DEXTER, Mich. – May 28, 2026 – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Conservation Commission recently granted Ducks Unlimited (DU) and numerous partners $9 million in North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) funds to continue three programs in the Great Lakes Region.
$3 million was awarded for Phase Two of DU’s Great Lakes Mallards Project. This grant funding will be used to protect, restore and improve 3,689 acres of wetland and upland habitat in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio that are vital to mallards' breeding success in the region.
The Upper Midwest has suffered dramatic wetland losses, with declines of up to 90% in Ohio, 87% in Indiana, 85% in Illinois, 50% in Michigan, and 46% in Wisconsin. Much of the project area is threatened by urbanization and the conversion of vulnerable habitats such as small wetlands and grasslands.
About 52% of the 3,689 acres included in the project are on public lands managed by the Departments of Natural Resources in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan and will support various forms of outdoor recreation, including hunting. An additional 20% is open to hiking and wildlife viewing.
“Breeding mallard numbers across the Great Lakes have been trending downward since the early 2000s,” said DU Biologist Hunter Mentges. “What we’re seeing in the research is clear. When grasslands and wetlands disappear, mallard productivity drops right along with them. If we want to turn this around, we must protect and restore the grasslands where hens nest and the wetlands where they raise their broods, especially across a region that’s mostly privately owned. We’re following the Upper Mississippi River/Great Lakes Joint Venture habitat‑first approach to meeting bird population goals. Using their guidance and detailed habitat models, we have put together a set of projects designed specifically to support mallard breeding habitats in the Great Lakes Region.”
The Lake Erie Coastal Wetlands Project, Phase 5, will use the $3 million NAWCA grant to conserve 2,481 acres of wetlands and forest primarily on the southern shore of Lake Erie in northeastern Ohio. The ten-county proposal area provides migration stopover and breeding habitat for a diversity of waterfowl and other migratory birds.
More than three million people live in the area where agriculture and urban development have drained wetlands, fragmented forests and increased nutrient loading in rivers and streams, impacting fish and wildlife and degrading Lake Erie water quality.
Ninety-one percent (91%) of the acreage conserved through this project will be open to the public for passive recreation, such as hiking and paddling, with hunting allowed on 62% of the conserved acreage. The project properties will increase eco-tourism and hunting opportunities, boosting local economies, while conserving habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife.
"This project features the permanent protection, restoration or enhancement of 1,595 wetland acres, in addition to 886 acres of uplands and will be achieved through the collaboration of twelve partners,” said DU Regional Biologist Corey VanStratt. "This diversity of conserved habitat provides nesting, brood-rearing, migration stopover and wintering habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife. The project will reduce flood waters, recharge groundwater supplies, improve the quality of surface water flowing into Lake Erie, protect drinking water supplies for millions of people in and near the project area and stimulate local economies through nature-based tourism."
A $3 million grant for DU’s Eastern Wisconsin Great Lakes Focus Area II Project aims to protect, restore and enhance 8,593 acres of wetlands and adjacent uplands across eight counties in Wisconsin, focusing on critical breeding and migration habitats for waterfowl, shorebirds and other migratory species, to permanently protect 864 acres, restore 315 acres, and enhance 7,414 acres.
The project involves acquiring eight parcels totaling 302 acres through fee title, including properties such as Sheboygan Marsh, Pigeon River, Black Ash Swamp, Wiedmeyer Property and Milwaukee River Oxbow, with costs ranging from $25,000 to over $1.25 million per tract. Other projects include the restoration and enhancement of 7,729 acres of wetland and grassland habitat that is important to nesting and migrating waterfowl.
"Habitat in the area faces threats from residential development, which could destroy wetlands. That habitat needs immediate protection to prevent loss," said DU Wisconsin Wetland Habitat
Coordinator and Private Lands Biologist Sara Comstock. "This project prioritizes public access for birding, hunting and recreation, with 92% of the acreage (7,908 acres) open to the public and aims to improve water quality, flood control, ecological services, and stimulate local economies through habitat conservation and recreation opportunities."
Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing wetlands, grasslands and other waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has restored or protected more than 19 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science, DU’s projects benefit waterfowl, wildlife and people in all 50 states. DU is growing its mission through a historic $3 billion Conservation For A Continent comprehensive campaign. Learn more at www.ducks.org.
