MANKATO, Minn. - May 19, 2015 - Unimin Corporation will continue to partner with Ducks Unlimited on three conservation initiatives in North America through 2018 totaling $230,000.

In March, Unimin's Minnesota plants provided $50,000 to Ducks Unlimited's Living Lakes Initiative, in addition to the $40,000 the company donated in 2014.

Beginning in May, Unimin's Illinois and Tennessee plants will provide an additional $140,000 to DU's Big Rivers Initiative and America's River initiative, respectively, through 2018.

"We are incredibly thankful for Unimin Corporation's support. This support helps ensure the safeguarding of wetlands and waterfowl for generations across three continentally important landscapes," said Ducks Unlimited CEO Dale Hall. "Because of private donors like Unimin Corporation, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 13 million acres of wetlands."

Since 2004, the Living Lakes Initiative has aimed to enhance, restore and protect shallow lakes and wetlands from central Iowa through northern Minnesota and provides aquatic food and habitat for migrating and breeding waterfowl.

The Big Rivers Initiative focuses on restoring wetland complexes on public and private lands within the six states bordering the Mississippi River, plus Indiana and Ohio, where nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population lives.

The America's River Initiative conserves and protects the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, one of the most productive wetland systems on earth.

Unimin is in a position to uniquely understand the positive effects of lakes and wetlands, having operated two facilities in Minnesota for 45 years, several in Illinois since 1979, and in Tennessee since 1996.

"Our reclamation strategy fits together really well with DU's goals, so it is only natural that we would seek to partner with them and help fund the initiatives" said Nathan Jungers, Unimin plant manager at Utica, Ill.

Unimin Corporation is one of North America's leading producers of non-metallic industrial minerals, including quartz, feldspar, nepheline, calcium carbonate, clay, kaolin, lime and limestone. Its products are the essential raw materials of nearly every manufacturing process.

For more information on Unimin's sustainability program, visit www.uniminsustainability.com.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 13 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org. Connect with us on our Facebook page at facebook.com/DucksUnlimited, follow our tweets at twitter.com/DucksUnlimited and watch DU videos at youtube.com/DucksUnlimitedInc.

 

Media Contact:
Gregg Powers
(901) 758-3774
gpowers@ducks.org