Chaya Marsh Project Complete

2008 CONSERVATION REPORT | GREAT LAKES/ATLANTIC REGIONAL OFFICE

The enhancement of 310 acres of wetland within Horicon Marsh provide improved habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife. Ducks State Wildlife Area in Dodge County is now complete. Krause Unlimited engineers provided the survey, design and construc- Excavating, from Markesan, Wis., completed the dike construction tion oversight for the project. Chaya Marsh is our third Wisconsin and final grading of nearly 12,000 feet of levee and the installation PRIDE project and a dedication is planned for 2008. Funding for of five new water control structures in November 2007. These -im this project was provided by Ducks Unlimited, Wisconsin DNR, provements will allow the Wisconsin Department of Natural Re- North American Wetlands Conservation Council, Dr. Charles & sources (DNR) to manipulate water levels to control invasive cattail Shirley Pechous, Ted & Grace Bachhuber Foundation, Marshall & and promote the growth of beneficial moist soil plants, which will Ilsley Foundation and the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation.

Recently graded levee and access point to the 310-acre Chaya Marsh at Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area

Ducks Unlimited • Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Office 1 WISCONSIN HABITAT HAPPENINGS

Ducks Unlimited and CropLife America Partnership Partnership results in herbicide to enhance nesting habitat at Wisconsin’s Glacial Habitat Restoration Area and Crex Meadows/Fish Lake state wildlife areas The Glacial Habitat Restoration Area (GHRA) in eastern townships within Winnebago, Wisconsin and Crex Meadows and Fish Lake state wildlife areas Fond du Lac, Dodge and (SWAs) in northwest Wisconsin offer important habitat for migra- Columbia counties. It consists tory waterfowl and other wetland-dependent wildlife. These areas of a mix of agricultural land, provide migration habitat for hundreds of thousands of waterfowl grasslands and wetlands, and each year, while also providing critical nesting habitat, primarily for is located in the historic center mallards, blue-winged teal and wood ducks. However, a docu- of Wisconsin’s premier duck mented decline in wetland and grassland wildlife has resulted from range. A total of 592 upland large-scale land use change in these areas. To help reverse this trend, acres will be treated with the Ducks Unlimited (DU) and the Wisconsin Department of Natural donated herbicide to kill an- Resources (DNR) recently joined forces with Syngenta to control nual and perennial weeds as weeds in preparation for the restoration of native prairie within the first step in native prairie the GHRA and to control invasive woody vegetation in existing restoration. After treatment, prairie at Crex Meadows and Fish Lake SWAs. As part of a two-year these uplands will be seeded project, Syngenta has generously donated 620 gallons of Touchdown with a mix of native prairie Established stand of native prairie grass in HiTech® herbicide valued at over $21,000. This donation will help grasses and forbs. the Glacial Habitat Restoration Area DU and our partners restore and enhance native prairie favorable to grassland-nesting songbirds, pheasants and ducks. The Crex Meadows and Fish Lake SWAs encompass more than 44,000 acres of west-central Burnett County. Mixed throughout This is the first year that Syngenta has supported DU projects in the large native grassland, pine/oak barrens and shrubland com- Wisconsin. Syngenta has supported DU projects in the United munities are more than 20,000 acres of shallow water flowages and States and Canada since 2003, and Syngenta’s product donations sedge meadow. During migration, these wetlands host thousands of have earned them the DU Gold Teal Award. Their Wisconsin dona- staging waterfowl and sandhill cranes. tion is part of DU’s national partnership with CropLife America, a trade association representing manufacturers and distributors of Over the next two years, the DNR will apply Touchdown HiTech® plant science solutions for agriculture and pest management in the herbicide to invasive woody vegetation on 400 acres of native prai- United States. Syngenta is a member of CropLife America and un- rie and pine/oak barrens at Crex Meadows and Fish Lake SWAs. derstands the value of their contributions to waterfowl conservation. Annual herbicide application to control invasive woody vegetation will be critical to promoting native prairie and pine/oak barren The GHRA was established in 1991 by the DNR and includes 24 diversity in these wildlife areas.

Ducks Unlimited Helps Protect Wetlands on Red Cedar River In October 2007, Ducks Unlimited provided funding to the West Wisconsin Land Trust to acquire and permanently protect 100 acres of wetland and upland forested habitat on the Red Cedar River in Dunn County. This property occupies the inside curve of a large bend in the Red Cedar River and contains numerous emergent and forested wetlands that provide quality habitat for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent wildlife. The West Wisconsin Land Trust will own and manage the property for low-impact recreational use, including fishing, hunting, hiking and birding. Other contributing partners in this effort include the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, North American Wetlands Conservation Council, Dunn County Land Conservation, Na- tional Wild Turkey Federation, Tainter Menomin Lake Improve- ment Association Inc., Dunn County Fish and Game, Downsville Sportsman’s Club, Menomonie Rifle and Pistol Club, Chippewa Valley Sierra Club, Tainter Lake Sportsmen’s Club, Pheasants Forever, Eau Galle Sportsmen’s Club, Colfax Sportsmen’s Club and Waterfowl habitat permanently protected along the Red Cedar River. Rock Falls Sportsmen’s Club.

2 www.ducks.org WISCONSIN HABITAT HAPPENINGS

Get Wisconsin PRIDE North American Wetlands Putting Resources Into Ducks Everywhere Conservation Act Initiatives Ducks Unlimited and partners investing millions in Wiscon- Wisconsin PRIDE (Putting Resources Into sin Northwest Pothole Habitat initiative Ducks Everywhere) is a major gift campaign developed by Ducks Unlimited to secure major In December 2007, the North American Wetlands Conservation sponsor support of habitat conservation and Council (NAWCC) selected a $1 million North American Wetlands our waterfowling heritage in the United States, Conservation Act (NAWCA) proposal submitted by Ducks Unlim- Canada and Mexico. Through this program, ited for habitat conservation in northwest Wisconsin to be submitted donors can choose to restrict their dollars to to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission for final review and Wisconsin to fund wetland conservation in hopefully approval in March. Pending Congressional appropriation, DU priority landscapes. this grant will become the fifth phase of the Wisconsin Northwest Pothole Habitat Initiative. The habitats protected and restored Wisconsin ecosystem initiatives include the through these grants provide breeding and migration habitat for a Great Lakes and the Upper Mississippi River. Within these broad, number of species of waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds and land watershed-based initiatives, Ducks Unlimited targets its conserva- birds, and a variety of threatened and endangered species. tion activities in priority conservation areas to effectively address waterfowl and wildlife habitat issues, as well as water quality If funded, Ducks Unlimited will administer the grant and partner concerns. These priority areas include the Eastern Wisconsin, with several federal, state, local and private organizations to imple- Northwest Wisconsin and Illinois River watersheds. ment projects, including the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, West Wisconsin Land Trust, Polk County Land and Small pothole-like wetlands created by the Wisconsin glaciation Water Resources, Mark Johnson, Pheasants Forever, Star Prairie Fish and large areas of fertile prairie once dominated the Wisconsin & Game, Standing Cedars Community Land Conservancy and the landscape, which made this area extremely attractive to breeding U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. DU and its part- and migrating waterfowl. Over time, this area has lost 50 percent ners will use this grant and $6,368,564 in match- of its wetlands and 99 percent of its grasslands, and habitat loss ing funds to protect and restore more than continues at an alarming rate. Restoration and protection of 3,800 acres of critical wetlands and wetlands and associated grasslands is vital to increase habitat associated upland habitats in

!(!( !( !( for breeding and migrating waterfowl and other wildlife, and to !( northwest Wisconsin. !(

!( !( !( !( !( !( !( reduce nutrient and sediment runoff into area lakes and streams. !( !( !( !( !(!( !(!( !( !( !( !( • Approximate locations For 70 years, with the support of volunteers, members and donors, of proposed projects to be Ducks Unlimited has been successful in turning grassroots dol- completed under the Wisconsin lars into habitat throughout North America. Your gift will leave Northwest Pothole Habitat Ini- a legacy on the landscape to be enjoyed by future generations and tiative - Phase V NAWCA grant. will enhance our rich waterfowling heritage. To learn more about Wisconsin PRIDE, contact your regional director or major gift Note: Points may represent more chairman, or DU’s Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Office. than one project.

Bloomfield State Wildlife Area Restoration Underway This wetland project is a cooperative effort between the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, North American Wetlands Con- servation Council and Ducks Unlimited to restore 70 acres of quality wetland habitat at Bloomfield State Wildlife Area in Walworth Coun- ty. Wetland hydrology will be restored and enhanced by plugging existing drainage ditches and through shallow excavations in wetland areas currently choked by invasive plant species. Once complete, the project area will provide waterfowl pair pond sites and brood habitat for maximized production. Other wetland-dependent migratory birds, including songbirds, shorebirds and wading birds, will benefit from the added wetland habitat diversity provided by this project. Ducks Unlimited engineers recently completed a topographic survey and conceptual design and plan to initiate construction in 2008. Ditched and drained wetlands to be restored and enhanced at Bloomfield SWA.

Ducks Unlimited • Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Office 3 WISCONSIN HABITAT HAPPENINGS

Program Highlights

Dodge County Wildlife Area. Restoration consisted of ditch filling , shallow oxbow/ Frankfurth scrape excavation, native plant establishment and bottomland hard- Impoundment wood reforestation. Following the restoration, the Natural Heritage Ducks Unlimited provided Land Trust transferred the property to the Wisconsin DNR for cost-share assistance to the public use. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser- vice to remove more than Dane County 900 feet of ditch spoil bank Ducks Unlimited provided cost-share assistance to the National on the Schaumberg ditch Heritage Land Trust to acquire and permanently protect the in the Horicon Marsh Na- 22.5-acre Paulson Tract, located adjacent to Patrick Marsh, near tional Wildlife Refuge. Ditch Sun Prairie. The National Heritage Land Trust will manage the spoil banks were impeding the flow of water within the 432-acre property as part of a larger effort to protect wildlife habitat at Frankfurth Impoundment, affecting the quality of the habitat. the 990-acre Patrick Marsh Natural Resources Site. The site will be Specialized track-driven dump trucks were used to haul ditch spoils restored to upland native grassland habitat in 2008. from the impoundment. Improved hydrology within the impoundment will allow for ideal breeding and foraging areas for waterfowl Green Lake & Winnebago counties and other migratory birds. Ducks Unlimited donated AquaMaster® herbicide to Cattail Control the Wisconsin DNR to Ducks Unlimited donated AquaMaster® herbicide to the Wisconsin control cattail on 98 acres DNR to control cattail in 144 wetland acres at Horicon Marsh and of wetland at Rush Lake Vernon Marsh state wildlife areas. Monsanto Company, a CropLife and Grand River Marsh state America member company, recently donated more than $30,000 of wildlife areas. Monsanto AquaMaster® herbicide to Ducks Unlimited for controlling invasive Company, a CropLife cattail in Wisconsin wetlands. America member company, recently donated more than Theresa Marsh State Wildlife Area $30,000 of AquaMaster® The Theresa Marsh State Wildlife Area project is a cooperative herbicide to Ducks Unlimited for controlling invasive cattail in effort between Ducks Unlimited and the Wisconsin Department Wisconsin wetlands. of Natural Resources to enhance wetland habitat on the 87-acre Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas & Iron counties Petersbur Impoundment. Ducks Unlimited engineers conducted Ducks Unlimited provided cost-share assistance to Bayfield County a topographic survey of the site in summer 2007. The survey data Land & Water Conservation Department to restore 30 acres of will allow DU to perform a hydrologic analysis and determine wetland habitat on private land in Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas and future design feasibility and restoration options. Iron counties. These wetland restorations will provide critical habi- Oconto County tat for breeding and brood-rearing waterfowl.

Ducks Unlimited provided cost-share assistance to the Oconto Juneau County Oconto Sportsman’s Club to restore 22 acres of wild rice beds in Ducks Unlimited cooper- Marsh . Wild rice is an annual aquatic grass that produces seed that ated with the U.S. Fish is a delicious and nutritious food source for waterfowl and people. & Wildlife Service and Ozaukee County the Wisconsin Waterfowl In cooperation with the Wisconsin DNR and Milwaukee Metro- Association to restore 156 politan Sewerage District (MMSD), Ducks Unlimited engineers acres of emergent wetland conducted a topographic survey of a 101-acre wetland and associ- in the Necedah National ated upland restoration site on Little Menomonee Creek. The site is Wildlife Refuge. The project owned by MMSD and will be managed by the City of Mequon. involved installing nine ditch plugs on the Daniel- Rock County son and Spencer Robinson Ducks Unlimited provided cost-share assistance to the Wisconsin ditches. Restored hydrology will provide open water and emergent DNR to restore 349 acres of wetlands and native grasslands on wetland habitat for whooping and sandhill cranes, sedge wrens and the Lakin WRP Tract, located adjacent to the Avon Bottoms State waterfowl.

4 www.ducks.org WISCONSIN CONSERVATION SUMMARY

DUCKS UNLIMITED

completed current featured

Note: Project points may represent more than one project. Red Cedar River

Accomplishments2007

87 projects completed $556,013 invested Chaya Marsh 2,068 acres conserved

15,776 acres of Technical Bloomfield SWA Assistance

Meet Your Wisconsin Biologist Jason Hill has worked for promoted to the position of in southeast Michigan and is Ducks Unlimited since 2000 the Indiana regional biologist, an avid sportsman with a great and assumed the role of Wis- responsible for DU conservation love of the outdoors. Jason and consin regional biologist in programs in Indiana. A gradu- his wife Alyssa live north of the 2006. Jason started as a DU ate of Michigan State Univer- Great Lakes/ Atlantic Regional conservation intern and in 2001 sity, Jason received a bachelor’s Office in Ann Arbor, Mich. -Ja was hired by DU as a program and master’s degree in fisheries son can be contacted by e-mail biologist overseeing various and wildlife management, with at [email protected] or by phone DU conservation programs in a focus on wetlands and water- at 734.623.2000. Michigan. In 2003, Jason was fowl. Jason was born and raised

Ducks Unlimited • Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Office 5 GLARO’S CONSERVATION VISION

Remember the family vacation to your grandparents’ farm? Or that first morning in the hunting blind with your uncle? Nearly all of us have a bond with land. Build on that connection with Ducks Unlimited’s conservation land services.

Habitat Development and Wetland Mitigation Ducks Unlimited projects on private lands provide tremendous benefits to waterfowl, other wildlife and you! DU has teams of biologists and engineers that provide wetland restoration, management and protection services directly to landowners. When a private land project is matched up with wetland mitigation funds, the result is habitat for wildlife and financial gain to the landowner. Let us know if you are interested in a wetland project on your land!

HGetabitat Informed Protection and you

Conservation easements Conservation Lands Conservation easements provide a unique opportunity for the If you own land that contains prime wetland habitat, you can protection of private lands by restricting development and assuring donate it to DU; it benefits our mission and could provide that the property remains open as wildlife habitat in perpetuity. you with tax benefits. DU may choose to perform habitat Each easement is tailored to meet the needs and interests of each enhancement on the property while it is owned by DU. Ul- individual landowner, allowing for the protection of key natural timately, though, DU’s goal is to permanently protect the habitats while continuing to use the land for economic gain or rec- property with a conservation easement and then sell that reation. Such protection assures that large areas of riparian wetland habitat to a conservation buyer. We reinvest the habitats and important uplands will be preserved for the benefit of proceeds to protect further habitat! waterfowl and other wildlife, and for future generations. Conservation Buyers Trade Lands These conservation-minded individuals Property can be donated to Ducks Unlimited with the understand- are an integral and necessary component ing that DU will sell it. Some may be personal residences or com- of DU’s ability to accomplish its mission. These buyers purchase mercial properties with no conservation value whatsoever. DU’s protected properties from DU and DU, in turn, reinvests those objective is to sell the parcel for top dollar and use the proceeds proceeds to protect more wetland and wildlife habitat that is at to fund habitat-saving transactions. DU typically will accept only risk of being lost forever to development. If you are interested in such donations when we believe the property can be converted becoming a conservation buyer, please visit DU’s Web site: readily into cash to fund our urgent wetlands conservation mission. http://prairie.ducks.org/index.cfm?&page=/cld/listings.html

6 www.ducks.org GLARO’S CONSERVATION VISION

What can your land do for you?

If you own land and care about wetlands and wildlife, you can North America’s Vanishing Wetlands: help DU protect and restore wetlands and other types of habitat on Facing the Challenge your land! By letting DU know that you, or someone you know, own land and are interested in conservation, you are helping DU Poets write about it. Conservationists strive to continue it. achieve its mission of protecting, restoring and managing wetlands Sportsmen dream about it. The migration of North America’s for waterfowl, other wildlife and people. waterfowl and other birds is one of nature’s grandest and most anticipated events. Unlike a state or federal wildlife agency, DU is not a land-holding organization. Ducks Unlimited believes the urgency of its conser- Wetlands make this migration possible. Wetlands also provide vation mission is best served by acquiring, permanently protecting the foundation for North America’s water supply. We rely and divesting itself of the protected land. on them for clean and abundant water, flood protection and recreation. Wetlands are vital to us all, yet every 10 minutes Visit our Web site and participate in Ducks Unlimited’s conserva- another acre of wetlands is drained. tion efforts today! http://www.ducks.org Ducks Unlimited: Answering the Challenge

To answer the challenge to save North America’s wetlands, grasslands and waterfowl, Ducks Unlimited has embarked on the Wetlands for Tomorrow campaign, an ambitious continental effort to raise at least $1.7 billion for wetland habitat conservation.

With a proven track record of partnering with the private sector, government and other conservation organizations for nearly 70 years, Ducks Unlimited has restored and conserved nearly 12 million acres of crucial habitat that benefits waterfowl, other wildlife and people.

Please join us to learn more about Wetlands for Tomorrow anLeaved hel ap theLegacy ducks and the initiatives to conserve North America’s critical wetlands. There are many ways that members, volunteers and private citizens are crucial to DU’s success in conserving wetlands. One way that has become increasingly important is offering conservation opportunities on your land. Our ability to leverage grants, grassroot funds and yes, your donations, is becoming increasingly dependent upon having a solid database of potential properties. That means having a list of landowners in every state that are interested in protecting and restoring wetland habitat on their land.

Within the Great Lakes/Atlantic Region, residents of the states of Delaware, Maryland, New York and Virginia may also qualify for significant state income tax benefits for the donation of conservation lands or easements on their properties.

Ducks Unlimited • Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Office 7 FRIENDS OF DUCKS UNLIMITED

Great Lakes Ecosystem Initiative Efforts Supported by Hamilton Family Foundation The Hamilton Family Foundation recently contributed $10,000 in the Great Lakes watershed. Located in Oostburg, Wis., the Hamilton support of critical wetland conservation efforts by Ducks Unlimited Family Foundation was created to continue the philanthropy that was in the Great Lakes Ecosystem Initiative, including Wisconsin. This established by William and Mary Hamilton. Thank you to the Hamil- generous pledge will be leveraged multiple times through federal and ton Family Foundation for your support of Ducks Unlimited. state programs and partnerships to expand our conservation efforts in

Nicholas Family Foundation Continues Support of Wetland Conservation and Education at Horicon Marsh The Nicholas Family Foundation recently contributed an addi- the Nicholas Family Foundation for their support! tional $10,000 in support of conservation and education at the famed Horicon Marsh in Dodge County. This generous contribution will The renovated Horicon Marsh International Education Center will feature marsh help with renovations and additions to the existing Wisconsin Depart- exhibits and viewing areas, classrooms, a library and an information center. ment of Natural Resources (DNR) Horicon Marsh International Education Center and establish new wetland and waterfowl exhibits. The education center is a public-private partnership between the Wis- consin DNR, Friends of Horicon Marsh, Ducks Unlimited and many other contributing organizations and individuals to provide year-round educational opportunities to the public. Our sincere gratitude goes to

Wisconsin Volunteer Conservationist of the Year: Jim Beitzel

Wisconsin Ducks Unlimited is known nationwide for the dedica- servation Road Flowage project at tion and passion of its volunteers. None are more dedicated or Brillion State Wildlife Area. Jim passionate about waterfowl and Ducks Unlimited’s conservation also fostered a relationship with the mission than Jim Beitzel. R.D. & Linda Peters Foundation that resulted in funding for wetland Over his 30-plus-year association with DU, Jim has made sig- restoration efforts on Killsnake and nificant contributions to conserve our waterfowl and wetland Brillion state wildlife areas. resources. Jim is a charter member of the Lakeshore Chapter in Manitowoc, currently a volunteer on the Brillion Marshes Chapter Over the years, Jim has kept Ducks and holds Diamond Life Sponsor status. He has served on the Wis- Unlimited’s mission at the fore- consin Conservation Committee the last six years and is a trustee front. Through his efforts, Jim has emeritus and national delegate having attended the last 12 national spread the DU conservation mes- conventions. He also served on the Wisconsin state convention, sage wherever he goes, developed merchandise and major gift committees, volunteered all nine years numerous corporate partnerships at the Ducks Unlimited Great Outdoors Festival and currently and recruited many new DU family manages four SBA easels. members. He has led by example, preferring to stay in the shadows while pushing others forward Jim’s contributions to DU’s conservation programs in Wisconsin when it’s time for recognition, in hopes that they will become as are substantial. He helped secure funding partners for the Con- committed as he is to Ducks Unlimited.

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