In the group category, the Iowa School for the Deaf near Council Bluffs, Iowa, was named the national NWCA winner. Randy and Lois Lanski, private landowners from Glennie, Michigan, were named NWCA regional winners, representing the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region. The NWCA awards are presented annually by the Service.
Each recipient will receive a framed 1997-98 Federal Duck Stamp print by Federal Duck Stamp artist Bob Hautman and a framed certificate.
The NWCA was established by the Service in 1990. The awards are presented by the Service to honor individuals and groups or corporations for significant contributions to the restoration, enhancement and protection of wetlands in the United States. These awards are presented on the national level and within the Services geographic regions.
In addition to the Iowa School for the Deaf (ISD), the other national recipients are: national individual winner, Rebecca R. Shortland, Savannah, Georgia; national individual runner-up, Sandy Urbaniak, Waubay, South Dakota; and national group runner-up, Group-of-Six/ Richard Tryon, Fort Dick, California.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region are appreciative of the national winners and the regional winners for all their respective accomplishments, said Bill Hartwig, Regional Director for the Service.
We are especially proud of the award recipients from our Region. They have shown a commitment to restore and protect important wetlands in their respective locations, and admirably provided outreach to promote wetland conservation and wetland values to the public.
Award ceremonies are currently being arranged through DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge (ISD) and Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge (Randy and Lois Lanski). Both award recipients have been involved with the Services Partners for Fish and Wildlife program, which has restored more than 70,000 acres of privately owned wetlands throughout the Region since 1987.
Iowa School for the Deaf
The ISD has focused on environmental education, including wetland restoration, to provide formal and informal education and outreach to students and the public with hearing disabilities.
Most recently, the ISD developed a cooperative project that has restored a 2-acre wetland and 5 acres of native grasslands, and created a 20-acre environmental education demonstration site. This project has three objectives: to provide the opportunity for children and adults with disabilities within the general public to receive formal and/or informal environmental education experiences; to provide a location for individuals with disabilities to mainstream with the general public; and to provide increased opportunities for improved mental and physical health of all users through exercise and interaction with the environment.
The ISD project site presents an example of the historic habitat setting that prevailed locally in the Missouri River Valley. Today, the site is in an urban setting that includes buildings and highways- but important habitats have been restored and enhanced for migrating waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds and resident wildlife.
A pair of mated tundra swans, provided by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and waterfowl nest structures will contribute toward the restoration of indigenous waterfowl species once prevalent on the project site.
The restored wetland and grassland habitats furnish a backdrop for 20 exhibits and educational areas currently being developed at the ISDs Nature Center. Other features include a trail that connects to the extensive Wabash Trace Trail, a windbreak demonstration area, a historic forest grove, a loess hills demonstration area and an arboretum- planting.
The entire project is expected to be completed in 5 to 10 years at an approximate cost of $200,000.
Partners in this unique project include the National Park Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Iowa State University Extension Service, Iowa Department of Transportation/Living Roadway Trust Fund, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Pottawattamie County Conservation Board, Area Education Agency, Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, Trees Forever, Wildlife Forever and the Service.
Randy and Lois Lanski
Private landowners who reside near Glennie, Michigan, the Lanskis have restored and enhanced 5 wetlands amounting to 157 acres on their 600-acre property. The first 2 wetlands they restored resulted in 52 acres and are known as the Heron Rookery. Next, they restored the 50-acre Bear Lake Marsh and the 30-acre Beaver Lake Marsh, then the 17-acre North Marsh.
All the wetlands restored on their land were accomplished through the Services Partners for Fish and Wildlife program and were completed between 1994 and 1996. In addition to their wetland acreage, the Lanskis manage 390 acres of bottomland deciduous and coniferous forest communities and 53 acres of native grasslands.
Their restored wetlands provide important migration and nesting habitat for many species of migratory birds, including Canada geese, bitterns and prothonotary warblers. Mallards and wood ducks are common nesting ducks. During annual migrations, bald eagles and osprey are regular visitors. Great blue herons are recolonizing Heron Marsh.
Other nesting nongame and migratory shorebirds, waterbirds and songbirds are responding to the restored wetlands and surrounding managed forest. Wild turkeys are increasing because of enhanced nesting and brood-rearing habitat; ruffed grouse are responding to extensive forest management.
Furthermore, the wetlands restored by the Lanskis are providing flood control for downstream residents and improving the water quality of two associated creeks by filtering pollutants and runoff from adjacent roads and lawns of local residences.
In addition to working through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program, Randy and Lois Lanski conduct habitat programs in cooperation with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Alcona County Natural Resources Conservation Service, Ducks Unlimited, and Michigan Wildlife Habitat Foundation.
They are actively involved with the U.S. Department of Agricultures forestry programs and Stewardship Incentive Program, and the Alcona Soil and Water Conservation Districts tree planting program.
Randy Lanski has been honored as the Michigan Education Tree Farmer of the Year by the Michigan State Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD). He has also been the Alcona County Conservationist of the Year for the Alcona SWCD, was the 1997 North Central Region Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year, and was the national runner-up for the Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year Award from the American Forest Foundation.
Previous NWCA Winners
The Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region has successfully nominated a number of partners for this prestigious award. Previous winners honored from this Region are:
997: Fergus Falls Fish and Game Club, Minnesota, Regional Group WinnerDavid M. Jacobson, Sauk Centre, Minnesota, Regional Individual Winner; and Bill Daub, Hudson, Michigan, Regional Individual Runner-up. 996: Red Lake Nation, Red Lake, Minnesota, National Group Runner-up; Chuck Bauer, Evansville, Indiana, Regional Individual Winner; and Dr. Roger Strand, New London, Minnesota, Regional Individual Runner-up. 995: Wildlife Forever, Minneapolis, National Group Winner; Northern Indiana Public Service Company Industries (NIPSCO), Hammond, Indiana, Regional Group Winner; Heartland Gobblers Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Regional Group Runner-up. 994: Pheasants Forever, St. Paul, National Group Winner; Wisconsin Waterfowl Association, Milwaukee, Regional Group Winner. 993: Minnesota Waterfowl Association, Minneapolis, National Group Runner-up; Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, Regional Group Winner. 992: Waterfowl USA, Northwest Indiana Chapter, Griffith, Indiana, Regional GroupWinner. 991: Ray McCormick, Vincennes, Indiana, Regional Individual Winner; Citizens
Committee to Save the Cache River, Inc., Perks, Illinois, Regional Group Winner.
For more information on the National Wetlands Conservation Award program or the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program, contact Steve Kufrin, Regional Private Funds Coordinator in the Twin Cities, at 612-713-5447. For the hearing disabled, call the Minnesota Relay Service at 1-800-627 3529.
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
