[mou] prairie preserved

[Jim Williams]

Many bird species will benefit from the action described below, thanks,=20=

among others, to purchasers of the federal duck stamp and members of=20
Ducks Unlimited. I urge you to buy a stamp and consider DU membership.=20=

Bird conservation wears many hats.
Jim Williams
Wayzata

 =46rom an announcement by Ducks Unlimited:

HAND COUNTY, S. D., Oct.. 16, 2006 =96 More than 10,300 acres of South=20=

Dakota native prairie grasslands and wetlands have been permanently=20
protected with a nearly $3 million grant. This is thanks to the efforts=20=

of a broad coalition of conservation partners including Ducks Unlimited=20=

(DU), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the U.S. Fish=20
and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the North American Wetland Conservation=20
Act (NAWCA) and 13 private landowners in central South Dakota. DU=20
received a grant from NFWF that provided a springboard to purchase=20
grassland easements on native prairie grassland and wetland complexes=20
that supply critical breeding habitat for a diversity of grassland=20
birds including waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors and songbirds.

The USFWS used significant funds from the Migratory Bird Conservation=20
Stamp, or =93duck stamp,=94 to help protect a large portion of these=20
ranches via easements. All migratory bird hunters in the United States=20=

are required to purchase a Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp to hunt=20
waterfowl, and the proceeds are used to protect critical habitat such=20
as the breeding areas in South Dakota. Out of every dollar generated=20
through stamp sales, 98 cents goes to the protection of critical=20
habitat. Since its inception in 1934, sales of Duck Stamps have=20
generated more than $670 million for wildlife conservation.

A portion of the funding from NFWF comes directly from the =93Help=20
Budweiser Help the Outdoors=94 program. As part of the Budweiser sales=20=

promotion, more than 180 participating Anheuser-Busch wholesalers=20
donated a percentage of proceeds from all bottles and cans of Budweiser=20=

sold from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, 2005. Ducks Unlimited and Budweiser have=20=

partnered for years to conserve vital acres of habitat. The=20
relationship continues to pay off for the benefit of waterfowl.

The benefits of this collaborative conservation work include=20
maintenance of the diverse native mixed grass prairie along with the=20
embedded wetlands and protection of critical breeding habitat for=20
Northern Pintails, mallards, blue-winged teal, marbled godwits,=20
Wilson=92s phalaropes, chestnut-collared longspurs and Baird=92s =
sparrow.=20
The grasslands are also critical to ensuring the viability of the local=20=

ranching industry, which is a cornerstone of the rural communities=20
across South Dakota.