Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.
Learn more about riparian habitat and 50 miles of aquatic in-stream habitat have been restored throughout the nation.
The restoration of these important fish and wildlife habitats has been carried out in cooperation with private landowners, who have volunteered the use of their properties for conservation purposes. Most PFW projects have been completed without cost to more than 13,800 landowners, who have signed cooperative agreements to leave their restored habitats undisturbed for at least 10 years.
Typically, the Service furnishes technical assistance to landowners and pays for costs associated with restoration projects. Sometimes the Service provides funds and equipment to its partners, including State fish and wildlife agencies, soil and water conservation districts, private organizations, individuals and local agencies. Private partners often provide matching funds to the Service to cost-share the restoration of significant habitats.
The success of the Partners for Wildlife program is reflected in the number of participating landowners and the interest of our partners to provide assistance, said Bill Hartwig, Director of the Services Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region. Frankly, I cant think of anyone who doesnt appreciate improved quality in their drinking water, or in the rivers and lakes where they do their recreational swimming, fishing and boating. Improving local water quality is an important aspect of this program to landowners and the general public.
Other conservation benefits associated with PFW include:
* Enhanced habitats for fish and wildlife
* Reduced downstream flooding by holding back the runoff of excess water
* Decreased soil erosion by stabilizing sediment-producing areas
* Additional recreational opportunities
* New economic opportunities for landowners and local communities
Through Partners for Wildlife outreach, the Region has assumed a leadership role within the Service for the restoration of important habitats, including converted wetlands and/or degraded tracts of native grasslands and bottomlands, for migratory birds, endangered species and anadromous fish.
During 1995 through the Partners for Wildlife program, 1,345 wetlands amounting to 6,023 acres and 1,189 acres of upland habitat, primarily grassland, were restored in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin.
In this Region from 1987-95, the PFW program has restored almost 15,700 wetland basins amounting to more than 62,200 acres. All the basins were restored in cooperation with more than 2,700 landowners. Funds and in-kind services have been provided by approximately 1,000 partners.
For more information on the Partners for Wildlife program, contact the nearest Service field office or Steve Kufrin, Regional Private Funds Coordinator, 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
