Jason Hill Wins National Wetlands Conservation Award for Restoring Indiana Habitat

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today presented its annual National Wetlands Conservation Award to Jason Hill of Ducks Unlimited for his work to restore wetlands throughout Indiana. Hill, a biologist for DU’s Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Office in Ann Arbor, Michigan, received the award at the Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife 20TH Anniversary Conference in Oklahoma City.

Working through the Service’s North American Wetland Conservation Act and Partners for Fish and Wildlife program, Hill coordinated and engineered projects to acquire and restore more than 6,500 acres of wetland and upland habitat for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent species. “Overall, Jason exemplifies the concern and dedication toward the conservation of wetland resources for which the National Wetlands Conservation Award was established,” said the Service’s Midwest Regional Director, Robyn Thorson. “Jason has worked with us on a number of cooperative projects over the years, and I appreciate very much his enthusiasm and dedication in Indiana and throughout the Midwest Region.” Hill’s efforts span the length of the Hoosier state, from the Grand Kankakee Marsh in northwest Indiana to Goose Pond and Cane Ridge Wildlife Management Area in the southwest. His work helped to create and enhance habitat for ducks, wading birds, and migrant songbirds, along with at-risk species such as the copperbelly watersnake and the endangered interior least tern. Under Hill’s leadership, major wetland restoration projects also enhanced flood control, and improved water quality by reducing soil erosion and the need for pesticides. His involvement in major wetland restoration projects ranged from project design to grant writing. He has served as the primary grant administrator for the Southwest Four Rivers NAWCA project, which includes nearly 20 partner organizations and individuals; he recently authored a successful NAWCA grant proposal for $1 million to continue that ambitious effort. He has also worked with other partners such as Cinergy Corp. to secure funding for projects such as the Bottomland Hardwood Reforestation Program in southern Indiana, in which DU will acquire and reforest bottomland tracts to be sold to the Service or other conservation buyers, with the net proceeds going to acquire and reforest additional tracts. Hill was among three winners of the National Wetlands Conservation Award, which is presented each year by the Service to recognize outstanding wetland conservation efforts by nongovernmental partners. 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 97-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 548 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 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 and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.

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