Land adjacent to other protected areas priority

Ann Arbor, Mich. – June 7, 2010 – A region of the St. Lawrence Valley will soon reap the benefits of a major conservation project executed by Ducks Unlimited.

DU and a partner have been awarded funds to protect 552 acres of high-quality wetlands in the St. Lawrence Valley (SLV) of New York. The $432,865 grant was awarded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the $475 million federal program designed to target the most significant problems in the Great Lakes ecosystem, including habitat conservation, invasive aquatic species, non-point source pollution and contaminated sediment.

“This grant provides an opportunity to protect several intact and pristine parcels of wetland habitat.” said Doug Gorby, regional biologist for DU. “We face ongoing fragmentation of ecosystems in the SLV that are vital to waterfowl and other wildlife. The land we’re protecting with these funds provides continuity with existing protected areas, exponentially increasing the benefit.”

DU partnered in the grant application with the Indian River Lakes Conservancy, which will own and protect the acquired parcels. The GLRI funds were awarded through the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture (ACJV), the conservation-coordinating body which delivers strategies and tools for protecting all bird species to implementation partners. This year, additional grant funding was provided through the GLRI.

The parcels to be protected lie in the St. Lawrence River Valley, a mosaic of distinct habitat types that support several priority species of waterfowl, diverse fish populations and an array of wildlife species. A robust land protection strategy is important in this highly pressured area. Development of shoreline and wetlands, decreased water quality, and shifting land uses are all stressing the SLV’s diverse ecosystem. 

“The SLV is one of three highest-priority ‘focal regions’ for the Lower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Plain Bird Conservation Region,” said Mitch Hartley, ACJV coordinator. “The SLV is strategically located between Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River and is one of the most important areas for grassland birds and other early-successional species in the Eastern United States due to its high density of wetlands, grasslands and shrublands. The region supports high densities of waterfowl and 20 percent of the North American breeding population of bobolink. The Indian River Lakes project will provide high-quality habitat for a variety of highest-priority species, including American black duck, common goldeneye, golden-winged warbler and Henslow’s sparrow, during both breeding and migration. A much wider group of high-priority species will also benefit from this project’s permanent land protection, and the surrounding matrix of protected lands.”

Ducks Unlimited is the world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 12 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever.

30

Kristin Schrader   kschrader@ducks.org  734.623.2000