The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, chaired by Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, recently approved $2 million in grants under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) for wetland restoration and enhancement in the Prairie Pothole Region of Iowa. Non-federal project partners who are part of the Prairie Pothole Joint Venture will contribute an additional $4.6 million in matching contributions.
"The Prairie Pothole Region contains some of the most valuable habitat in the nation for waterfowl and other migratory birds," said Tom Melius, Midwest Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "By dedicating more resources to habitat restoration in Iowa, we can ensure continued protection of the breeding grounds of these species."
The Commission approved more than $26 million in NAWCA grants to protect and restore more than 200,000 acres of wetlands and wildlife habitat in the United States and Mexico. They also approved $11.5 million in Federal Duck Stamp funds to add more than 3,500 wetland acres to seven units of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
The projects in Iowa, named "Prairie Lakes Wetland Initiative III", and "Southeastern Prairie Potholes Prairie Potholes
These freshwater marshes are found in the upper Midwestern prairies, especially the Dakotas and Minnesota. Depressions that were created by retreating glaciers about 10,000 years ago;, they fill with water during spring, providing important habitat for waterfowl and many other species. Indeed, the Prairie Pothole Region is often called America’s “duck factory” since around half of the continent’s ducks spend at least part of the year there. The prairie potholes are an important water source, and they help recharge underground aquifers.
Learn more about Prairie Potholes ", will expand traditional prairie pothole and tallgrass prairie restoration projects to include several wetlands enhancement projects on shallow lakes and large marshes. The wetland areas in Iowa are an important part of a major migration corridor for lesser scaup and other waterbirds moving north from the central Mississippi River to the Prairie Pothole Region and other breeding grounds to the north and west. Historically one of the most productive portions of the Prairie Pothole Region, this area is still an important production area for mallards, blue winged teal, wood ducks and Canada geese, as well as a host of other migratory bird species.
"I am honored to oversee a program that for nearly eight decades has secured hundreds of thousands of acres of wetland habitat throughout North America for migratory birds," Salazar said. "The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission is the definition of common-sense conservation, protecting wetlands critical to birds throughout their nesting, wintering, and migratory ranges irrespective of state and international borders that may intersect the flyways," he added.
More than $24.2 million of the more than $26 million in NAWCA grant funds will support 25 projects in 21 states and Puerto Rico, with partners contributing an additional $60.6 million in matching funds to help protect, restore and enhance almost 185,000 acres. Nearly $2 million for seven projects will help protect 2,470 acres of habitat in Mexico, with partners contributing an additional $3.5 million the projects.
The grants were awarded under NAWCAs U.S. Standard Grants and Mexico Grants Programs administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, an agency of the Department of the Interior. They are funded by annual Congressional appropriations; fines, penalties and forfeitures levied under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act; interest accrued on funds under the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and excise taxes paid on small engine fuels through the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Fund.
The commission also approved the purchase of wetland habitat that will be added to seven units of the National Wildlife Refuge System to secure breeding, resting and feeding habitat for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent wildlife. These acquisitions are funded with proceeds from sales of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, otherwise known as the Federal Duck Stamp.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the 1934 amendment to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act that created the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, commonly known as the Duck Stamp. For every dollar spent on Federal Duck Stamps, ninety-eight cents goes directly to purchase vital habitat for protection in the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission oversees the use of Federal Duck Stamp funds for the purchase and lease of these wetland habitats for national wildlife refuges. To date, more than 5 million acres of wetlands have been purchased using more than $650 million in Duck Stamp revenue.
More information about NAWCA grant programs and summaries of the approved projects are available on the Web at: http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NAWCA/index.shtm. For more information about the Prairie Pothole Joint Venture, visit. http://www.ppjv.org/.
Secretary Salazar Announces $2 Million for Wetlands Grants in Iowa
