In late 2008, the budget crisis hitC a l i f o rnia hard, causing state agenciesto suspend funding for thousands of contracts and grants, including DucksUnlimited habitat restoration pro j e c t sa l ready under way. Without pro m i s e dstate funding, it appeared DucksUnlimited would have to suspend its c o n s e rvation work as well. Enter philan-t h ropist Bill Johnson Jr., owner ofJohnson Machinery, a Caterpillar dealer in Riverside, California, who made aninvestment of $50,000 to fund DucksU n l i m i t e d ’s work in the state. This invest-ment was then matched dollar for dollarby the Caterpillar Foundation as part of a$250,000 CAT dealer challenge to raisefunds for DU’s work through theWetlands for To m o rrow campaign.

The investments from Johnson andthe Caterpillar Foundation could not havecome at a better time. They filled the voidleft by the loss of state funds and allowedDU to complete project designs and s u rveys in the spring. When state fundingre t u rned, DU was able to begin constru c-tion immediately. Without these invest-ments, crucial projects in California couldhave been delayed by at least a year.

Once state funding re t u rned at pro m i s e dlevels, DU was able to reinvest theJohnson and Caterpillar Foundation fundsin other wetland restoration projects.

“Ducks Unlimited does a great job athabitat conservation and has a gre a tre c o rd over the decades of putting thenumbers on the board. Just look at thet rend in rising duck populations,” said BillJohnson Jr. “I’m glad I could help.”

Ducks Unlimited’s partnership withCaterpillar is not new. Thousands of tonsof soil are moved by Caterpillar equip-ment on hundreds of Ducks Unlimitedp rojects throughout North America eachy e a r. The Caterpillar Foundation has beens u p p o rtive of DU, and now CAT dealersa re stepping up with re s o u rces to furt h e rc o n s e rvation projects in their terr i t o r i e sand beyond.

“ I t ’s always a pleasure working withaccomplished Caterpillar dealers like BillJohnson Jr. who have a deep personalconviction about conserving critical acre sof habitat. When we are able to double an

investment through the foundation’sbacking, it’s just incre d i b l e , ” said PhilipM i l b u rn, DU’s director of marketing andcorporate relations.

The Caterpillar Foundation and the U.S.network of CAT dealers share DU’s valuesof protecting our natural re s o u rces forducks, wildlife, and people. They re c o g n i z ethat it re q u i res partnerships to get the job done.

D E L I V E R I N G C O N T I N E N T A L C O N S E R V A T I O N

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D E L I V E R I N G C O N T I N E N T A L C O N S E R V A T I O N Wetlands for To m o r row

Investments from William R. Johnson Jr.and Caterpillar Foundation Help FinishP rojects on Schedule

Edited by Leia Syvertson Berry

Caterpillar construction equipment hasbeen used to re s t o re thousands of acres ofw a t e rfowl habitat across North America.

The world’s greatest achievements are powered by a combi-nation of people, re s o u rces, and passion. Nowhere is thism o re evident than in the continental accomplishments madepossible through the commitment and investment of DU s u p p o rters. Ducks Unlimited is proud to recognize and part n e rwith individuals, foundations, and corporations across Nort hAmerica. Our history is rooted in linking re s o u rces and passionto create workable science-based solutions to conserve water-

fowl habitat—from the vast boreal forest and Prairie PotholeRegion across the contiguous United States to the winteringg rounds of Mexico.

In 1937, DU’s founders recognized the importance of conserv-ing habitat in Canada to sustain waterfowling traditions in theUnited States. The following donors are just a few of thosewho continue to follow in the footsteps of these conserv a t i o nvisionaries by making a diff e rence in Canada.

26 D U C K S U N L I M I T E D J a n u a ry / F e b ru a ry 2010

D E L I V E R I N G C O N T I N E N T A L C O N S E R V A T I O NWetlands for To m o r row

DU Supporters Across the Continent Make a Difference in Canada

DU Supporters Across the Continent Make a Difference in Canada

Ducks Unlimited is pleased to announce a recent pledge of $200,000 from the Seymour H. KnoxFoundation of Buffalo, New York. This commitment will help protect the Prairie Pothole Region ofCanada and the United States—an area of waterfowl breeding habitat that is better known as “theDuck Factory” to longtime DU supporters.

To populations of migratory waterfowl, the Prairie Pothole Region is a land without borders, a singleecosystem that rivals the Amazon in its biodiversity. A variety of species use this region as a migrationc o rr i d o r, including numerous species of waterfowl and other birds.

For former DU president and Pre s i d e n t ’s Council charter member Hazard Campbell, his role as c h a i rman of the Knox Foundation provides a venue to support the mission of Ducks Unlimited, a mission he personally has supported with his time, tre a s u re, and talent since 1956.

C rossing the Border: Knox Foundation S u p p o rt sC o n s e rv a t i o n a c ross the Continent

Campion Foundation of Seattle,Washington, has part n e red with DucksUnlimited to put conservation first in therural communities of British Columbia, amove that will benefit indigenous peoplesand breeding waterfowl alike. The part n e r-ship—sealed with two grants totaling$600,000 to Ducks Unlimited—focuses onp rotecting vital habitat in the boreal fore s tby providing the people of British Columbia

with the tools they need to be informed onp roposed mineral development in their communities and to participate in the legislative processes that give people avoice. This partnership supports incre a s e dcommunity involvement and advocacy fornew policies and provisions for land usethat will protect the integrity of the bore a lf o rest and its associated ecological and cul-tural values. The boreal forest of Canada

and Alaska contains a quarter of thew o r l d ’s remaining intact forests and 35p e rcent of the world’s wetlands.

For Ducks Unlimited, protecting this gre a tw a t e rfowl breeding and migration area fro mfragmentation and destruction is one of ourhighest priorities. By opening dialoguebetween extraction industries and the peo-ple who have lived and worked in this re g i o nfor generations, we can ensure that the finebalance between pro g ress and heritage ismaintained. We can also ensure that Nort hA m e r i c a ’s “other duck factory” continues top rovide a home and haven for waterf o w l .

Campion Foundation: Putting Conserv a t i o nFirst in Communities

H a z a rd Campbell willbe honored for his manyyears of service to DucksUnlimited this comingspring. If you would liketo attend or support this celebration, pleasecontact Matt Fenoff byphone at 845-242-9407or by e-mail atm f e n o ff @ d u c k s . o rg or Rich Smith at 631-734-5487 orr b s m i t h @ d u c k s . o rg .

Ducks Unlimited was proud to honor andthank Dr. L.J. Mayeux Jr. for his manyyears of service and continuous support ofD U ’s conservation mission by dedicating DUC a n a d a ’s Myren Uplands Project in his honor.Widely known as “Dr. Duck,” Mayeux per-sonifies the passion and commitment of DU’svolunteers. He has held virtually every volun-teer position in DU, starting as a Marksville,Louisiana, committee member in 1980 andlater serving as DU president in 2000.

The Myren Uplands Project, located in theh e a rt of Saskatchewan’s duck-breeding country,was a perfect site to honor Dr. Mayeux: it’s abeautiful place where waterfowl flourish on175 acres of wetlands and 110 acres of native prairie. In addition, the pro p e rty containsa p p roximately 510 acres of formerly cultivated uplands, which DU Canada re s t o red to nativep e rennial c o v e r. The re s t o red area now supports waterfowl breeding densities in excess of60 pairs per square mile. The acreage is surrounded by abundant wetlands and is near severalother DU projects, compounding its waterfowl habitat value. The Myren Uplands Pro j e c twould not have been possible without the generous support of donors from both Canadaand the United States, including 50 Major Sponsors from Louisiana.

D E L I V E R I N G C O N T I N E N T A L C O N S E R V A T I O N Wetlands for To m o r row

In 2005, DU volunteer leaders in Mississippi set out to raise aware-ness about the connection between waterfowl wintering areas inthe South and key nort h e rn breeding areas, and the MississippiConnection Project was born. Understanding the interd e p e n d e n c eof these landscapes on waterfowl populations in Mississippi, thesep h i l a n t h ropists split their gifts between the Mississippi AlluvialValley and Canada’s breeding grounds.

T h rough the Mississippi Connection Project, DU has impro v e dhabitat conditions in a key area of the Missouri Coteau located insouth-central Saskatchewan. The Mississippi Connection Project hasfour individual project segments totaling nearly 700 acres, including60 acres of re s t o red wetlands and 300 acres of annually cro p p e duplands that have been converted to dense nesting cover. Additionalnative prairie previously used for annual pasture is now managed forw a t e rfowl production. Research has shown that this project area cans u p p o rt more than 60 pairs of ducks per square mile, many of whichlater migrate to wintering areas in the Mississippi Alluvial Va l l e y.

The following sponsors generously provided funding for theMississippi Connection Project: Marc and Lainie Anthony, Neal andSarah Ballard, Pam and Larry Edwards, Rodney and San Garr i s o n ,D r. Marshall and Te resa Hollis, Curtis and Sharon Hopkins, Bru c eand Karen Lewis, Jack Moss, Joe and Janet Moss, Ronal and PattiRoberson, Larry and Sheila Roberts, and Rea Ta y l o r.

Forbes Project Touts the“Mississippi Connection”

M y ren Uplands Project Honors L.J. Mayeux

The Pulkinen Uplands Project inSaskatchewan was dedicated this fallto honor the international conserv a t i o nand volunteer work of Paul Ralstin. Thesecond of two dedication sites honoringR a l s t i n ’s legacy, the Pulkinen UplandsP roject is located in the heart of theMissouri Coteau. It’s an awe-inspiringlandscape where waterfowl thrive on 58a c res of wetlands and 121 acres of nativeprairie. In addition, the pro p e rty containsa p p roximately 141 acres of formerly culti-vated uplands, which DU Canada re s t o re dto native nesting cover. The project are anow supports breeding waterfowl densi-ties in excess of 60 pairs per square mile.The Ralstin Tribute raised more than$300,000. The first site, Roswell Marsh inIdaho, was dedicated this past August.

Pulkinen UplandsShowcase PaulR a l s t i n ’s Impact

Jack Moss, a DU Diamond Sponsor inPerpetuity and at-large board member,at the Mississippi Connection Pro j e c tdedication this past fall.

D r. L.J. Mayeux Jr. stands next to thec a i rn at the Myren Uplands Pro j e c t .

J a n u a ry / F e b ru a ry 2010 D U C K S U N L I M I T E D 27

Sometimes you know a partnership isdestined for success. When DucksUnlimited and The McKnight Foundation ofMinnesota joined forces in 2007 to pro t e c tthe Mississippi River and its watershed, them a rriage was a good one. Both org a n i z a-tions realize the value of the river, a naturalre s o u rce that provides drinking water for 50cities and 18 million people. Both org a n i z a-tions also understand the challenges facingthe Mississippi and know how to use theircombined re s o u rces to make an impact.

A second grant from The McKnightFoundation of $560,000 will allow DU tocontinue conservation eff o rts in key port i o n sof the river’s 10-state corr i d o r. Specifically,the grant will help DU and part n e r s c o n-s e rve and re s t o re shallow lakes and shore-lines in Minnesota and Iowa—two stateswhose residents strongly support conser-vation as reflected by recently adoptedand pending legislation that will pro v i d em o re state funding for protecting wildlifere s o u rces. DU will also continue conserv a-

tion eff o rts in Illinois under its state wildlifeaction plans and step up eff o rts to securestate and federal legislation and corre-sponding funding to protect and re b u i l dL o u i s i a n a ’s coastal marshes.

In addition to this funding part n e r s h i p ,David Brakhage, DU manager of conserv a-tion programs, recently met with TheMcKnight Foundation’s board of directors totalk about DU’s work and the need for ac o m p rehensive approach to river conserv a-tion. To g e t h e r, DU and The McKnightFoundation are making a diff e rence on oneof our nation’s greatest natural assets.

The David Beals III Charitable Trust inKansas City, Missouri, recently made agift of $135,000 to Ducks Unlimited for thef u t u re of wetlands conservation in Missourit h rough the Golden Anniversary We t l a n d sInitiative—an eff o rt to enhance five statec o n s e rvation areas established 50 years ago.These conservation areas, managed by theMissouri Department of Conservation, were

among the state’s earliest waterf o w ls t rongholds. But engineering, design, andc o n s t ruction capabilities have vastly impro v e dsince these areas were first developed.T h rough this initiative, DU and partners willuse 21st century wetland science to developand implement plans that will help ensurethese important habitats will be around for atleast another 50 years.

Thanks to the generosity of donors likethe David Beals III Charitable Trust, DucksUnlimited will continue to work hard tore s t o re Missouri’s wetlands so everyone inthe Show-Me State can enjoy them for gen-erations to come.

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Wetlands forTo m o rrow Contactsin Your State

D E L I V E R I N G C O N T I N E N T A L C O N S E R V A T I O NWetlands for To m o r row

For more information on becoming a MajorSponsor and supporting DU’s We t l a n d sfor To m o rrow campaign, please contact thed i rector of development for your state:

SOUTHERN REGIONFL, GA, NC, SCB rett Baker • (843) 377-0667b b a k e r @ d u c k s . o rg

KS, MO, OKJohnny Belz • (601) 206-5432j b e l z @ d u c k s . o rg

AL, KY, TNChris Cole • (601) 206-5446c c o l e @ d u c k s . o rg

AR, LA, MSChad Manlove • (601) 206-5442c m a n l o v e @ d u c k s . o rg

T XSean Stone • (832) 465-7836s s t o n e @ d u c k s . o rg

G R E AT LAKES/ATLANTIC REGIONIL, IN, MI, OH, WITodd Bishop • (734) 623-2000t b i s h o p @ d u c k s . o rg

C T, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VTMatt Fenoff • (518) 872-2002m f e n o ff @ d u c k s . o rg

DC, W. MD, VA, WVChip Heaps • (410) 399-4093c h e a p s @ d u c k s . o rg

DE, E. MD, NJ, PAPhil Poux • (410) 224-6620p p o u x @ d u c k s . o rg

G R E AT PLAINS REGIONM T, ND, SD, WYDave Afton • (701) 355-3525d a f t o n @ d u c k s . o rg

CO, NMKirk Davidson • (303) 927-1949k d a v i d s o n @ d u c k s . o rg

IA, MN, NEAdam DeHaan • (763) 688-0519a d e h a a n @ d u c k s . o rg

IA, MN, NERon Stromstad • (952) 236-0638r s t ro m s t a d @ d u c k s . o rg

WESTERN REGIONAZ, CA, NV, UTRebecca O’Connor • (916) 852-2000ro c o n n o r @ d u c k s . o rg

AK, HI, ID, OR, WA Steve Schmitt • (360) 885-2011s s c h m i t t @ d u c k s . o rg

Ron Kroese (standing), environment p rogram officer at The McKnightFoundation, visited Mud Lake nearHughes, Arkansas, with Nick Smith, DU regional biologist, and Jerry Holden,DU director of conservation pro g r a m s .Mud Lake is owned by DU LegacySponsor Phil McNeill, who hosted thetour on his 1,984-acre pro p e rt y.

The McKnight Foundation SupportsMississippi River ConservationThe McKnight Foundation SupportsMississippi River Conservation

Gift from Trust Supports WetlandRestoration in Missouri