More information on these NAWCA grants is available on the Service’ s website. •
of dirt they can, amidst a prevailing attitude that“ wildlife can go somewhere else.”
But, habitat loss remains vivid.
“ Ducks need grass to breed, and grass pretty much only gets taken off the landscape in the long-term,” Dr. Nicolai explained.“ We all saw what an increase in grass means when CRP was in its heyday in the early 2000’ s. We need grass on prairie habitats to allow ducks to nest successfully.” But today, bigger is better.“ Small, isolated patches of grass will attract ducks, but not many ducklings are made in small patches,” he continued.“ Predators can search these smaller patches more efficiently than large patches.”
Shaking Hands
A large majority of Dr. Nicolai’ s work involves direct contact with folks who own the land, who ultimately decide what is habitat and what isn’ t habitat. I asked him about his experience with rural people.
“ There is very rarely a poor encounter,” he said.“ Nearly all interactions are quite good. Some landowners say we have enough ducks, but they probably have a preference for deer or pheasants, which is fair. North Dakota is unique in that the vast majority of people are genuinely interested in wildlife. Delta is unique in that folks know the Hen Houses out there are due to Delta Waterfowl.” Delta Waterfowl is also well-
$ 102.9 Million for Wetland Conservation
Will help conserve / restore 548,242 acres of critical wetland habitat
WASHINGTON – The Department of the Interior announced $ 102.9 million in North American Wetlands Conservation Act funding has been approved by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, providing the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners the ability to conserve, restore or enhance 548,242 acres of critical wetland and associated upland habitat for migratory birds across North America. Partners will provide more than $ 201.2 million in matching funds.
“ For more than 35 years, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act has fostered partnerships and an investment in wetland conservation that yield both ecological and economic returns for local communities and a broad range of industries, including tourism, commercial fisheries, forestry and agriculture,” said Sec. of the Interior Doug Burgum.“ These grants will increase and maintain healthy bird populations and wetland habitat, while supporting local economies and improving public access to recreational activities for American traditions, such as hunting, fishing and birdwatching.”
The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission is chaired by the Secretary of the Interior. The Commission has helped conserve much of the nation’ s most important waterfowl habitat and establish or enhance many of the country’ s most popular destinations for waterfowl hunting and birding. The North American Wetlands Conservation Act( NAWCA) is one of the most effective tools we have for migratory bird conservation.
NAWCA is the only federal grant program dedicated to the conservation of wetland habitats for migratory birds. Since 1991, more than $ 7.1 billion in funding has advanced the conservation of wetland habitats and their wildlife across more than 32.9 million acres of habitat in all 50 U. S. states, Canada and Mexico, while engaging more than 7,100 partners in more than 3,400 projects.
More information on these NAWCA grants is available on the Service’ s website. •
known for it’ s heroic work on predator control in highly populated areas of waterfowl production, a successful program launched several years ago.
“ They( people) also hear about trappers and are quite supportive of that program as well” he continued.“ No one likes having a skunk spray a dog in the yard at night or a raccoon taking chickens.” •
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Page 62, Dakota Country, September 2025 www. dakotacountrymagazine. com