For their contributions to wetland conservation, David M. Jacobson of rural Sauk Centre, Minnesota, was named Regional Individual Winner of the NWCA and Bill Daub of Hudson, Michigan, is the Regional Individual Runnerup. Named the Regional Group Winner was the Fergus Falls (MN) Fish and Game Club. Each recipient receives a framed Federal Duck Stamp print and framed certificate.
The NWCA, established by the Service in 1990, is awarded annually to honor individuals and groups or corporations for significant contributions to the restoration, enhancement and protection of wetlands in the United States and within the Services geographic regions.
Jackie Niemi and Michael Davis of South Beach, Oregon, are National Individual Winners; the national runnerup is James W. Pielsticker of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The National Group Winner is The Conservation Fund of Arlington, Virginia, for activities associated with Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana; National Group Runnerup is the Cajun Electric Power Cooperative, Inc., of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The Fish and Wildlife Service and the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region are very appreciative of the commitment from all the winners, said Bill Hartwig, Regional Director. We are especially proud of our Regional winners because of their numerous contributions to restore wetlands and to also promote wetland conservation through their public outreach.
David M. Jacobson
David Jacobson began a major landscape project on his 160-acre property in 1992. Already he has restored 30 temporary, seasonal and semi-permanent prairie pothole-type wetlands. He also has reestablished 40 acres of native grassland and restored four acres to a variety of native hardwood trees.
His wetland/grassland projects have been conducted through the Services Partners for Wildlife program, which provides free restoration services if restored habitats are protected for at least 10 years. In cooperation with the Minnesota Land Trust, Jacobson is finalizing a conservation easement on his entire property which assures permanent protection of the restored habitats and ensures its use as an environmental education facility.
Jacobson intends to establish a foundation to administer and manage his property well into the future. This will allow the entire property to be managed in a natural condition representative of what existed when it was homesteaded by his grandfather in the late 1800s.
Partners involved with Jacobson during his project include the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Waterfowl Association, Delta Waterfowl Foundation, Pheasants Forever, Natural Resources Conservation Service, First State Bank of Sauk Centre, First National Bank of Sauk Centre, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, St. Cloud State University, St. Johns University, Sauk Centre High School, Staples/Motley High School and Little Falls High School.
Jacobson continues to work toward the development of an interpretive center/education facility on his property, and he carries on his efforts to expand and refine the educational curriculum offered to visitors relating to wetland conservation.
Bill Daub
One hundred and seventy-five acres of wetlands have been restored on lands owned by Bill Daub and other residents of Lenawee County, Michigan. An additional 400 acres of uplands and bottomlands have also been dedicated to wildlife habitat through his conservation outreach.
Daub, one of the first Michigan landowners to restore a wetland through the Services Partners for Wildlife program, is currently assisting other landowners through technical assistance to establish wildlife habitats. He also has developed demonstration sites to evaluate different types of wildlife food plots.
Habitat Day, in cooperation with the Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Pheasants Forever and the Lenawee Soil and Water Conservation District, is held on Daubs farm annually to acquaint visitors, including local farmers and conservationists, with the values that restored wetlands and native grasslands provide to migratory birds and resident wildlife species.
His conservation leadership and efforts to restore important wildlife habitats have increased the enthusiasm within the local community to reestablish wetlands, enhance other wildlife habitats and to provide additional education to landowners on current habitat management.
Mr. Daubs restored wetlands have been permanently enrolled in the U.S. Department of Agricultures Wetland Reserve Program (WRP). His enrollment in the WRP has increased landowner awareness of that program and encouraged other landowners in Lenawee County to work for the common goal of increasing quality wildlife habitat and local wildlife populations.
Fergus Falls Fish and Game Club
This conservation organization, founded more than 77 years ago, has dedicated itself to the conservation of local natural resources, with an emphasis on wetland restoration and protection. In 1996, the Fergus Falls Fish and Game Club (FFFGC) raised and contributed nearly $250,000 for the direct purchase and protection of wetlands and associated grasslands.
Today, the FFFGC owns more than 1,100 acres of prime waterfowl and wildlife habitat in seven tracts in Otter Tail County. Contained within these properties, appraised at a value of $378,195, are 336 acres of high-quality seasonal and semipermanent wetlands that are generally less than 10 acres in size and serve important functions for duck production and brood rearing. Most of the wetlands are protected by permanent Service easements.
The FFFGC has been responsible for putting more than 3,000 acres of land under the protection of Federal and state conservation agencies. Currently, the FFFGC is networking with the Service, Minnesota DNR, Pheasants Forever and private landowners to restore a 152-acre drained semipermanent wetland, with project completion expected this summer.
Another property recently purchased by the FFFGC totals 143 acres and is adjacent to the City of Fergus Falls. This tract contains 19 prairie potholes amounting to 20 acres and about 100 acres of native grassland, all of which are protected from urban development.
All lands owned by the FFFGC are open to the general public for birdwatching, hunting, other outdoor recreation and environmental education. Local school groups have visited these properties to learn about the values associated with wetlands. The FFFGC emphasizes that environmental education is one of its major objectives.
Realizing that Fergus Falls is a gateway to North Americas Prairie Pothole Region, FFFGC members in the late 1970s and early 1980s discussed the development of an education center. The center would be designed to teach the public more about wetlands and associated plant communities.
In recent years, the FFFGC has contributed hundreds of hours promoting the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center (PWLC). In association with the Friends of the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center, $3 million in state funds has been earmarked for the center that is located just outside Fergus Falls off Interstate 94. Construction of the PWLC begins this summer.
Anyone wishing more information on the National Wetlands Conservation Award program or the Partners for Wildlife program should contact Steve Kufrin, Regional Private Funds Coordinator in the Twin Cities, at 612/725-3570.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 530 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://midwest.fws.gov
