Ducks Unlimited Conservation Issues Briefing: Vol. 1, #2

Farm, conservation groups support agriculture conservation

Farmers, ranchers and conservationists united to support funding for agriculture conservation programs, shortly before Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack defended cuts to programs such as the Wetlands Reserve Program and the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program before Congress.
Read more

Support strengthens for Clean Water Restoration Act

Support for the Clean Water Restoration Act continues to build, and the New York Times published a second editorial in support of the bill. In a rare second endorsement, the NYT said the CWRA would streamline wetlands and stream protection, and that the "biggest beneficiary of a tighter, clearer law will be the environment—and the economy."
Read more

Great Lakes "czar," increased funding announced

A longtime advocate for restoring the Great Lakes, Cam Davis, CEO and president of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, was appointed the special adviser to the Environmental Protection Agency, or "czar" for the Great Lakes watershed.
Read more

Interior secretary names Upper Mississippi "Wetland of International Importance"

A top migration spot for canvasbacks and other waterfowl has been named a Wetland of International Importance by Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. The wetland contains more than 300,000 acres of protected habitat in the Upper Mississippi watershed, including the entire Upper Mississippi National Wildlife Refuge.
Read more