Ducks Unlimited and partners will complete 44 habitat protection and restoration projects in Nebraska and Kansas, thanks to three North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grants. More than $2.9 million in NAWCA funding will be combined with nearly $6 million in funding from 25 partners to restore or enhance almost 4,500 acres in central Kansas marshes. The projects included in these grants will provide high quality foraging habitat for thousands of waterfowl and waterbirds during fall and spring migration, and year-round habitat for other wetland-dependent wildlife.
“Kansas wetlands are some of the most important fall and spring stopovers for waterfowl in the Central Flyway, but much of the wetland habitat has been lost due to wetland conversion to other land use, which forces birds to concentrate on fewer and fewer wetlands,” said John Denton, manager of conservation programs for Nebraska and Kansas. “Past wetland loss and the constant threat of wetland conversion make every acre conserved using these grant and partner funds that much more important.”
Since 2011, NAWCA has invested more than $1.7 million in grant funds for wetland protection and restoration of habitat in Kansas. Ducks Unlimited and its conservation partners match NAWCA funds at least dollar for dollar and many times at two to three times the amount. Locally, the McPherson Wildlife Area and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge will benefit from over $250,000 worth of work scheduled over the next year to restore 90 acres of wetlands and enhance another 3,700 acres. Work will include placement of several levees and water control structures to restore wetland functions at the McPherson WA as well as replacing an old water control structure on the main creek of the Quivira NWR.
The North American Wetlands Conservation Act of 1989 was passed, in part, to support activities under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. It provides competitive, matching grants to organizations and individuals who have developed partnerships to carry out wetlands conservation projects in the United States, Canada and Mexico for the benefit of wetlands-associated migratory birds and other wildlife. Program funding comes from Congressional appropriations; fines, penalties and forfeitures collected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918; the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act of 1950; and interest accrued on the fund established under the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937.