Ducks Unlimited: "Bill will improve North American wetlands restoration program"

WASHINGTON – Oct. 13, 2009 – The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to enhance the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and improve continental conservation efforts. Ducks Unlimited supports the measure, which would allow more Canadian investment in the program. The program conserves important habitat in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

"The North American Wetlands Conservation Act continues to be one of the great success stories of conservation," said Ducks Unlimited Director of Governmental Affairs Scott Sutherland. "In the 20 years of the program, more than 25 million acres of habitat have been conserved—and this bill will help that success continue."

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Rob Wittman (Va.) who sits on the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission. The panel consists of members of the Cabinet and four members of Congress.

"Broad support exists for amending this legislation, and given the overwhelming interest in protecting wildlife habitats, we shouldn't waste another moment or dime on failure to act on this legislation," Wittman said in a statement.

The program has a unique nature, which requires a dollar match from state and local governments, non-profit groups like Ducks Unlimited or community groups for each dollar awarded in federal grants. Because projects are so popular, the federal dollars often leverage 2-3 times the grant in matching funds. More than $1 billion in grants has leveraged more than $3 billion in matching and non-matching funds.

With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world's largest, most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization and has conserved more than 12 million acres. 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 important to waterfowl each year.

Neil Shader
nshader@ducks.org
202.347.1530