Syracuse.com - Ducks Unlimited teams up with others to bolster the state's wetlands scene

[HuntingNY-News]

Due to such things as agriculture, urbanization, residential development and construction of roads, this state has seen a loss of about 60 percent of its original wetlands habitat.

Dick Blume/The Post-StandardDucks Unlimited regional biologist Sarah Fleming says the group is now focusing on wetland and habitat conservation as a whole, not for the sole reason of how it benefits waterfowl. It’s hard to believe, but up until last year the 50 acres off South Butler Road in South Butler was used for farming.Earlier this week, Sarah Fleming, a regional biologist with Duck’s Unlimited, walked a raised berm overlooking a 13-acre wetlands that had filled in with a variety of plants, such as millet, smartweed and barnyard grasses. A number of ducks — mallards, blue and green-winged teals and wood ducks — could be seen, along with other birds.

“All the plants growing in there right now are all good sources of waterfowl food,” she said. “Back in late June, this was all just dirt. It’s a great example of a wetland and how quickly one can be restored.”

The project in southeast Wayne county is also a great example of what Ducks Unlimited can do when it partners with other agencies and groups, and when it taps into its strong base of volunteers who support its programs.

The 50 acres — with one other artificially restored, wetland impoundment, and another field that’s been allowed to revert back to the wild — was purchased by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. It’s part of the state-owned, Northern Montezuma Wetlands Complex, which is just north of the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge.

Due in large part to Ducks Unlimited’s involvement, the DEC was able to move ahead this summer on restoring the land, receiving strong support from members of the Geneva-based, Finger Lakes Chapter of Ducks Unlimited.

Last month, the complex was dedicated and a plaque was put in place this week, honoring John and Dan Warder, the founders of the local chapter. In addition, a youth duck hunt was held on the land Saturday, sponsored jointly by the Montezuma Audubon Center in Savannah and the DEC.

During Wednesday’s walk on the property, Fleming talked about what Ducks Unlimited does, and why hunters and non-hunters alike should care.

What’s the big deal with restoring wetlands?

Due to such things as agriculture, urbanization, residential development and construction of roads, this state has seen a loss of about 60 percent of its original wetlands habitat. Wetlands provide habitat, food and resources for hundreds of species of wildlife, from birds to fish, to reptiles, to amphibians. And they provide social benefits for humans as well, such as improving local water quality, reducing floods, preventing soil erosion.

How does Ducks Unlimited, which is a huge player on the national conservation scene, get things done?

We have chapters in communities across the country, in addition to Mexico and Canada. In New York alone, we have nearly 16,000 dues-paying members and last year raised nearly $1.3 million for conservation efforts. However, we just don’t go around handing out money. Ultimately, our strength is working with partners, such as the DEC and other agencies and groups that may not have the time, ability or staff to do such things as write grants, or that volunteer help. We have our own engineering staff. A big strength is our track record in writing federal grant proposals, seeking money from sources such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the federal Environmental Protection Agency. We leverage those federal grants with our membership dollars, usually on a 4-1 basis. Thus, $25 in membership fees can get us $100 in federal grants.

Isn’t it a given, though, that if Ducks Unlimited is involved that the land has to be opened up to hunting ducks?

It is a fact that the people who are most active in wildlife conservation and restoration are hunters, or of a hunting orientation. That comes from a long history of hunters paying for the availability of land through federal and state license fees and taxes on their hunting equipment.

However, the big misconception is that we are restoring wetlands simply to hunt waterfowl. That’s not true. Our group’s foundation originally was to conserve waterfowl populations so they would be available for future generations to hunt. We’re now focusing on wetland and habitat conservation as a whole, not for the sole reason of how it benefits waterfowl, but for how it benefits all wetlands wildlife species, as well as people.

It seems like your group is involved in the (state-owned) Northern Montezuma Wetlands Complex big-time, particularly since it’s in the path of all these migrating birds.

We have done substantial work here back into the early 1990s. This project here now is all part of a $1 million grant we obtained through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that involves the restoration of 570 acres. This area has been identified as being significantly important to waterfowl and migrating bird populations and that’s why we’re focusing on it.

We’re also heavily involved in projects along the southern shore of Lake Ontario, stretching from Buffalo, all the way to Henderson Harbor and to the St. Lawrence River.

Do you hunt?

Both my husband and I are avid hunters. I’ve hunted primarily turkey, deer and waterfowl. We just moved to Jordan, just 20 minutes away from work. It’s gorgeous there. We have never lived in an area where we’ve had the opportunity to hunt upland birds. We’re looking forward to it this fall. We have three hunting dogs — two Chesapeake Bay retrievers and a black lab.

More on Ducks Unlimited

- It has helped conserve 43,000 acres in New York including land in every country in Central New York, particularly in Wayne and Seneca counties.

- 81 percent of every dollar donated to the group goes directly conservation efforts.

- For more on D.U.’s local conservation efforts, email Sarah Fleming at [email protected] or the Ducks Unlimited Web site.

More from Sarah Fleming:

Fleming will be speaking from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Montezuma Audubon Center. She will will describe DU’s conservation program, highlighting projects in the Montezuma Wetlands Complex and across NY State. DU conserves, restores, and manages wetlands and associated habitats for North America's waterfowl. These habitats also benefit other wildlife and people. The vision of DU is wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. DU will achieve this vision through diverse public and private partnerships to address the full range of factors that continue to erode waterfowl habitat across North America. Fee: $3/child; $5/adult; $15/family; FREE for Friends of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog