December 2018 Edition
SPOTLIGHT PICTURE

Looking for a Reprieve
Word has apparently spread through the bird world that Ducks Unlimited is the place to go for habitat conservation, especially this time of year. This turkey did everything but ring the doorbell recently at Ducks Unlimited's office in Rancho Cordova, CA!

Happy Holidays from DU's Western Region Office!
 
photo credit Gary Link

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
Idaho Update
Ducks Unlimited and several other partners worked with the author of Idaho's House Bill 528, which would have prohibited flooding fields with standing crops for the purpose of waterfowl hunting on agricultural lands, to pull the bill. Idaho Fish and Game informed Ducks Unlimited's Policy Department the author wants to look at the provisions within the bill after session for a possible reintroduction, and DU remains engaged. 

Utah Update
Ducks Unlimited is working with new members of the Utah state legislature, several who are strong supporters of DU, to further Ducks Unlimited's conservation efforts in the state. In addition, DU's conservation and policy departments are strategizing on the best path forward to maintain and restore the remaining wetlands around the Great Salt Lake. DU has good relationships with the new Senator-elect, Mitt Romney, and will look to further that bond.
News from Around the Region
ALASKA
DU in Alaska: From an intern’s perspective
Nathan Boma spent last summer as Ducks Unlimited’s summer intern in Alaska for the Dusky Canada Goose Program and chronicled his work for readers. Boma was tasked with providing staff support to the US Forest Service – Chugach National Forest, which is the site of the Copper River Delta and the lone nesting location for the entire population of Dusky Canada Goose.

CALIFORNIA
Mendota WA project update
Ducks Unlimited regional biologist Matt Kaminiski and engineer Micah Bowman shared photos of the work Ducks Unlimited is performing at the Mendota Wildlife Area in California’s Central Valley with the help of a North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) Grant. DU is investing $557,700 to rehabilitate three re-lift pumps, two inlet structures, and a pipeline at Mendota, and has already repaired two miles of canals.
DU continues work at Gray Lodge
Ducks Unlimited and partners recently completed wetland enhancement work on Fields 47 and 48 at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area in Northern California, continuing DU’s longstanding partnership with one of the most popular public wildlife areas on the West Coast.

Ducks Unlimited adds four acres of living shoreline reefs in SF Bay Area
Ducks Unlimited placed 200 oyster reef elements at four-acre submerged site at the former Red Rocks Warehouse – Point San Pablo in the city of Richmond to create a unique living shoreline. DU is partnering with the State Coastal Conservancy on the San Francisco Bay Creosote Piling Removal and Pacific Herring Restoration Project, along with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the City of Richmond, and others.
NEVADA
DU sponsors Duck Stamp Event
Ducks Unlimited sponsored the documentary Million Dollar Duck during a special viewing at the 2018 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest, held Sept. 14 and 15 at Springs Preserve in Las Vegas. Ducks Unlimited’s Regional Director for Nevada Michael Carion and DU volunteers Jason (district chair in Las Vegas) and Annie Mace represented Ducks Unlimited at the weekend event, accepting a sponsorship award on the organization’s behalf.
Ducks in the Desert Continental Shoot
The 33 rd Annual Ducks Unlimited Ducks in the Desert Las Vegas Continental Shoot, presented by Browning Arms, is open for registration for competitive sporting clay shooters. Created in 1986, the event is set for Feb. 20-24, at the world-class Clark County Shooting Complex in North Las Vegas.
OREGON
Project Update: Fern Ridge
Ducks Unlimited recently completed enhancement activities at the East Coyote Unit of Fern Ridge Wildlife Area, near Eugene, improving water management capabilities and wetland function on 300 acres. The project included replacing failing water control structures with newer more dependable structures, rebuilding and re-structuring more than 1,450 feet of levees, and excavating and re-grading of more than 22,000 feet of water delivery swales.

New Oregon Biologist: Kelly Warren
In August, Ducks Unlimited hired Kelly Warren as the newest Regional Biologist for the Western Region.  A native Oregonian, Kelly has lived in the Willamette Valley most of his life, and currently lives near Corvallis. His background includes degrees from Linfield College and Portland State University along with professional positions with state and federal agencies.

WASHINGTON
Dr. Chris Dorow Recognized For His DU Conservation Efforts
Ducks Unlimited recognized long-time volunteer and major sponsor D r. Chris Dorow and his wife, Genna , at a special tribute event at the historic Davenport Hotel in downtown Spokane, Washington in September. The dinner spotlighted Dorow’s many contributions to wetland habitat conservation with Ducks Unlimited in the Pacific Northwest and on a national level across North America.

Photo (L to R): DU Flyway Senior VP Mark Low , Dr. Chris Dorow , DU Western Region VP Paul Boehne , DU Western Region Director of Operations Mark Biddlecomb , and Jakki Boehne .
North Puget Lowlands NAWCA
Ducks Unlimited was recently awarded a $1 million North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant from the U.S. Department of Interior to conserve 1,536 acres of habitat in Washington’s North Puget Lowlands.