Insights

Prairies Under Siege
Our most important waterfowl habitats need our help . . . now

By Don Young, Executive Vice President

Migratory waterfowl depend on habitats in virtually every corner of North America. But no region of the continent is more important to ducks than the prairies of the northern United States and Canada. For good reason, this region has become known within the waterfowl community as the “Duck Factory.” Millions of ducks and geese build their nests every spring in the region’s grasslands and raise their broods throughout the summer on pothole wetlands.

Since its inception more than six decades ago, DU’s work has been focused on the prairies. In fact, until the mid-seventies, DU worked exclusively on the prairies. Today, recognizing the importance of habitat throughout a duck’s life cycle, we protect and restore critical waterfowl habitat in important wintering and migration areas too. But the prairie breeding grounds are still our number-one priority for conservation.

Our work on the prairies is more important now than ever. The wetland and grassland habitats that are so important to waterfowl across the prairies are quickly disappearing. Nearly 70 percent of the prairie potholes of Canada and the northern United States are already gone. Last year, almost 13,000 acres of the best duck-nesting habitat on the continent were lost from two South Dakota counties alone. And possible changes to federal wetland protections hold the potential to tragically accelerate those losses in some of the last best places for ducks.

The prairies need our help now more than ever. Because of this, we are ramping up our efforts to restore and protect critical waterfowl habitat in the prairies, using the best science, the latest technology, and innovative new conservation tools. And, beginning with this issue of Ducks Unlimited magazine, we’re launching a series of feature articles designed to educate DU members about the importance of these habitats, new and ongoing threats to those habitats, and how DU members can help conserve them.

The first of these articles appears in this issue. It examines the role of predators in the prairie ecosystem and reaffirms DU’s policy of dealing with predators by securing a large base of habitat, as opposed to large-scale predator removal programs. Future stories will include an explanation of how Ducks Unlimited uses science-based planning models to make the best use of our conservation dollars on the prairies—we like to call it “getting the most ducks for your bucks.” Another story will deal with new threats to prairie habitats, including potential changes to interpretations of the Clean Water Act, which could prove devastating to waterfowl.

We’re counting on you to help make a difference for the future of waterfowl on the prairies. Education is the first step. In the pages of this magazine, on the DU Web site, and in other media, we’ll keep you updated on the latest threats to our most important waterfowl habitats. Then it’s up to you to help us spread the word: to your fellow waterfowlers, to others who care about the future of our wild places, and to our decision-makers in Washington.

And, as always, we pledge to spend the money you contribute for conservation wisely—in the prairies and in the other places most important for ducks and geese. For the well-being of the prairies, for the continent’s waterfowl, and for the enthusiastic people who love the outdoors lifestyle, anything less would be out of the question.