The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Conservation Commission recently granted Ducks Unlimited (DU) and numerous partners $9 million in North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) funds to continue three programs in the Great Lakes Region.
$3 million was awarded for Phase Two of DU’s Great Lakes Mallards Project. This grant funding will be used to protect, restore and improve 3,689 acres of wetland and upland habitat in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio that are vital to mallards’ breeding success in the region.
The Upper Midwest has suffered dramatic wetland losses, with declines of up to 46% in Wisconsin. Much of the project area is threatened by urbanization and the conversion of vulnerable habitats such as small wetlands and grasslands.
About 52% of the 3,689 acres included in the project are on public lands managed by the Departments of Natural Resources in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan and will support various forms of outdoor recreation, including hunting. An additional 20% is open to hiking and wildlife viewing.
“Breeding mallard numbers across the Great Lakes have been trending downward since the early 2000s,” said DU Biologist Hunter Mentges. “What we’re seeing in the research is clear. When grasslands and wetlands disappear, mallard productivity drops right along with them. If we want to turn this around, we must protect and restore the grasslands where hens nest and the wetlands where they raise their broods, especially across a region that’s mostly privately owned. We’re following the Upper Mississippi River/Great Lakes Joint Venture habitat‑first approach to meeting bird population goals. Using their guidance and detailed habitat models, we have put together a set of projects designed specifically to support mallard breeding habitats in the Great Lakes Region.”
Eastern Wisconsin Great Lakes Focus Area
A $3 million grant for DU’s Eastern Wisconsin Great Lakes Focus Area II Project aims to protect, restore and enhance 8,593 acres of wetlands and adjacent uplands across eight counties in Wisconsin, focusing on critical breeding and migration habitats for waterfowl, shorebirds and other migratory species, to permanently protect 864 acres, restore 315 acres, and enhance 7,414 acres.
The project involves acquiring eight parcels totaling 302 acres through fee title, including properties such as Sheboygan Marsh, Pigeon River, Black Ash Swamp, Wiedmeyer Property and Milwaukee River Oxbow, with costs ranging from $25,000 to over $1.25 million per tract. Other projects include the restoration and enhancement of 7,729 acres of wetland and grassland habitat that is important to nesting and migrating waterfowl.
“Habitat in the area faces threats from residential development, which could destroy wetlands. That habitat needs immediate protection to prevent loss,” said DU Wisconsin Wetland Habitat
Coordinator and Private Lands Biologist Sara Comstock. “This project prioritizes public access for birding, hunting and recreation, with 92% of the acreage (7,908 acres) open to the public and aims to improve water quality, flood control, ecological services, and stimulate local economies through habitat conservation and recreation opportunities.”
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