Ducks Unlimited
Encyclopedia
Ducks Unlimited is an international non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...

 dedicated to the conservation
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....

 of wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people. It currently has approximately 780,000 members, mostly in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

.

Introduction

Ducks Unlimited (DU) was founded by Joseph Knapp, E. H. Low and Robert Winthrop on January 29, 1937, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 as a result of both theirs and other like-minded influential sportsmen's concern about the loss of wetlands as habitat for waterfowl and the impact this would have on waterfowl hunting.

Ducks Unlimited Canada was established in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 in 1938. Other chapters have since begun operation in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages  – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...

, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

.

DU has become a leader in waterfowl habitat conservation and has conserved more than 12.4 million acres (46,900 km²) of waterfowl habitat in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

. DU partners with a wide range of corporations, governments, other non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...

s, landowners, and private citizens to restore and manage areas that have been degraded and to prevent further degradation of existing wetlands. DU is also active in working with others to recommend government policies that will positively influence wetlands and the environment. DU generates $200M in revenues each year, of which a minimum of 80 percent goes directly towards habitat conservation. Their sources of revenue include Federal and State habitat reimbursements (37%), conservation easements (13%), sponsors and members (24%), major gifts and donations (21%) and royalties/advertisement (5%). Through its conservation activities, DU benefits biodiversity, water quality, the environment, and the economy in the areas in which it is active.

Ducks Unlimited, in keeping with its founders' intentions, also promotes the continuation of safe and regulated waterfowl hunting. The majority of DU's financial contributors and members are waterfowl hunters, and over 90% of those who read DU's magazine are hunters. The DU magazine contains many historical and practical articles on waterfowl hunting, and it obtains revenue from advertisements of waterfowling equipment such as shotguns, ammunition, decoys, and bird calls.

Conservation

Traditionally, most DU wetland conservation projects were conducted on waterfowl breeding areas in the Canadian prairies by its subsidiary, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). DUC has however expanded its operations to include projects in every Canadian province and territory. DU has also expanded its operations to include conservation projects in every state, though it retains primary focus on habitats most important to waterfowl including the restoration of duck breeding habitat in the northern central states and also duck overwintering habitat mostly in the coastal and southern states and in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

.

Methods

Ducks Unlimited places strong emphasis on science and research. It works closely with biologists and ecologists to evaluate habitat needs and to monitor how birds respond to various environmental changes. Some of the methods used by Ducks Unlimited to conserve habitats are:

Restoring grassland
  • Grassland cover helps hens conceal their nests and increases their chances of successfully hatching a clutch.


Replanting forests
  • Forests that flood regularly due to overflowing riverbanks, such as the bottomland hardwood forests in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley make for ideal wintering habitat for ducks, and provide essential breeding and foraging habitat for other wildlife species. However,80 percent of these forests have been cleared and natural flooding has been reduced by 50 – 90%.


Restoring watersheds
  • When watersheds are disturbed, contaminants wash into wetlands and disrupt the plants, fish and animals. DU restores drained wetlands, protects stream corridors and establishes buffer strips that filter nutrients and silt.


Educating landowners
  • DU works with farmers, ranchers and other landowners to improve the agricultural and recreational value of their land while making it more wildlife-friendly.


Conservation easements
  • Conservation easements protect the natural resource values of a property in perpetuity. The landowner maintains actual ownership of the land, but agrees to certain development restrictions. Since 75% of U.S. wetlands are on private property, conservation easements play a crucial role in the conservation movement.


Acquiring land
  • The direct purchase of wetlands to restore and protect it. Once restoration is complete, DU generally sells or donates the property to a group or agency that will manage it for wildlife.


Ducks Unlimited is also working closely with government leaders, conservation leaders, private landowners, and farmers to ensure that environmental provisions are contained in the 2012 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill supports programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program
Conservation Reserve Program
The Conservation Reserve Program is a cost-share and rental payment program under the United States Department of Agriculture , and is administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency . Technical assistance for CRP is provided by the USDA Forest Service and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation...

 (CRP) and Wetlands Reserve Program
Wetlands Reserve Program
The Wetlands Reserve Program is a voluntary program offering landowners the opportunity to protect, restore, and enhance wetlands on their property. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service administers the program with funding from the Commodity Credit Corporation.- Establishment :The WRP...

(WRP).

Regions of special interest

Ducks Unlimited takes a continental, landscape approach to wetland conservation. While DU works in all 50 states, the organization focuses its efforts and resources on the habitats most beneficial to waterfowl and in greatest jeopardy of disappearing. The following areas are considered to be DU's top 5 conservation priorities:

Criticism

Ducks Unlimited was founded by waterfowl hunters intent on preserving their recreational interests, and remains a pro-hunting organization. Some other environmental groups and anti-hunting lobbyists have consequently had a historically difficult relationship with DU. These groups accuse DU of simply breeding ducks to be shot.
Supporters counter that many species besides waterfowl live in the habitat restored and protected by DU dollars, and wetlands improve the overall health of our environment by recharging and purifying groundwater, moderating floods and reducing soil erosion. DU also continues to complete many more successful conservation projects than do many of its detractors.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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