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Ducks Unlimited reaches 15 million acres of habitat restored or protected

Ducks Unlimited has protected or restored 15 million acres of habitat across North America.

Brownfield interviewed Craig LeSchack, national director of conservation, about the milestone.

“To put 15 million acres into perspective, that’s 23,000 square miles,” he says. “If you think about it in something a little different, that’s about 11.5 million football fields.”  

He says agriculture is a dominant feature in the organization’s highest priority landscapes which is why it’s critical to have partnerships with private landowners, farmers, and ranchers.

“Ducks Unlimited has always been about working in collaboration with private landowners because we recognize the importance of putting conservation on private land,” he says. “There’s just not enough public land to provide all the needs for waterfowl and so therefore we look to work with likeminded farmers and ranchers that have an interest in conservation and yet at the same time can continue to work on their land for a living.”

He says Ducks Unlimited is ramping up conservation acres. 

“In 2000, we hit 10 million acres and yet in a short 20 years we did half of that again,” he says. “So, we’re really ramping up our conservation programs because the threats continue. As the population grows, that requires more food and more places for people to live so we’re trying to work with our partners, private landowners, and state and federal agencies to continue to restore and wetland habitats and realize there are a lot of benefits to other wildlife species and the people also.”

Ducks Unlimited has completed more than 20,000 projects in North America.

In Wisconsin, Ducks Unlimited and its partners protected, enhanced, or restored 4,333 acres of wetland and grassland habitat on 53 project sites in 2020.

In Iowa, 1,447 acres of wetland and grassland habitat were protected, enhanced, or restored in 2020.

In Indiana, 678 acres of wetland and grassland habitat were protected, enhanced, or restored on seven project sites in 2020.

In Minnesota, 28,281 acres of wetland and grassland habitat were protected, enhanced, or restored on 27 project sites in 2020.

In Ohio, 7,765 acres of wetland and grassland habitat were protected, enhanced, or restored on 21 project sites in 2020.

In Michigan 1,014 acres of wetland and grassland habitat were protected, enhanced, or restored on 14 project sites in 2020.

In Illinois, nearly 400 acres of wetland and grassland habitat on seven project sites were protected, enhanced, or restored in 2020.

Click here for more information.

Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited is a nonprofit that conserves, restores, and manages wetlands for waterfowl. Members are conservationists and outdoor enthusiasts who live primarily throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.  

Audio: Craig LeSchack