May 2019
Update from Washington 
NAWCA : This spring, DU launched a call-to-action campaign for the House and Senate Appropriations Dear Colleague letters on the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) for FY2020. Congressional support for NAWCA grew this year, resulting in the highest number of signatures in both chambers in more than 10 years.
  • More than 15,000 letters were sent to 515 congressional offices on the Hill by DU members, volunteers and staff through the call-to-action.
  • The House letter included 207 bipartisan signatures. There were 60 new signers to the letter this year, with 44 signatures from freshman offices.
  • The Senate letter garnered 54 bipartisan signatures. There were five new Senators who joined the letter this year, with three being freshman offices.
  • You can access the full list of signatories here.
Legislation reauthorizing NAWCA was also introduced in the House (H.R. 925) and Senate (S. 261). This legislation would reauthorize the NAWCA program for five years with an authorization level of $60 million. The DU policy team is working to secure co-sponsors on the legislation. Currently, 20 members have signed on as co-sponsors to each piece of legislation, in the House and Senate.
DC Dinner : On April 30, Ducks Unlimited hosted the Annual Capitol Hill Dinner and Auction in our nation's capital. The event was a great success with more than 700 guests in attendance, including 70 members of Congress, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who helped make this event one of the best yet. You can access the press release on the DC dinner here .
You can access all the photos from the event here .
More than 70 members of Congress joined us for the event.
Pictured left to right: Wetlands America Trust board member George Dunklin, DU President Rogers Hoyt, Jr., Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, DU CEO Adam Putnam, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Ducks Unlimited Policy Chair Al Montna.
WAT Reception : April 29, the Wetlands America Trust board held a reception at the Canadian embassy with Canadian Ambassador David MacNaughton and Department of Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. Many DU volunteers, staff, agency officials, corporate partners and conservation partners were in attendance. You can access more photos from the WAT reception here .
Pictured left to right: Vice President of Government Relations for Nestle Purina Bill Salzman, Chief Fundraising Officer for DU Amy Batson and Keith Schopp, Vice President Corporate Public Relations for Nestle Purina at the Canadian embassy reception.
Pictured left to right: DU Canada CEO Karla Guyn, DU CEO Adam Putnam, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and CEO of DU de Mexico Eduardo Carrera.
Great Lakes/ Atlantic Regional Office (GLARO)
Kentucky: Ducks Unlimited helped change the state tax law this year to re-establish a longstanding state sales tax exemption that the non-profit community has enjoyed. With the help of DU volunteers, the legislature passed, and the governor signed a bill that reinstated the tax exemption on all revenue generated from event ticket sales, saving DU an estimated $20,000 - $30,000 per year. DU volunteers encouraged key lawmakers to amend the tax code. Ducks Unlimited was referenced in floor remarks by a key senator right before the vote on the bill.
Connecticut : DU volunteers and staff have been active at the Capitol fighting numerous pieces of legislation that would hurt the state's hunting tradition and undermine some of the fundamental principles of professional fish and wildlife management. DU participated in committee hearings, state legislative sportsmen’s caucus meetings, a Sportsman’s Day at the Capitol and a Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus wild game reception. DU has focused its effort toward educating urban lawmakers on the benefits of wetland conservation and on the role DU plays advancing wetland restoration across the state.

Wisconsin : DU joined lawmakers and other representatives from the conservation community in a new Sportsmen for Wetlands coalition, Wetland Wednesdays. The first field tour took place on May 1, at Swan Pond Waterfowl Production Area just outside Madison. US Senator Tammy Baldwin’s district staffer, Flora Csontos, and state assemblyman Dave Considine joined the tour. These field tours are critical educational opportunities for decision-makers to learn about wetland restoration and the value of wetlands to Wisconsin. DU is a founding member of the Sportsmen for Wetlands coalition, whose primary mission is to engage Wisconsin’s hunting, angling, trapping and conservation communities in proactive and collaborative wetlands education and conservation advocacy.

DU presented Todd Ambs, Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, with an award during May's Healing Our Waters Coalition Conference for his conservation efforts. Todd was formerly the director of the coalition, where he worked closely with Ducks Unlimited and others from the Great Lakes conservation community to advance the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Farm Bill in Congress. 
Pictured left to right: DU Regional Biologist Brian Glenzinski, US Senator Tammy Baldwin’s district staffer Flora Csontos, State Assemblyman Dave Considine, Executive Director of Wisconsin Wetlands Association Tracy Hames and R3 Coordinator National Wild Turkey Federation John Motoviloff on the field tour.
Pictured left to right: DU Acting Chief Policy Officer Gildo Tori, DU Acting Director of Public Policy for GLARO Kyle Rorah, Assistant Deputy Secretary for Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Todd Ambs and Director of Conservation Programs for GLARO Jason Hill.
Great Plains Regional Office (GPRO)
Welcome Ryan Taylor! In April, the policy team welcomed Ryan Taylor as the new director of Public Policy for ND, SD and MT. Ryan hails from Towner, ND, is a rancher, writer and experienced public policy leader. Ryan has a Bachelor of Science degree from North Dakota State University and was a Leadership Fellow with the Bush Foundation. Ryan served as the State Director for the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Development office in North Dakota, as a County Commissioner for McHenry County and in the North Dakota Senate (2002-2012). Ryan will focus on leading and developing DU’s policy program in ND, SD and MT, as well as working on federal policy issues in support of DU’s highest priorities. He can be reached at rtaylor@ducks.org.
Ryan Taylor (left) pictured with Montana U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), in Washington, D.C.
Except for Nebraska, all Great Plains Region legislative sessions have concluded and DU fared quite well in state-level policy this year. Some highlights included:

South Dakota : SB 4, which commissions an interim study on the assessment of agricultural land, passed. This is a good first step toward differentiating the taxation of grasslands versus cropland in the state.

SB 176, which provides a $1 million appropriation from the general fund to the Second Century Habitat Fund, also passed. This is the most significant habitat funding established in South Dakota and one of several programs outlined in Governor Kristi Noem’s Second Century Habitat Initiative.

North Dakota : The Legislature approved a $5 million increase in the Outdoor Heritage Fund for the next biennium, raising the cap from $10 million to $15 million. Bills which would have shifted the focus of the fund from habitat conservation to parks were defeated.

SB 2315, which proposed to change North Dakota’s posting requirements for hunting access, was defeated. In its place, a committee was created to conduct an interim study of trespass and hunting access issues, including the possible development of an online posting system, with pilot projects in as many as three counties. This committee will be made up of landowner, agriculture and sportsmen’s representatives from around the state.

Legislation proposed to eliminate permitting requirements for tile drainage was defeated. 

Montana : HB 265, which requires state land board approval of conservation easements, was passed by the House and Senate despite vehement opposition by the sportsmen’s community, including Ducks Unlimited. Fortunately, Governor Steve Bullock is expected to veto this legislation.
Colorado: Ducks Unlimited co-sponsored Sportsmen’s Day at the Capitol. This event continues to grow and this year included recognition of participants on the floor of the Colorado House of Representatives and a Wild Game Luncheon attended by dozens of legislators. DU Director of Public Policy Carmen Miller was joined by Colorado volunteers Pete Eckes, Larry Suedmeier and Sam Wigand at the Colorado event.
Pictured left to right: Larry Suedmeier, DU Director of Public Policy Carmen Miller, Pete Eckes and Sam Wigand in Colorado for the event
Colorado DU volunteers and guests of the Sportsmen's day on the floor of the Colorado House of Representatives
Southern Regional Office (SRO)
South Carolina : The House and Senate agreed to increase funding for the South Carolina Conservation Bank. Last year’s funding for the bank was $9 million and this year there is $13.05 million in the budget bill​.
Dr. Mark Hartley, East Cooper DU Chapter Chair, and DU Regional Director James Meadows attended a meeting with Secretary of State Mark Hammond to discuss DU’s event-based fundraising business and how South Carolina’s raffle law could be modified to support DU’s conservation efforts in the state.

Louisiana: The definition of public waters and access for recreation continues to be discussed in the state legislature. Three bills on this matter were introduced in the 2019 session: HB 231, HB 270 and HB 165​. DU continues to monitor and support the Louisiana Public Water Recreation Task Force, which should inform any future legislative effort.

Oklahoma: SB 703, authored by Senator Casey Murdock (District 27), was defeated in the Senate. The bill would have prohibited Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation from all future land acquisition, thereby reducing public hunting and fishing opportunities and affecting future waterfowl habitat projects in the state. DU volunteers, led by State Chair Richard Godfrey and State Policy Chair Bill Hoffman, communicated to their senators and helped defeat this bill.

Texas: SB 26 and SJR 24, Constitutional Amendment for state parks funding, passed and will be placed on the November ballot​. These measures were almost unanimously supported by the House and Senate and will direct taxes from the sale of sporting goods to support state parks owned and operated by Texas Parks and Wildlife, one of DU’s strongest partners in waterfowl conservation. Many of the state parks offer public recreational access to water and wetlands. DU is supporting the work of the coalition and will work with DU grassroots staff and volunteer leadership to keep them informed of this effort.
Western Regional Office (WRO)
Nevada : DU Policy and DU Conservation staff sponsored a w ild game luncheon at the capitol in Carson City, with legislators and Department of Wildlife officials. Director of Operations Mark Biddlecomb and Director of Policy Gary Link attended the event. Legislative and regulatory discussions were held, especially on AB 84, which will provide $107 million in wetland conservation grant funding opportunities.
DU Director of Policy Gary Link (left), Director Tony Wasley of Nevada Department of Wildlife (center) and Director of Operations Mark Biddlecomb (right) pictured at the luncheon.
California : DU Legislative intern Brady Guertin and DU Director of Public Policy Gary Link worked on a state legislative measure (SB 45) which would provide $300 million in conservation grant opportunities for our conservation team. DU testified at the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee hearing on the waterfowl, wildlife and water quality benefits of wetlands for all Californians, regarding this bill. The p hoto on the right is from the Senate hearing.

DU Policy staff met with 18 members and their staff from February to May on these issues and will continue meetings until the bill is passed and signed by the Governor.  
Oregon: Ed May, Ducks Unlimited’s Oregon State Chair of Policy, met with many legislators at the Oregon Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus during their annual banquet and auction in May. May spoke with legislators about wetlands, waterfowl and potentially bad bills that could harm DU’s fundraising ability. He also spoke about continuing to build relationships with legislators and partners.
Oregon Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chairs Representative Bradley Witt (left) and Representative Sherrie Sprenger (center) meeting with DU Oregon Policy Chair Ed May.  
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