Overall, the total population of breeding ducks rose by 11 percent to 43.4 million birds, representing a 32 percent increase over the 1955-98 average. Prior to 1998s decline, duck populations enjoyed three straight years of increases.
Breeding populations of mallards rose 15 percent to 11.1 million, 51 percent greater than their long-term average. Blue- winged teal numbers, at 7.2 million, were similar to 1998, but 66 percent greater than the long-term average. Other species also saw improvement, with northern pintails up 21 percent, northern shovelers up 22 percent and green-winged teal up 61 percent.
Scaup populations rose 27 percent, an encouraging sign for a population that has declined steadily in recent years. Despite the improvement, scaup populations remain 18 percent below their historic average. Pintail populations also remain 30 percent below their long-term average.
An early warm spring and good precipitation created abundant ponds and excellent nesting cover in much of the survey area. Most of the Dakotas, northern Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories and Western Ontario saw improved habitat conditions over 1998. The estimated number of May ponds in prairie Canada and portions of the northcentral U.S., critical to the reproductive success of waterfowl, rose 46 percent over 1998 levels, to a level 37 percent above the long-term average.
"Its heartening to see duck populations at these impressive levels. While improved habitat and weather had much to do with the improvement, wetland restoration efforts deserve a good share of the credit," said acting Service Director John Rogers. "For the fourth time in five years, we enjoy record duck populations, but the need for continued habitat conservation has not diminished."
According to preliminary estimates of waterfowl harvest and hunter activity gathered during the 1998-99 season through the Harvest Information Program, hunters harvested over 16.5 million ducks, a 4 percent increase over the previous season. Persons buying duck stamps for hunting averaged nearly 9 days afield and harvested an average of more than 10 ducks, an increase of 7 percent over the previous seasons level.
"Improved duck numbers dont always translate into greater hunting success, as any hunter knows. But the best way to ensure continued hunting opportunities is to conserve populations by doing everything we can to protect, restore and even rebuild waterfowl habitat," Rogers said.
The traditional breeding duck survey samples 1.3 million square miles across the north-central United States, western and northern Canada and Alaska and estimates the approximate numbers of ducks in important breeding areas.
Among other duck species, the breeding population of canvasbacks rose slightly to 700,000, while redhead populations remained steady at 1 million.
Habitat conditions in the eastern areas of Canada and the U.S., which are not part of the traditional survey are, were generally poorer than in other surveyed areas. Dry conditions throughout Maine and Southern Quebec and Ontario resulted in few temporary ponds and low water levels in permanent water bodies.
Despite these conditions, total breeding duck populations in the eastern survey areas grew to approximately 1.8 million, an increase of 82 percent over 1998 and 85 percent above the long- term average. These totals were led by increases in population of American wigeon ring-necked duck, and goldeneye, while other populations remained largely unchanged from 1998. This recently- developed survey includes the eastern provinces and northeastern states and is a part of the Services effort to expand the surveys outside the traditional area.
Annual survey results help guide the Service in managing its waterfowl conservation programs under the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Service works in partnership with state representatives from the four flyways - the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central and Pacific - that waterfowl and other birds use during their migrations, to establish regulatory frameworks on waterfowl hunting season lengths, dates and bag limits.
The Service also administers or participates in a number of programs to conserve and restore waterfowl habitat. For example, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, an international partnership effort, has protected, restored, or enhanced more than 2.5 million acres of wetland habitat since 1986.
Provisions of the Farm Bill, such as the Conservation Reserve Program and the Wetland Reserve Program, have provided significant acreage of wildlife habitat in the United States in recent years. The Swampbuster provision of the Farm Bill and the wetland protection provisions of the Clean Water Act also have helped conserve waterfowl habitat. And conservation organizations such as Ducks Unlimited have conserved and restored prime habitat for ducks.
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 comprised of more than 500 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fish and wildlife management assistance 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 wildlife agencies.
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