September 2019 Edition
SPOTLIGHT PICTURE

Cougar Wetlands Update
Ducks Unlimited, the Bureau of Land Management, and other partners recently completed the Cougar Wetland Project, part of a larger broad-based effort to restore and safeguard the integrity of the Cosumnes River, the last undammed river flowing from the Sierra Nevada to the Central Valley.

The 154-acre project created tidal channels in the unit and restored the area to tidal floodplain habitat through a controlled levee breach in late 2018.
Now, thanks in part to a wet 2019 California spring, the results have been dramatic. Click the photo above to watch the transformation.

For more Information on any of the following stories, please contact:

Devin Blankenship
Ducks Unlimited - Western Region Communications
916-851-5311
dblankenship@ducks.org
Legislative News
Utah volunteers successfully advocate for new Waterfowl Management Area
Thanks in part to efforts of Ducks Unlimited volunteers, Utah Governor Gary Herbert recently signed Representative Casey Snider’s bill (House Bill 265) creating the Willard Spur Waterfowl Management Area, often referred to as the ‘Valhalla’ of Utah duck hunting, which will designate 13,900 acres of new waterfowl management area at the north end of the Great Salt Lake.

Whitewater Ducks
California Democrat and Republican staff members recently came together for an educational, active, outdoor experience on the South Fork of the American River. Gary Link, Ducks Unlimited’s Western Region director of public policy and a whitewater guide for 22 years, arranged the trip to learn the basics of whitewater rafting and educate the group on the type of wildlife habitat the river supports, including waterfowl
News from Around the Region
ALASKA
Dusky Days
Newest Ducks Unlimited intern Evan Ward blogged during his stint with the Dusky Canada Goose Project in Alaska. Ward is a part of a wildlife team on Chugach National Forest, Prince William Sound Management Zone assisting in the dusky Canada Goose Nest Island Program, which is managed by the US Forest Service and includes monitoring and maintaining nesting platforms (nest islands) that assist in the nest success of the dusky Canada goose on the Copper River Delta.

Spirit of Conservation
ConocoPhillips Alaska recently awarded Ducks Unlimited a 2019 Spirit of Conservation contribution of $50,000 to continue studying the impact of the rising numbers of geese in California. This is the second consecutive Spirit of Conservation award received by Ducks Unlimited.

ARIZONA
UofA Visits Memphis
The University of Arizona Wildcat Chapter has taken flight thanks to Alexa Paxson (3rd from left) and Payson Ham (2nd from right). The two traveled to Memphis for Third Term, the annual leadership summit for Ducks University Volunteers. The Wildcat chapters hopes to engage alumni to have their first successful fundraiser this fall! Best of luck!
CALIFORNIA
New DU film series focuses on California’s Sacramento Valley
DU Conserve is an incredible new series of films about the people, places and species that matter to DU’s wetlands and waterfowl conservation mission. The series' latest release spotlights California’s Central Valley and the efforts of Ducks Unlimited and its partners to protect and maintain precious wetlands habitat in the state.
Ducks Unlimited helps create living shoreline in Bay Area
In May, oyster reef elements were placed in the San Francisco Bay to assist the creation of a living shoreline near Giant Marsh near Point Pinole Regional Shoreline in Richmond, part of a project Ducks Unlimited is partnering with the California Coastal Conservancy and other groups to build new native oyster reefs interspersed with eelgrass.

IDAHO
Work continues for DU in Idaho’s Bruneau Valley
Ducks Unlimited has maintained an ongoing focus on restoring wetland and waterfowl habitat in Idaho's Bruneau Valley area since 2009. Working with private landowners, Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), Idaho Power Company (IPC), and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on the CJ Strike Wildlife Management Area (CJSWMA), DU will have restored over 1,200 acres of waterfowl habitat putting more than $1.1 million on the ground by the end of 2019.
NEVADA
NRCS Cooperative Agreement
DU has entered into a 3-year, $1.4 million agreement with the Natural Resources Conservation Services in Nevada to assist with implementation and delivery of wetland habitat restoration on conservation easements enrolled in the Wetlands Reserve Program and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Wetland Reserve Easements. DU will provide technical expertise and engineering capacity to deliver five easements in western Nevada, with the potential to add additional properties and funding as assistance is needed.
OREGON
DU receives grant for innovative work
Ducks Unlimited was recently awarded a $75,000 technical assistance grant from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) for conceptual design work on the Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge - Bay Unit.

WASHINGTON
Ducks Unlimited purchases important Washington property
Ducks Unlimited recently partnered with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to purchase 1,100 acres of land near Westport in Grays Harbor County. The new property features diverse natural resources, including large freshwater and saltwater wetland areas and old-growth Sitka spruce trees
The site will eventually provide additional recreation opportunities, including hiking, birding, and big-game and waterfowl hunting. Public access will initially be on a walk-in basis from the perimeter of the property, as plans to improve access are ongoing.