Ducks Unlimited Great Lakes/Atlantic Region

November 2019

Big Rivers Initiative

Conserving the Mississippi River and its network of tributaries

Kentucky

Improvements for busy wintering, migrating spot

Ducks Unlimited, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources complete next step in improving Ballard County Wildlife Management Area, a vital wetland complex in the heart of the Mississippi Flyway.

Completing the Cycle Initiative

Conserving and restoring the Atlantic Flyway habitat

New York, Vermont

Mitigating lost Atlantic Flyway habitat

Ducks Unlimited's mitigation program has protected 1,655 acres in the northeast over the last three years, and the program is contributing to watershed-scale conservation efforts.

Great Lakes Initiative

Conserving and restoring the Great Lakes

Ohio

New wildlife area a landmark occasion for duck habitat

Ducks Unlimited and DU’s partner Energy Transfer helped the Ohio Division of Wildlife acquire and establish Andreoff Wildlife Area, nearly 720 acres of prime habitat for recreational opportunities.

Living Lakes Initiative

Conserving Minnesota's and Iowa's wetlands, prairies and shallow lakes

Minnesota

New biologist to help protect habitat in northwest Minnesota

Douglas McClain is DU’s newest regional biologist in Minnesota. McClain comes to Ducks Unlimited following a successful tenure as an Ohio Department of Natural Resources waterfowl biologist.

Learn more

Wisconsin

Lawmakers in Madison introduced legislation to increase the price of a state duck stamp from $7 to $12 to help this source of wetland conservation revenue keep pace with inflation. The fee has not changed since the late 1990s. DU has endorsed the legislation and is working with lawmakers to pass it into law. The bill’s primary authors are Rep. Ken Skowronski and Sen. Patrick Testin, both of whom are strong Ducks Unlimited supporters.

New Jersey

DU staff along with volunteers and staff from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protections' Division of Wildlife hosted a tour at the Tuckahoe Wildlife Management Area in southern coastal New Jersey. The tour showcased a multi-phase, 1,000-acre restoration project. Attendees included staff members from U.S. Sen. Cory Booker’s office, U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew’s office and state Assemblyman Bruce Land and Assemblyman Matt Milam. The tour discussed the federal and state programs and government and non-profit partnerships that made the project happen.

Minnesota

The Minnesota Ducks Unlimited Volunteer Policy Team and DU staff met with U.S. Rep. Angie Craig at her district office to discuss Ducks Unlimited policy priorities including Farm Bill, NAWCA and permanent conservation easements. Rep. Craig is a member of the House Agriculture Committee and a critically important ally in Congress.

Minnesota volunteers and staff also toured U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer around the Pelican Lake Waterfowl Production Area to showcase the extensive conservation partnerships at work in that area and discuss the importance of public and private funding sources for conservation.

Ducks Unlimited Eastern Continental Shoot

Ducks Unlimited’s inaugural Eastern Continental Shoot for competitive sporting clay shooters drew 76 competitive shooters from 15 states to the world-class Bass Pro Shops Shooting Academy from Oct. 9 to 13, to support wetlands conservation.

See details, photo gallery

Minneapolis Monarch Festival 2019

Ducks Unlimited volunteers spent Sept. 7 at the Minneapolis Monarch Festival, telling festival attendees about how DU protects and restores pollinator habitat. Located in the Prairie Pothole Region, Minnesota is a vital migratory route for ducks and monarchs. In Minnesota alone, Ducks Unlimited annually replaces or protects more than 1,000 acres of prairie habitat each year.

See photos

Land Trust Alliance Rally

Ducks Unlimited joined nearly 2,000 participants at the Land Trust Alliance annual conference Oct. 17 to 19 in North Carolina. The alliance represents 1,000 member land trusts supported by 4.6 million members nationwide, who together have conserved more than 50 million acres.

How is Michigan keeping wetlands, habitats protected?

"More than 35 million people get their drinking water from the Great Lakes. The more wetlands we have on the landscape, the cleaner the water is for drinking, wildlife and recreation."

Watch the Ducks Unlimited segment on WDIV-TV (Detroit)

Michigan students design, build punt boat for DU

"This whole thing was kind of a crazy, amazing thing we were able to participate in, and probably one of the most life changing and important things that has happened in my life."

Watch WULC NBC (Michigan)

Amazing action from the Ducks Unlimited’s inaugural Eastern Continental Shoot in Branson.

Ohio’s newest state wildlife area was dedicated during a ceremony Saturday, Oct. 5

The benefits of Ducks Unlimited projects go well beyond waterfowl. Check out the animals captured in Vermont on a DU wetlands mitigation site.

See photos

Ducks, dogs and conservation supporters made for a successful 18th Annual Ohio Partnership Hunt across the Lake Erie marsh region of northwest Ohio in October.

See photos