaborative project contributes toward the restoration of important wetland values and functions related to habitat for other wildlife, floodplain fisheries, and water quality, added Cole.

Partners include:  North American Wetlands Conservation Council; Ducks Unlimited; Wetlands America Trust; Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Williams Gas Pipelines; and Mr. Phillip H McNeill, Sr.

MDFWP will manage this site for the long-term conservation of wetland habitats and to promote public recreation. Waterfowl hunting will be open to the public per state and WMA regulations

DU received NAWCA funds last fall, and matched them with revenue generated from a tribute dinner honoring well-known Mississippi Conservationist, Mr. Billy Joe Cross.  Already, NAWCA has helped fund more than 1,000 wetland conservation projects in all 50 states, Canada, and Mexico. For more information contact Bob Benson, Manager of Media Relations, at (901) 758-3859 or bbenson@ducks.org .

With more than one million supporters, Ducks Unlimited ( www.ducks.org ) is the worlds leading wetland and waterfowl conservation group. Wetlands are natures most productive ecosystems, but the United States has lost more than half of its original wetlands, and continues to lose more than 100,000 wetland acres every year.