DU Expands Habitat Conservation Activities in Kansas...

Transcription

1 R News & Information for Ducks Unlimited Members Volume 15 (e) Spring Issue 2015 DU Expands Habitat Conservation Activities in Kansas... More habitat on the ground - means more birds in the sky! Ducks Unlimited expanded its habitat conservation activities in Kansas in 2014 with lots of work on public lands throughout the state. Strong partnerships with Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Joint Ventures and others enabled DU to match funds for North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant applications. DU was awarded two standard and one small North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grants for several large wetland conservation projects in the state. These grants will allow DU to deliver projects that have a landscape-level impact on waterfowl habitat in the Central Flyway. With the recent success of NAWCA proposals, DU moved forward on large wetland restoration and enhancement projects at Neosho Wildlife Area, Talmo Marsh, Jamestown Wildlife Area, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, Perry Wildlife Area, McPherson Wildlife Area and Cheyenne Bottoms. After obtaining funding and laying groundwork through engineering, design and permitting, construction on the projects are set to commence at all of these areas in 2015 and into 16. Overall these projects will enhance, restore, or protect more than 8,000 acres of waterfowl habitat. DU is fundraising and developing partnerships to move forward on new projects at Marais des Cygnes, the playas of western Kansas, Byron Walker Wildlife Area, Kanopolis Reservoir, Gurly Marsh, Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge and several others. These plans represent the growth of DU s conservation program in Kansas. The recent grant successes provide momentum for DU s conservation efforts in Kansas into The continued photo by DCasper support of DU s solid member base and the shared desire of partners, staff, volunteers and major donors make this work possible. The people who understand the importance of Kansas s wetlands to the mid-continent population of ducks and geese are the impetus for DU to stay on course to significantly impact waterfowl habitat across the migration corridor of Kansas. Congress passed a new farm bill in February This bipartisan legislation provides more than $28 billion over the next five years for a variety of private land conservation programs. Among these are several wildlife-friendly and popular programs like the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The new bill provides $40 million over five years for the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, which pays private landowners an annual payment to increase public access on their land. Neosho Wildlife Area Gets the Grant! Things looked glum when a North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant proposal to improve habitat on Neosho Wildlife Area submitted in July, 2013 was turned down by the selection committee. It was our misfortune that this was a bad year for NAW- CA due to federal budget issues, said Matt Hough, DU regional biologist for Kansas. However, DU worked with partners Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT), The Nature (continued on page 7)

2 State Chairman s Report Fiscal Year Record Year for Kansas DU Conservation... Last year was another good year for Ducks Unlimited. A grand total of 209,000 acres were conserved for the fiscal year ended This makes a cumulative total of more than 13.3 million acres since This is a great accomplishment, but there is a lot of work yet to be done. Thanks to each of you for your generous dedication to DU. I am very proud of what our Kansas volunteers have contributed to this effort. For the fiscal year 2014 we raised $1,205,079. This is an increase of $209,995 over FY As of the end of FY February 2015 we are up over 14% of the same period in Thank you again for all the great work. The 2014 waterfowl season was both great and frustrating. There were a record number of ducks coming through Kansas, but out here in SW Kansas with the limited water and cold weather, hunting days were limited. I do not like to put my 10 year old Lab on any kind of ice. When it did thaw out we had some great days in the field. I invited some new DU members on multiple hunts, so I did not shoot many ducks this year. It was fun to watch a dad and his son enjoy the outdoors. Dad was very proud when his son got his first duck. Since I had the dog, decoys and waders I did more calling and retrieving. Thank you to everyone who made it to Overland Park for the 2015 Kansas State Convention. The committee put on a terrific event. There is a lot of work that goes into putting on an event of this caliber. There was a lot of good information delivered both in the Friday AC/DC training and the Saturday morning business meeting. If you ever wanted to know where your dollars are spent in Kansas be sure to make this meeting. The summer council meeting is tentatively scheduled for July 25 & 26th at Flint Oaks. Please keep the date open. It you have a suggestion or proposal for the 2017 State Convention, please have it ready then. Flint Oaks sounds like a wonderful location with lots of activities available. Thank you to Kent Montei and his committee of past state chairs for getting this set up. By the time you read this we should have an idea of what the rules will be for raffles. There are a few items we would like Above, State Chairman Greg Bird introduces award winners at the 2015 State Convention in Kansas City. to have better defined, but we should be able to live with what is proposed. More info to follow when we have better clarification. Again, thank all of you for your contribution to Kansas DU! Greg Bird Kansas Ducks Unlimited State Chairman Above, State Convention awards. Below, silent auction items up for bid. Kansas Prairie Wings Ducks Unlimited is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to conserving wetland habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife. DU was incorporated by a group of farsighted conservationists on Jan. 29, Membership in the organization is $35 minimum, which includes a subscription to the national Ducks Unlimited magazine. As the organiztion s official publication, Kansas Prairie Wings has a circulation of 15,000. Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of Ducks Unlimited, Inc. Similarities between the name Ducks Unlimited, Inc. and those of advertisers are coincidental and do not indicate mutual affiliation unless clearly stated. Members who have moved should send new address information and current membership number to national headquarters on POD Form Kansas Prairie Wings is printed annually. Please direct comments to the State Chairman Greg Bird. Dave Casper, Editor dcasper2@cox.net 2

3 K a n sas DU Ne ws Big Game Permits = Big Dollars for Kansas DU Kansas DU Chapter maximizes windfall from mule deer tag awarded by KDWP&T In January 2015, Kansas Ducks Unlimited was notified that it s Park City Chapter had been awarded a 2015 Big Game Deer permit by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. This did not mean the Park City Chapter was going deer hunting. It did however mean they had been given a great opportunity to market the coveted mule deer tag to outof-state hunters who would pay top dollar to hunt a mule deer in Kansas. Past DU State Chairman Roger Zettl, who has headed the Big Game Tag submissions for Kansas DU in recent years was quick to help the Park City Chapter market their Kansas mule deer tag. Almost immediately I started getting people inquiring about the tag and what I was going to do with it, said Zettl. The rules put in place by the KDWP&T are as follows: Organizations receiving the Commission Big Game Permits can market the permit to the public in order to receive the maximum financial benefit available to both the organization and the department. The organization must pay the department the price established by rules and regulations for the highest value for the deer permit which is $ including all issuance fees. After the permit sale, not less than 85 percent of the proceeds of the sale, minus the cost of the permit, must be sent into Wildlife and Parks to be placed in a Wildtrust account in DU s name to be used on approved projects. The remainder may be spent at the organizations discretion. far northwest Kansas. The final auction sale price for the Kansas Mule Deer Tag was a wopping $11,200. As the winning conservation organization, Kansas DU must pay $ to KDWP&T for the permit and will get to keep the remaining portion which must be used for DU conservation programs, said Zettl. Kansas Ducks Unlimited is eligible to submit a completed application for Big Game Tags for each of it s chapters in Kansas each year. Several chapters have already been awarded tags for big game hunts in Kansas and have sold them for big profits, which ultimatley provides more wildlife habitat through DU projects in North America. photos by DCasper Kansas Big Game Tags can be a great source of revenue for Kansas DU chapters. Once a Big Game Tag is awarded, the tag owners contact information is posted on the KDWP&T web site for out-of-state hunters to view, and make contact with the tag owner to begin the process of purchasing the tag. I created an type auction for the tag, said Zettl. I ultimately sold the permit to a individual who really wanted it so he could hunt mule deer in Ft Riley Elk Kansas DU encourages all chapters to participate in the KDWP&T s Commission Big Game Permit Drawing. An official application must be submitted no later than January 1, in the year of application and can be found on the KDWP&T web site. Interested in attending a DU event in your area? R Visit our website to find out when the chapters in your area will be hosting their next event: www. 3 R

4 2015 Kansas DU State Convention Kansas DU members flock to Kansas City... In late February, while huge flocks of waterfowl were winging their way north through Kansas to their breeding grounds, Ducks Unlimited members from around the state flocked to Kansas City s Double Tree Hotel, February 2022, for the annual State Convention. Kicking off the convention was a Duck Fever Party on Friday evening that allowed committee members from across the state a chance to see how this event works. Saturday morning was filled with workshops designed to educate and entertain volunteers. That evening featured an elaborate dinner banquet with live and silent auctions and the latest and greatest DU items in the 2015 national package. The night ended with an awards presentation to recognize volunteers for their outstanding effort during the previous 12 months. Unable to attend the convention was Corey Wagner, Area Chairman from Great Bend who was named Area Chairman of the Year for Congratulations Corey for all of your accomplishments last year and to all those who were awarded for their outstanding efforts in raising money for the Ducks in Above, Matt Farmer (right) from the Jamestown Wildlife Area, was awarded Wetlands Manager of the Year award for his outstanding service last year. Presenting the award was State Chairman Greg Bird (left). Right, the District Chairman of the Year award was presented to Terrell Black. Left, new State Chairman Greg Bird (left) recognizes past State Chairman Mark Schlegel for his past 2 years of service with a monogrammed gun case. Thanks for all you do for the Ducks Mark! photography by Dave Casper Above, the Smokey Valley Chapter was awarded the new Tundra Swan Award for their 2014 efforts, Nate Johnson (center) accepting. Left, Area Chair Steve Williams (left) and the Cloud County Chapter members accept the Canvasback award.

5 Chapter Awards Winners Above, the David Linderman accepts for Mallard Award for his Oregon Trail Chapter. Above right, the LeRoy Chapter received the New Chapter Mallard Award. Right, the Coffeyville Chapter was awarded the Canvasback Award, for 2014 with a 21% increase over last year. Above, the Chanute Chapter won the Canada Goose Award for a 30% increase in Left, the Seneca Chapter was awarded the Pintail for a 12% increase. Right, the Manhattan Chapter earned the Teal Award. Far Right, the Haysville Chapter, Todd Williams and Josh Ford, were awarded the Pintail for a 204% increase in Chapter Award %Up Manhattan Teal 3 Neosho Valley Teal 2 Gyp Hills Wood Duck 5 Pawnee Co. Wood Duck 4 Hiawatha Wood Duck 6 Fort Scott Wood Duck 5 Salina Pintail 13 South Central Pintail 21 Council Grove Pintail 83 Haysville Pintail 204 Independence Pintail 11 Leavenworth Pintail 21 Seneca Pintail 12 Cow Creek Pintail 15 McPherson Mallard 21 Clearwater Mallard 23 S.Fork Ninnescah Mallard 27 Hays Mallard Rice County Mallard 11.6 Smokey Hills Mallard 14.4 Ottawa Mallard 228 Mined Land Mallard 21 Oregon Trail Mallard 133 Parsons Mallard 18 Spring River Mallard 34 Marion Co. Canvasback 16 Cloud Co. Canvasback 22 Seward Co. Canvasback 25 Central KS Canvasback 15 Kiowa Co. Canvasback 15 Coffeyville Canvasback 21 Chanute Canada Goose 30 Hutchinson Canada Goose 17 Smoky Valley Tundra Swan 15

6 K a n s a s D U G r e en win g Ne ws Greenwing Goose Banding Event Held at Jamestown Wildlife Area On Saturday, August 30,R 2014,TKansas FO H E DUMsponsored EMB a goose banding event at Jamestown Wildlife Area that was attended by about 65 Greenwings. Employees of KDWP&T, along with about a dozen DU volunteers assisted in banding about 120 canada geese that department employees had captured from various urban areas around the state for relocation. Banding was in full swing by 8:00 as the geese were taken from their truck cage, banded, necessary information recorded for US Fish and Wildlife survey data and then released. By 10:00 the task was completed with all geese happily swimming down a marsh. At completion of the banding, department employees gave a brief talk about why banding takes place and how the information is used. Following that, everyone enjoyed a hot dog cookout, along with chips, cookies and drinks. After lunch, a tour of the Jamestown Wildlife Area was given by department employees with the final stop being at a Ducks Unlimited dedication site where a granite stone marker was placed and the names of major donors, along with Legacy Greenwings is located. ERS OF KANSAS DU visit: Greenwings are younger Ducks Unlimited members who are 17 or younger. Benefits of a Greenwing membership are: - One-year subscription to the Puddler online magazine - A Greenwing decal - Invitations to Greenwing events K a n sa s DU N ew s 2014 Kansas DU ATV Winner Announced! The 2014 Kansas Ducks Unlimited ATV FOR T HState E Yamaha MEM B Package ERS Winner was Randy Bunch from Ellsworth (Smoky Hill Chapter). Yamaha generously donates an ATV to Kansas DU on alternating years and the Grand Prize Winner was presented his new machine in late Congratulations Randy! Keep watch for your chance to win the 2016 Yamaha ATV package which will be announced later this year at an event near you. 6 R OF KANSAS DU

7 (continued from Cover story) Conservancy and others to improve the proposal score for the following round of grant submissions and the grant was awarded. They added projects to the proposal that will improve the wetland complexes at Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area (WA), McPherson Valley Wetlands WA and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. The partners also gave the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture (JV) a tour of Neosho. The JV is involved in ranking NAW- CA grant proposals and the tour gave them a firsthand look at the project. We believe part of our increased proposal score was due to the JV actually visiting Neosho and seeing how great this project actually is, said Hough. The project will commence in two phases and completely rehabilitate and improve the water delivery and management system at Neosho. Phase 1 involves installing two new water pumps, a new pump station and improvement of a second pump station. Phase 2 will install a water delivery canal, eight water control structures and associated levees and spillways. These enhancements will establish new wetland units within larger existing units to increase management efficiency for KDWPT employees. Restoring the heart of Quivira NWR Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, located in south central Kansas, is a migratory respite and home for birds of all species including waterfowl and whooping cranes. The habitat on the refuge combines unique inland salt marsh with sand prairie. Kansas DU News DU Expands Habitat Conservation Activities in Kansas At the heart of the refuge on Little Salt Marsh is a water control structure that controls water delivery to all the other units on the refuge. This structure has three bays, each 15 feet across, and was originally installed in the 50s or 60s. Age and high salinity waters have corroded the metal components of the structure and siltation has blocked one of the doors that functions to regulate water levels. The structure is now mostly nonfunctional. The structure now requires several refuge staff to beat it with sledge hammers and pry with crow bars to make the thing move, said Matt Hough, DU regional biologist for Kansas. photo by Dale Benedict DU was awarded a North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant to restore the structure and improve functionality of the water delivery system for the entire refuge. In all, this project will enhance 3,700 acres. We plan to use the existing concrete infrastructure but remove the metal components and bay system and replace it with a new system that will require less maintenance, can be easily repaired and will require only one staff person to operate, said Hough. A significant partner on this project is the George Stumps Trust Fund and its executers Marvin and Jack Dohrman. NAWCA grants are based on supporting partners. The George Stumps Trust Fund and the Dohrman brothers were integral to us being able to move forward with this project, said Hough. Matt Hough Regional Biologist, Ducks Unlimited, Inc. mhough@ducks.org Become A SPONSOR Save an Acre of Wetland By becoming a Ducks Unlimited Sponsor today, you ll save one acre of wetlands in North America. It s no surprise that Sponsors are critical to the success of Ducks Unlimited s mission! The value of your sponsorship is greater than $250 you are becoming a steward for the future of wetlands and waterfowl and preserving our beloved sport of waterfowl hunting. And you re saving far more than just one acre you are laying the foundation for other like-minded conservationists to build on with their donations and their time. 7 Take advantage of our monthly giving program, and for about $21 per month, you can become a DU Bronze Sponsor. That s less than 70 per day!

8 K a n s a s D U Ma jor Do no r Ne ws Kansas Major Donor Corner Kansas is off to a good start on its annual major sponsor goals which includes new life sponsors, new upgrades and new commitments and upgrades for Feather Society. As in the past, our state convention proved to be a good venue for major gift commitments and this year saw three new life sponsors and one upgrade. Jim and Dorothy Oberbeck, Jeff Jones and Ed and Kelli Vanderbeck all pledged life sponsorship at convention; while our always present and dedicated state secretary, Lynne Rozine, upgraded to Heritage Sponsor. The Sunflower State has a 2016 goal of 11 new life sponsors; 6 upgrades and 2 new feather commitments. Let your Area Chair, District Chair, RD or State Chair know if you have potential major sponsors at your event. Longtime DU volunteer Lee Swenson of Lindsborg recently completed his Life Sponsorship and was presented his plaque by KS director of development Kirk Davidson. Lee not only hosts the annual Smoky Valley banquet but also owns one of Kansas s premier sporting goods store Smoky Valley Shooting Sports located 4 miles south of Lindsborg. K a n s a s D U Ca len da r Ne ws Another State Gun Calendar in the works for 2016 For each of the past two years, Kansas Ducks Unlimited has produced a state Gun Calendar featuring photos of Kansas waterfowl and other native species taken in and around Kansas by local photographers. Each year also featured a Gun Giveaway which allowed buyers of the calendar a chance to win a new gun. In 2015 the calendar doubled the number of guns given away from one per week in 2014 to two each week in For 2016, a photo contest was held and a photo selection committee chose 13 photographs, one of which will appear at the top of each month of the calendar with an extra to be featured on the cover. If you would like to own a 2016 Kansas DU Gun Calendar please contact your local Area Chairman or a DU volunteer in your area. Calendars will be printed and made available for sale in late August. Each calendar will sell for $50 and provide the owner a chance to win one of the 104 guns to be given away. All contest rules and information are printed on the inside cover of each calendar. Winners will be notified by each week and a list of winners can be found at: Good Luck! 8 R