By Dr. Mark Petrie, Eric Lindstrom, Dan Wrinn, and Josh Vest

Ducks Unlimited staff and IWJV’s Science Coordinator, Josh Vest, teamed up to write an article in Ducks Unlimited’s fall magazine issue. The authors highlight the history of land conservation for waterfowl, how conservationists began to recognize that the needs of waterfowl could not be met on public lands alone, and how Joint Ventures came to be to help drive the conservation mission of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. This article also discusses what the next chapter of the waterfowl conservation story will be.

“Although working-lands conservation has been employed on the prairies for nearly 60 years, this practice continues to offer new opportunities for waterfowl habitat conservation. Many ducks are raised and spend most of their lives on working lands, and that’s where much of the future lies for conserving the birds’ habitats. Recognizing and rewarding farmers and ranchers who provide vital habitat for waterfowl will be crucial to fulfilling DU’s mission. So will Farm Bill conservation programs that provide incentives for private landowners to conserve important waterfowl habitats on working lands.”

This coming chapter will also almost certainly be focused on water.

Thanks for inviting the IWJV to be part of this article, Ducks Unlimited!