Chaya Marsh Project Complete

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1 2008 CONSERVATION REPORT GREAT LAKES/ATLANTIC REGIONAL OFFICE Chaya Marsh Project Complete The enhancement of 310 acres of wetland within Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area in Dodge County is now complete. Krause Excavating, from Markesan, Wis., completed the dike construction and final grading of nearly 12,000 feet of levee and the installation of five new water control structures in November These improvements will allow the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to manipulate water levels to control invasive cattail and promote the growth of beneficial moist soil plants, which will provide improved habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife. Ducks Unlimited engineers provided the survey, design and construction oversight for the project. Chaya Marsh is our third Wisconsin PRIDE project and a dedication is planned for Funding for this project was provided by Ducks Unlimited, Wisconsin DNR, North American Wetlands Conservation Council, Dr. Charles & Shirley Pechous, Ted & Grace Bachhuber Foundation, Marshall & Ilsley Foundation and the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation. Recently graded levee and access point to the 310-acre Chaya Marsh at Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area Ducks Unlimited Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Office 1

2 WISCONSIN HABITAT HAPPENINGS Ducks Unlimited and CropLife America Partnership Partnership results in herbicide to enhance nesting habitat at Wisconsin s Glacial Habitat Restoration Area and Crex Meadows/Fish Lake state wildlife areas The Glacial Habitat Restoration Area (GHRA) in eastern Wisconsin and Crex Meadows and Fish Lake state wildlife areas (SWAs) in northwest Wisconsin offer important habitat for migratory waterfowl and other wetland-dependent wildlife. These areas provide migration habitat for hundreds of thousands of waterfowl each year, while also providing critical nesting habitat, primarily for mallards, blue-winged teal and wood ducks. However, a documented decline in wetland and grassland wildlife has resulted from large-scale land use change in these areas. To help reverse this trend, Ducks Unlimited (DU) and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently joined forces with Syngenta to control weeds in preparation for the restoration of native prairie within the GHRA and to control invasive woody vegetation in existing prairie at Crex Meadows and Fish Lake SWAs. As part of a two-year project, Syngenta has generously donated 620 gallons of Touchdown HiTech herbicide valued at over $21,000. This donation will help DU and our partners restore and enhance native prairie favorable to grassland-nesting songbirds, pheasants and ducks. This is the first year that Syngenta has supported DU projects in Wisconsin. Syngenta has supported DU projects in the United States and Canada since 2003, and Syngenta s product donations have earned them the DU Gold Teal Award. Their Wisconsin donation is part of DU s national partnership with CropLife America, a trade association representing manufacturers and distributors of plant science solutions for agriculture and pest management in the United States. Syngenta is a member of CropLife America and understands the value of their contributions to waterfowl conservation. The GHRA was established in 1991 by the DNR and includes 24 townships within Winnebago, Fond du Lac, Dodge and Columbia counties. It consists of a mix of agricultural land, grasslands and wetlands, and is located in the historic center of Wisconsin s premier duck range. A total of 592 upland acres will be treated with the donated herbicide to kill annual and perennial weeds as the first step in native prairie restoration. After treatment, these uplands will be seeded with a mix of native prairie grasses and forbs. Established stand of native prairie grass in the Glacial Habitat Restoration Area The Crex Meadows and Fish Lake SWAs encompass more than 44,000 acres of west-central Burnett County. Mixed throughout the large native grassland, pine/oak barrens and shrubland communities are more than 20,000 acres of shallow water flowages and sedge meadow. During migration, these wetlands host thousands of staging waterfowl and sandhill cranes. Over the next two years, the DNR will apply Touchdown HiTech herbicide to invasive woody vegetation on 400 acres of native prairie and pine/oak barrens at Crex Meadows and Fish Lake SWAs. Annual herbicide application to control invasive woody vegetation will be critical to promoting native prairie and pine/oak barren diversity in these wildlife areas. Ducks Unlimited Helps Protect Wetlands on Red Cedar River Waterfowl habitat permanently protected along the Red Cedar River. In October 2007, Ducks Unlimited provided funding to the West Wisconsin Land Trust to acquire and permanently protect 100 acres of wetland and upland forested habitat on the Red Cedar River in Dunn County. This property occupies the inside curve of a large bend in the Red Cedar River and contains numerous emergent and forested wetlands that provide quality habitat for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent wildlife. The West Wisconsin Land Trust will own and manage the property for low-impact recreational use, including fishing, hunting, hiking and birding. Other contributing partners in this effort include the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, North American Wetlands Conservation Council, Dunn County Land Conservation, National Wild Turkey Federation, Tainter Menomin Lake Improvement Association Inc., Dunn County Fish and Game, Downsville Sportsman s Club, Menomonie Rifle and Pistol Club, Chippewa Valley Sierra Club, Tainter Lake Sportsmen s Club, Pheasants Forever, Eau Galle Sportsmen s Club, Colfax Sportsmen s Club and Rock Falls Sportsmen s Club. 2

3 WISCONSIN HABITAT HAPPENINGS Get Wisconsin PRIDE Putting Resources Into Ducks Everywhere Wisconsin PRIDE (Putting Resources Into Ducks Everywhere) is a major gift campaign developed by Ducks Unlimited to secure major sponsor support of habitat conservation and our waterfowling heritage in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Through this program, donors can choose to restrict their dollars to Wisconsin to fund wetland conservation in DU priority landscapes. Wisconsin ecosystem initiatives include the Great Lakes and the Upper Mississippi River. Within these broad, watershed-based initiatives, Ducks Unlimited targets its conservation activities in priority conservation areas to effectively address waterfowl and wildlife habitat issues, as well as water quality concerns. These priority areas include the Eastern Wisconsin, Northwest Wisconsin and Illinois River watersheds. Small pothole-like wetlands created by the Wisconsin glaciation and large areas of fertile prairie once dominated the Wisconsin landscape, which made this area extremely attractive to breeding and migrating waterfowl. Over time, this area has lost 50 percent of its wetlands and 99 percent of its grasslands, and habitat loss continues at an alarming rate. Restoration and protection of wetlands and associated grasslands is vital to increase habitat for breeding and migrating waterfowl and other wildlife, and to reduce nutrient and sediment runoff into area lakes and streams. For 70 years, with the support of volunteers, members and donors, Ducks Unlimited has been successful in turning grassroots dollars into habitat throughout North America. Your gift will leave a legacy on the landscape to be enjoyed by future generations and will enhance our rich waterfowling heritage. To learn more about Wisconsin PRIDE, contact your regional director or major gift chairman, or DU s Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Office. North American Wetlands Conservation Act Initiatives Ducks Unlimited and partners investing millions in Wisconsin Northwest Pothole Habitat initiative In December 2007, the North American Wetlands Conservation Council (NAWCC) selected a $1 million North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) proposal submitted by Ducks Unlimited for habitat conservation in northwest Wisconsin to be submitted to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission for final review and hopefully approval in March. Pending Congressional appropriation, this grant will become the fifth phase of the Wisconsin Northwest Pothole Habitat Initiative. The habitats protected and restored through these grants provide breeding and migration habitat for a number of species of waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds and land birds, and a variety of threatened and endangered species. If funded, Ducks Unlimited will administer the grant and partner with several federal, state, local and private organizations to implement projects, including the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, West Wisconsin Land Trust, Polk County Land and Water Resources, Mark Johnson, Pheasants Forever, Star Prairie Fish & Game, Standing Cedars Community Land Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. DU and its partners will use this grant and $6,368,564 in matching funds to protect and restore more than 3,800 acres of critical wetlands and associated upland habitats in northwest Wisconsin. Approximate locations of proposed projects to be completed under the Wisconsin Northwest Pothole Habitat Initiative - Phase V NAWCA grant. Note: Points may represent more than one project. Bloomfield State Wildlife Area Restoration Underway This wetland project is a cooperative effort between the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, North American Wetlands Conservation Council and Ducks Unlimited to restore 70 acres of quality wetland habitat at Bloomfield State Wildlife Area in Walworth County. Wetland hydrology will be restored and enhanced by plugging existing drainage ditches and through shallow excavations in wetland areas currently choked by invasive plant species. Once complete, the project area will provide waterfowl pair pond sites and brood habitat for maximized production. Other wetland-dependent migratory birds, including songbirds, shorebirds and wading birds, will benefit from the added wetland habitat diversity provided by this project. Ducks Unlimited engineers recently completed a topographic survey and conceptual design and plan to initiate construction in Ditched and drained wetlands to be restored and enhanced at Bloomfield SWA. Ducks Unlimited Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Office 3

4 WISCONSIN HABITAT HAPPENINGS Program Highlights Dodge County Frankfurth Impoundment Ducks Unlimited provided cost-share assistance to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove more than 900 feet of ditch spoil bank on the Schaumberg ditch in the Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. Ditch spoil banks were impeding the flow of water within the 432-acre Frankfurth Impoundment, affecting the quality of the habitat. Specialized track-driven dump trucks were used to haul ditch spoils from the impoundment. Improved hydrology within the impoundment will allow for ideal breeding and foraging areas for waterfowl and other migratory birds. Cattail Control Ducks Unlimited donated AquaMaster herbicide to the Wisconsin DNR to control cattail in 144 wetland acres at Horicon Marsh and Vernon Marsh state wildlife areas. Monsanto Company, a CropLife America member company, recently donated more than $30,000 of AquaMaster herbicide to Ducks Unlimited for controlling invasive cattail in Wisconsin wetlands. Theresa Marsh State Wildlife Area The Theresa Marsh State Wildlife Area project is a cooperative effort between Ducks Unlimited and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to enhance wetland habitat on the 87-acre Petersbur Impoundment. Ducks Unlimited engineers conducted a topographic survey of the site in summer The survey data will allow DU to perform a hydrologic analysis and determine future design feasibility and restoration options. Oconto County Ducks Unlimited provided cost-share assistance to the Oconto Sportsman s Club to restore 22 acres of wild rice beds in Oconto Marsh. Wild rice is an annual aquatic grass that produces seed that is a delicious and nutritious food source for waterfowl and people. Ozaukee County In cooperation with the Wisconsin DNR and Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD), Ducks Unlimited engineers conducted a topographic survey of a 101-acre wetland and associated upland restoration site on Little Menomonee Creek. The site is owned by MMSD and will be managed by the City of Mequon. Rock County Ducks Unlimited provided cost-share assistance to the Wisconsin DNR to restore 349 acres of wetlands and native grasslands on the Lakin WRP Tract, located adjacent to the Avon Bottoms State Wildlife Area. Restoration consisted of ditch filling, shallow oxbow/ scrape excavation, native plant establishment and bottomland hardwood reforestation. Following the restoration, the Natural Heritage Land Trust transferred the property to the Wisconsin DNR for public use. Dane County Ducks Unlimited provided cost-share assistance to the National Heritage Land Trust to acquire and permanently protect the 22.5-acre Paulson Tract, located adjacent to Patrick Marsh, near Sun Prairie. The National Heritage Land Trust will manage the property as part of a larger effort to protect wildlife habitat at the 990-acre Patrick Marsh Natural Resources Site. The site will be restored to upland native grassland habitat in Green Lake & Winnebago counties Ducks Unlimited donated AquaMaster herbicide to the Wisconsin DNR to control cattail on 98 acres of wetland at Rush Lake and Grand River Marsh state wildlife areas. Monsanto Company, a CropLife America member company, recently donated more than $30,000 of AquaMaster herbicide to Ducks Unlimited for controlling invasive cattail in Wisconsin wetlands. Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas & Iron counties Ducks Unlimited provided cost-share assistance to Bayfield County Land & Water Conservation Department to restore 30 acres of wetland habitat on private land in Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas and Iron counties. These wetland restorations will provide critical habitat for breeding and brood-rearing waterfowl. Juneau County Ducks Unlimited cooperated with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association to restore 156 acres of emergent wetland in the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. The project involved installing nine ditch plugs on the Danielson and Spencer Robinson ditches. Restored hydrology will provide open water and emergent wetland habitat for whooping and sandhill cranes, sedge wrens and waterfowl. 4

5 WISCONSIN CONSERVATION SUMMARY DUCKS UNLIMITED completed current featured Red Cedar River Note: Project points may represent more than one project Accomplishments 87 projects completed $556,013 invested 2,068 acres conserved Chaya Marsh 15,776 acres of Technical Assistance Bloomfield SWA Meet Your Wisconsin Biologist Jason Hill has worked for Ducks Unlimited since 2000 and assumed the role of Wisconsin regional biologist in Jason started as a DU conservation intern and in 2001 was hired by DU as a program biologist overseeing various DU conservation programs in Michigan. In 2003, Jason was promoted to the position of the Indiana regional biologist, responsible for DU conservation programs in Indiana. A graduate of Michigan State University, Jason received a bachelor s and master s degree in fisheries and wildlife management, with a focus on wetlands and waterfowl. Jason was born and raised in southeast Michigan and is an avid sportsman with a great love of the outdoors. Jason and his wife Alyssa live north of the Great Lakes/ Atlantic Regional Office in Ann Arbor, Mich. Jason can be contacted by at jhill@ducks.org or by phone at Ducks Unlimited Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Office 5

6 GLARO S CONSERVATION VISION Remember the family vacation to your grandparents farm? Or that first morning in the hunting blind with your uncle? Nearly all of us have a bond with land. Build on that connection with Ducks Unlimited s conservation land services. Habitat Development and Wetland Mitigation Ducks Unlimited projects on private lands provide tremendous benefits to waterfowl, other wildlife and you! DU has teams of biologists and engineers that provide wetland restoration, management and protection services directly to landowners. When a private land project is matched up with wetland mitigation funds, the result is habitat for wildlife and financial gain to the landowner. Let us know if you are interested in a wetland project on your land! Get Informed Habitat Protection and you Conservation easements Conservation easements provide a unique opportunity for the protection of private lands by restricting development and assuring that the property remains open as wildlife habitat in perpetuity. Each easement is tailored to meet the needs and interests of each individual landowner, allowing for the protection of key natural habitats while continuing to use the land for economic gain or recreation. Such protection assures that large areas of riparian wetland habitats and important uplands will be preserved for the benefit of waterfowl and other wildlife, and for future generations. Trade Lands Property can be donated to Ducks Unlimited with the understanding that DU will sell it. Some may be personal residences or commercial properties with no conservation value whatsoever. DU s objective is to sell the parcel for top dollar and use the proceeds to fund habitat-saving transactions. DU typically will accept only such donations when we believe the property can be converted readily into cash to fund our urgent wetlands conservation mission. Conservation Lands If you own land that contains prime wetland habitat, you can donate it to DU; it benefits our mission and could provide you with tax benefits. DU may choose to perform habitat enhancement on the property while it is owned by DU. Ultimately, though, DU s goal is to permanently protect the property with a conservation easement and then sell that habitat to a conservation buyer. We reinvest the proceeds to protect further habitat! Conservation Buyers These conservation-minded individuals are an integral and necessary component of DU s ability to accomplish its mission. These buyers purchase protected properties from DU and DU, in turn, reinvests those proceeds to protect more wetland and wildlife habitat that is at risk of being lost forever to development. If you are interested in becoming a conservation buyer, please visit DU s Web site: 6

7 GLARO S CONSERVATION VISION What can your land do for you? If you own land and care about wetlands and wildlife, you can help DU protect and restore wetlands and other types of habitat on your land! By letting DU know that you, or someone you know, own land and are interested in conservation, you are helping DU achieve its mission of protecting, restoring and managing wetlands for waterfowl, other wildlife and people. Unlike a state or federal wildlife agency, DU is not a land-holding organization. Ducks Unlimited believes the urgency of its conservation mission is best served by acquiring, permanently protecting and divesting itself of the protected land. Visit our Web site and participate in Ducks Unlimited s conservation efforts today! North America s Vanishing Wetlands: Facing the Challenge Poets write about it. Conservationists strive to continue it. Sportsmen dream about it. The migration of North America s waterfowl and other birds is one of nature s grandest and most anticipated events. Wetlands make this migration possible. Wetlands also provide the foundation for North America s water supply. We rely on them for clean and abundant water, flood protection and recreation. Wetlands are vital to us all, yet every 10 minutes another acre of wetlands is drained. Ducks Unlimited: Answering the Challenge To answer the challenge to save North America s wetlands, grasslands and waterfowl, Ducks Unlimited has embarked on the Wetlands for Tomorrow campaign, an ambitious continental effort to raise at least $1.7 billion for wetland habitat conservation. Leave a Legacy and help the ducks There are many ways that members, volunteers and private citizens are crucial to DU s success in conserving wetlands. One way that has become increasingly important is offering conservation opportunities on your land. Our ability to leverage grants, grassroot funds and yes, your donations, is becoming increasingly dependent upon having a solid database of potential properties. That means having a list of landowners in every state that are interested in protecting and restoring wetland habitat on their land. With a proven track record of partnering with the private sector, government and other conservation organizations for nearly 70 years, Ducks Unlimited has restored and conserved nearly 12 million acres of crucial habitat that benefits waterfowl, other wildlife and people. Please join us to learn more about Wetlands for Tomorrow and the initiatives to conserve North America s critical wetlands. Within the Great Lakes/Atlantic Region, residents of the states of Delaware, Maryland, New York and Virginia may also qualify for significant state income tax benefits for the donation of conservation lands or easements on their properties. Ducks Unlimited Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Office 7

8 FRIENDS OF DUCKS UNLIMITED Great Lakes Ecosystem Initiative Efforts Supported by Hamilton Family Foundation The Hamilton Family Foundation recently contributed $10,000 in support of critical wetland conservation efforts by Ducks Unlimited in the Great Lakes Ecosystem Initiative, including Wisconsin. This generous pledge will be leveraged multiple times through federal and state programs and partnerships to expand our conservation efforts in the Great Lakes watershed. Located in Oostburg, Wis., the Hamilton Family Foundation was created to continue the philanthropy that was established by William and Mary Hamilton. Thank you to the Hamilton Family Foundation for your support of Ducks Unlimited. Nicholas Family Foundation Continues Support of Wetland Conservation and Education at Horicon Marsh The Nicholas Family Foundation recently contributed an additional $10,000 in support of conservation and education at the famed Horicon Marsh in Dodge County. This generous contribution will help with renovations and additions to the existing Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Horicon Marsh International Education Center and establish new wetland and waterfowl exhibits. The education center is a public-private partnership between the Wisconsin DNR, Friends of Horicon Marsh, Ducks Unlimited and many other contributing organizations and individuals to provide year-round educational opportunities to the public. Our sincere gratitude goes to the Nicholas Family Foundation for their support! The renovated Horicon Marsh International Education Center will feature marsh exhibits and viewing areas, classrooms, a library and an information center. Wisconsin Volunteer Conservationist of the Year: Jim Beitzel Wisconsin Ducks Unlimited is known nationwide for the dedication and passion of its volunteers. None are more dedicated or passionate about waterfowl and Ducks Unlimited s conservation mission than Jim Beitzel. Over his 30-plus-year association with DU, Jim has made significant contributions to conserve our waterfowl and wetland resources. Jim is a charter member of the Lakeshore Chapter in Manitowoc, currently a volunteer on the Brillion Marshes Chapter and holds Diamond Life Sponsor status. He has served on the Wisconsin Conservation Committee the last six years and is a trustee emeritus and national delegate having attended the last 12 national conventions. He also served on the Wisconsin state convention, merchandise and major gift committees, volunteered all nine years at the Ducks Unlimited Great Outdoors Festival and currently manages four SBA easels. Jim s contributions to DU s conservation programs in Wisconsin are substantial. He helped secure funding partners for the Conservation Road Flowage project at Brillion State Wildlife Area. Jim also fostered a relationship with the R.D. & Linda Peters Foundation that resulted in funding for wetland restoration efforts on Killsnake and Brillion state wildlife areas. Over the years, Jim has kept Ducks Unlimited s mission at the forefront. Through his efforts, Jim has spread the DU conservation message wherever he goes, developed numerous corporate partnerships and recruited many new DU family members. He has led by example, preferring to stay in the shadows while pushing others forward when it s time for recognition, in hopes that they will become as committed as he is to Ducks Unlimited. 8