Mark T. Landgren Marsh dedicated in
memory of Nebraska sportsman

After two years of planning and work, Ducks Unlimited (DU) has completed the Mark T. Landgren Marsh in Nebraska’s Rainwater Basin. Outdoor enthusiasts, contributors and friends of “Mark T.” gathered on March 25, 2006, at the marsh site near Shickley, Neb., to commemorate this environmental accomplishment and to celebrate the life of a well-known Nebraska sportsman, Mark T. Landgren.

Many of Mark T’s friends and family members became Ducks Unlimited major donors and contributed more than $120,000 towards this project. These donations provided the bulk of the funds necessary to complete the restoration work on this 200-plus acre wetland. The marsh will play a vital role in sustaining the many species of waterfowl and other wildlife that rely on the vanishing wetlands in Nebraska’s Rainwater Basin. Millions of waterfowl and other water birds rely on Rainwater Basin wetlands during the critical spring migration period.

Friends and family of Mark T. decided to raise funds for this project after his tragic death in a rollover accident in northern Saskatchewan, Canada in June 2004. His wife, Sara, of Lincoln, and his two young sons, Sam, 3, and Ben, 2, survive him.

Other partners involved in this project included the Nebraska Environmental Trust, Rainwater Basin Joint Venture, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, North American Wetlands Conservation Council, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Pheasants Forever and the Shickley Volunteer Fire Department. Ducks Unlimited will transfer the property to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to be managed as part of the Mallard Haven Waterfowl Production Area.