The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and Ducks Unlimited announced in early March they will work with the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission to increase habitat protection resources in the Prairie Pothole Region of the northern plains, reports the Wildlife Management Institute. The northern prairies are known to produce between 50 and 70 percent of the continent's waterfowl but are threatened by conversion of native grasslands and isolated wetlands to expanding agriculture.

"The Prairie Pothole Region is vital to waterfowl and other migratory birds in North America. At the same time, it is home to thousands of people who have stewarded and worked the land for generations," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe. "This effort will help us work with willing landowners to put conservation easements in place on tens of thousands of additional acres, helping to stem the loss of these breeding grounds."

Currently, the Prairie Pothole Region receives 50 percent of the annual revenue from the sale of federal duck stamps through the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. The initiative will increase this commitment directing more than 70 percent -approximately $30 million - of the Fund to conserve prairie habitat. Further, in their fiscal year 2013 budget request the FWS is seeking $3.5 million in funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) for the effort. The federal funding will be met by Ducks Unlimited's Grasslands for Tomorrow program that has pledged to protect 2 million acres of native prairie through perpetual easements on grasslands and wetlands.

"The Prairie Pothole Region plays a central role in sustaining healthy duck populations, and we are pleased with the direction of more funding toward habitat conservation and restoration in this critical area that is seeing increased threats," said Paul Schmidt, chief conservation officer for Ducks Unlimited. "We look forward to working with the Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure that these additional dollars are effectively leveraged so waterfowl from the 'Duck Factory' continue to fill the skies along America's flyways."

In related news, the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission approved grants on March 7 under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) and the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. The commission approved more than $24.5 million from NAWCA to protect, restore and enhance more than 146,000 acres of wetlands and associated habitats across the United States and Mexico. The commission also expressed support for the FWS plan to focus land protection dollars towards the Prairie Pothole Region. (jas)