To keep up with DU’s Southern Region, connect with us on Facebook (@sroducks), Twitter (@DUSouthernNews), Flickr and Instagram (@ducksunlimitedsouth).

Hello DU Supporter,

A Message From the Regional Leadership Team

This is the best time of year. Meteor showers, fall colors, skeins of geese, evening fires, the challenges of waterfowl hunting and friendly rivalry of football games are all to be savored. The smell of the marsh and whistle of wings is our reward for the hard work we invest in the mission of Ducks Unlimited each year.

One of the things that is so magical about waterfowl hunting is its social nature, which brings together people who are enchanted by the same elemental things. That is also one of the reasons so many people are dedicated to Ducks Unlimited. This organization gives us an opportunity to celebrate that camaraderie and passion for the outdoors year-round.

We must keep in mind that we, the waterfowlers, are dwindling in number. Each of us has an obligation to bring more support to the noble mission of Ducks Unlimited. Whether you do so by stewarding a major sponsor, selling the most banquet tickets, delivering the best habitat project, telling your elected officials about our mission or introducing someone new to waterfowling, what matters is that we attract the best volunteers, major sponsors, supporters, voters, landowners, leaders and partners to this organization.

No matter how or why you engage, thank you for helping to make Ducks Unlimited the envy of the conservation world as we transcend the goals of the audacious, $2-billion Rescue Our Wetlands campaign.

In conjunction with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Ducks Unlimited will soon start wetland enhancement work at the William S. Huey Wildlife Management Area near Artesia.  Read More

The People of DU

The Keeping America’s Refuges Operational (KARO) Act is a bipartisan bill, sponsored by Reps. Rob Wittman (R-VA) and Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), that recognizes and supports the efforts of volunteers in the National Wildlife Refuge System. A celebration of its passage was held at Rappahannock River Valley NWR on Aug. 13. Virginia DU State Chair Dan Ross, Sr. Flyway VP Julian Ottley and DU Policy staff attended the event. 

The 2014 Farm Bill Expired September 30

The House and Senate formally moved to conference on the Farm Bill in mid-July to reconcile differences between House and Senate bills. A total of 54 conferees (47 House members, 9 Senators) were named and below are members from Southern Region:

House Agriculture Committee Conferees:

House Education and the Workforce Committee Conferees:

House Financial Services Committee Conferees:

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Conferees:

House Natural Resources Committee Conferees:

House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Conferees:

Senate Conferees:

At the time of this writing, the Conference committee held its only (likely) public meeting on Sept. 5. Prior to the meeting and after, the Big Four, which is comprised of Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX), and Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN), have been negotiating on funding levels and program policies. DU Policy staff and members have been engaged and continue to ensure our priorities remain in the final bill. It is uncertain whether there is enough time to reach an agreement prior to expiration. Thus, an extension is a strong possibility. Over the next few months, please be prepared to contact your elected representatives for their support on a Farm Bill with a strong Conservation Title. Stay tuned to DU media outlets for more information on progress to pass this vitally important legislation for waterfowl and agriculture.

See the latest photo albums from the Southern Region

Ethan Massey started July 16 as a regional biologist in Arkansas. He is working out of the White River NWR Office in St. Charles. Ethan is from North Louisiana and just finished his Master of Science degree from the University of Arkansas – Monticello. He will work with AGFC and NRCS staff on Farm Bill Programs, specifically WRP/ WRE.

Clint Pace started August 1 as the new regional director for New Mexico and Arizona. Clint is a recent graduate from Louisiana State University, where he obtained a degree in Natural Resource Ecology and Management. Growing up in Southeast, Texas, Clint’s brothers and father taught him from an early age to enjoy our natural spaces through hunting, fishing and conservation. He began hunting ducks at age ten, and with it becoming his passion, he followed his family members to the world of Ducks Unlimited. While attending LSU, Clint was a very active and successful volunteer, co-chairing and chairing the #1 and #2 events in our “Sweet 16” University events. He has helped raise more than $1,000,000 as a DU volunteer. Clint has relocated to the Phoenix area.

Effective Oct. 1, Will Johnson has accepted DU's director of development position for North and South Carolina. Will previously held development positions with the National Rifle Association and Building Conservation Trust – CCA’s National Habitat Program. Prior to those roles, he was Manager of Grassroots Promotion & Event Support for DU in Memphis. Will was also a regional director for DU in Fresno, CA and Jackson, TN. Will resides in Bluffton, SC. Given his successful fundraising experience in the Southeast, he will be an asset to our team.

See what is going on around the country in the other Ducks Unlimited regions. Check out their e-newsletters.

Great Plains Region

Great Lakes/Atlantic Region

Western Region

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