A Year for the Ducks

Working at DU out here in the west was “interesting” this last year, to say the least.  In California, we were particularly challenged by frozen bond funds, halting progress toward completing ten million dollars worth of contracted projects. The staff here put in long hours, seeking creative ways, such as a no interest loans from foundations, to get our work on the ground in motion again. They made it happen. It was pretty amazing.

All year we continued to partner with other conservation organizations and land trusts. We succeeded in ensuring the rerouting of a major electric powerline, originally proposed to pass through sensitive wetlands habitat in the Sacramento Valley. We were also involved in a major water policy package working to protect fish, wildlife and people from dangerous mercury levels, while also working to procure more water for our struggling refuges.

This year we embark on one of the largest coastal restoration projects ever attempted in the San Francisco Bay and continue our efforts to restore and maintain the Central Valley refuges, all hard hit by state funding cuts, as well as work with private landowners. Of course this is only a tiny portion of the entirety of projects in the Pacific Flyway, but it gives you an idea. I’ve got my work cut out for me raising funds for all this great stuff, but I think it’s wonderful that despite the economy there are still tons of incredibly important work being done in this office. I certainly landed in the right place!

©2010 Operation Delta Duck. All Rights Reserved.

Great Working Environment

©2010 Operation Delta Duck. All Rights Reserved.

On Capital hill

I’m not a lobbyist and I don’t plan to become one, but I was in DC to give a presentation at Phoenix Landing, so I thought I would tack on a bit of time to check out what the Ducks Unlimited DC office gets itself up to.

I work with major donors and I thought major donors would have some interest. What I didn’t count on was being recruited to lobby.

Now, I grew up in a house where it was considered impolite to talk about politics. To this day I don’t know who my grandparents voted for or supported. In fact, my grandmother claimed every year that she was voting for Dewey. She never got over that particular lost election…  So politics and I are not comfortable bedfellows. I have my opinions. I formulate them carefully. I listen and read, but I don’t talk about them. It’s nobody’s business and honestly, a friendly debate NEVER feels friendly to me.  So I don’t belong in DC.

However, I was willing, in fact excited to go lobby for Ducks, because one should know how these things work. One should have an idea how the things you believe in become bills and laws and how they get funded.

No Time for Stairs

So escorted by one of our staff from DC, I met with staffers from both my Senator’s offices and my Congressman’s office, as well as a few others. I learned a lot just by watching about the influx of information and way things work on the simpliest level. Having someone in front of them reminding them of local interests is huge. I’m now thrilled that DU has people on Capital Hill keeping important conservation issues in front of politicians. Nothing happens in government without pressure.

So when you find issues that are crucial to what you believe in make sure you do something about it.

• Do you belong to an organization that has a lobbyist? Make sure the orgs that you support know what policy is important to you. If enough members feel strongly about a policy that’s in the realm of that org’s interest and expertise, it is likely to react and get your voice heard.
• Call you Senator and your Congressman. They keep track of how many calls and of how their constituents are reacting. I saw it, first hand. And that’s mostly what they care about. How many of you care.
• Vote. Seriously. And not just for the President. Know who is running for Congress and the Senate and vote. It makes a difference.

This these I can do. These things I know make a difference. Which is good, because you won’t find me lobbying again any time soon…

©2010 Operation Delta Duck. All Rights Reserved.

There is of course, more to learn than just what is happening on the ground. Working in fundraising means knowing the culture that surrounds you and understanding how to tell your story. And I’m always shocked at the complete misunderstanding of the DU story. Out in the interwebs and at dinner parties with friends what I hear the most is, “What’s the point of conserving ducks if you’re just going to shoot them later?”

I could go on for hours about the minimal impact of hunting, the value of natural resources, the importance of comprehending the value of food, the debilitating effects of nature deficit disorder and on an on but that isn’t really the question that gets asked. It’s “why save them if you’re going to shoot them?”

It’s a valid question, or at least would be if “Ducks Unlimited” shot ducks, but we don’t.  Waterfowl hunters shoot ducks. Don’t get me wrong, we love waterfowl hunters at DU and it’s because these hunters also invest a tremendous amount of money in the conservation of waterfowl and wetlands. People who hunt waterfowl often support Ducks Unlimited. In fact, they are the backbone of our support. Still, Ducks Unlimited doesn’t shoot ducks.

So it would be more logical to direct the question to hunters and ask why they spend their money on conservation and supporting DU.  Every time I have, I’ve been stunned at the passion and articulation of their answer. It is a conversation I recommend every curious person ask. In fact if you don’t know any gun hunters, go ask NorCal Cazadora. She could write rings around my best explanation of why I personally hunt.

The bottom line though, is that Ducks Unlimited is a conservation organization. The people in the office with me are biologists, engineers, GIS specialists and support staff.  True, our restoration projects are open to hunters as often as possible, but they are also meant for bird watchers, bicyclists, kayakers etc. We prefer that wetlands be experienced and enjoyed. It’s the only way to convince people to put passion into doing the “right thing” and being conservation-minded. We believe that wetlands are of value to everyone and for multiple reasons. (Clean water, anyone?)

I hunt, but less than half the staff in this office do the same. For the most part, they aren’t here because they’re hunters. They are here because they have a passion for conservation. For some of us that desire to conserve was born from hunting and for others it came from camping, hiking or a childhood of collecting tadpoles and salmanders. We all believe in DU because DU does critcal work that has a tremendous impact on the quality of life for everyone and everything that requires water.

So dear friend from college, next time you have me over for dinner and we’re two glasses of wine into the night, please don’t ask me why I work somewhere that saves ducks so that we can kill them. Ask me about the $8.2 million worth of work we’re doing in the SF Bay Area and how we’re going to restore the salt evaporation ponds into tidal marsh. If your going for a heated discussion, ask me why I personally choose to hunt ducks with a falcon when my day job is to raise money to conserve them.  Even if I can’t convince you that it’s okay that I hunt ducks we should be able to agree that you should support conservation.  Please support Ducks Unlimited. DU doesn’t hunt ducks. I do.

©2010 Operation Delta Duck. All Rights Reserved.

From Subactive_Photo via Flickr courtesy of Creative Commons Licensing

There are nearly 37 million people in California, a tremendous amount of people who consume a stunning amount water and require a great deal of electricity. Usually around the office, we worry about water, but lately, power has been at the forefront of our conversation.

We use a lot of power in Northern CA, particularly in the Bay Area. This means as the population expands and there’s a requirement for even more power, more electricity  has to be carried somehow into our metropolitan areas.

Those gigantic transmission towers and lines are an eyesore however, and require a decent sized bit of land. The construction of a new transmission route is inevitable. It will happen. All the same, it’s a bad idea to point at the map and say, “No worries. There’s some open land right here. We’ll run it there.”  Which is pretty much what happened with the current proposal.

The current proposed routes of the California Transmission Project cut through District 10, Sutter National Refuge, Butte Sink, Yolo Wildlife Area, Stones Lake National Wildlife Area and a tremendous amount of other public and private wetlands.  See the map for more details. Some of this land is protected by conservation easements, some of it has seen the benefits of millions of taxpayers dollars and restoration work.  Perhaps it wouldn’t be that big of a deal if we weren’t talking about degrading a portion of the 250,000 acres remaining in a state that once boasted 3 to 5 million acres of wetlands which played host to 50 million waterfowl. We can’t afford to lose habitat.

But they’re just powerlines, so is there a problem?  Waterfowl experts feel that powerlines can impact larger birds, especially in foggy conditions when the birds may be killed by running into them. The real problem is that smaller waterfowl steer clear of habitat around the lines, giving the towers a berth of .2 to .5 miles, rendering a swath of the wetlands useless for conservation purposes.

No route is ultimately going to be a perfect solution, but it would be fantastic if the habitat were considered when making the final decision. Fortunately, there is some time for public opinions and comments to be considered.

Waterfowl hunters and conservationists worried about losing crucial habitat in the Central Valley need to write a letter before MAY 31st and send it to:

Mr. David Young

Western Area Power Admin

114 Parkshore Dr.

Folsom, CA 95630

Want more info? Look athe Western Area Power Adminstration’s website for further maps and details.

©2010 Operation Delta Duck. All Rights Reserved.

Ducks Unlimited Project in the Grasslands

Hopefully, most of my waterfowl conservation and hunting friends are already aware of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), but did you know that the president has suggested a $10 million dollar increase in NAWCA funding for FY 2010?  This brings NAWCA funds up to $52 million across the country and honestly, it’s the sort of spending I can get behind. The government isn’t just throwing money at a problem. NAWCA requires that for every $1 given by the government at least another $1 must be matched in private funds.

To private donors this really means a great deal. Basically, if I come asking you, Mr. or Ms. Private Donor or Private Business owner, to commit to assisting in funding a project, the government matches the money that you give us. I can also leverage this money in the community because everyone wants more bang for their buck. And quite frankly, conservation projects that are based in science and solid engineering aren’t cheap.

Once upon a time, a million dollars went a long way. Those days are over.  And getting $1 mil in one fell swoop is not that easy of a proposition. However, $100,000 from five foundations, corportate partners or individual donors adds up to a milion. See what I mean? We love NAWCA.

Don’t get me wrong, every level of giving makes a big difference. The $100 or $1,000 people like you and I give a year adds up too. That’s why I give it. We need to keep the lights on around here.  Big money though, means big projects and with a fraction of our wetlands left, the work that needs to be done is huge.

NAWCA grants are tough to get. They are challenging to write and require a demonstration of an organization’s ability to nail the science, gather the appropriate partners, garner the confidence of the communties they work in and of course a record of success. A lot of the projects managed in my office though are backed by NAWCA. The people who work here and the projects they manage are just that cool.

I want these people to keep working. I want more wetlands restored. And if you don’t have $100,000 to help me restore the wetlands on the Pacific Flyway, that’s okay.  You could really help just by contacting your representative and senators and letting them know you support the NAWCA funding increase.

(Although if you have $100,000 you really should call me…)

©2010 Operation Delta Duck. All Rights Reserved.

Mallards in Flooded Rice Fields

We’re having a contest at DU to see who can raise the most money in our “Duck Fever” fundraising drive. (See the widget in the sidebar.) Technically, since fundraising is actually my job, I really think I should be disqualified from any of the prizes. However, I really should try to make a good showing.

You don’t have to give much, $5 makes a difference and I have until June 30th. So if you like something I write (or if you hate something I write, but love ducks anyway), please consider dropping $5 or more to support Ducks Unlimited.

©2010 Operation Delta Duck. All Rights Reserved.

Sunset on a Refuge Outside of Lincoln, CA (AKA the photo I took when I was lost the other night)

We’re all aching from the sudden shift in the economy. I doubt there’s a single person out there that hasn’t felt the effects of the recession. So there’s no need to launch into a sob story, but what is happening in California at least merits discussion, if only because it’s interesting.

In late December, while still waiting on budget to be passed, the California Department of Finance froze use of state bond money for general programs statewide.  (As a simple explanation, the state ran out of money.) The ripple effect of this was immense. Many organizations utilize this money. At Ducks Unlimited this instantly suspended many DU wetlands restoration projects and all payments for recently completed project work.

Bond monies fund a great many things, some might argue that work on state wildlife management areas and federal refuges is the least of these things.  All the same, over $7 million in DU project work has come to an ordered and screeching halt.

There are plenty of other organizations suffering over this and many without the national support and diversified funding of Ducks Unlimited. It’s just bad news for conservation in California in general. There are projects out there halfway finished and now sitting that will have to be started over, meaning they will cost more money.  (When you get halfway through the removal of an invasive plant species and then let the land sit fallow for 6 months… well you get my drift.)

Over $2.6 billion is now owed to organizations using bond funds for projects, and at least $20 billion in overall public project work is on hold. So now that the budget’s passed, the crisis has been averted, right?

Not so fast.

The state has to start selling bonds again before bond funding projects can get rolling again. And the state doesn’t really have the credit to do that right now. There’s some cleaning up and straightening out that has to be done. Then they are going to start working down the list to get money flowing as is available and conservation isn’t at the top of that list.  So many projects are probably not going to start up again until this summer at the earliest. In the mean time, organizations out there are letting people go or at the very least not hiring the people to do this work.

Interesting times in California.

So what you do? Now is perhaps the the most important time since the depression to support your favorite nonprofit conservation organization. (For me that’s hands down DU and not because I work there, I’ve extolled the virtues of DU for years.) If you can spare the gift, give it. If you can’t at the very least keep your eye on what’s happening with State and National policy. Changes are coming at us in rapid succession and not all of them are good for the long term. Make sure you educate yourself and make your voice heard. We need you more than ever.

©2010 Operation Delta Duck. All Rights Reserved.

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

©2010 Operation Delta Duck. All Rights Reserved.

by JamesJordan at Flickr.com

In the Sacramento Valley, fall ground surveys on federal refuges indicated peak duck numbers of about 1.7 million, about 15% lower than last year. Of course, precipitation was below average. Areas like Lincoln which depend more on precipitation showed a decrease in the amount of quality wetlands. Seasonal wetlands that were flooded in the fall were in average to below average condition due to two dry springs in a row. Flooded rice offered habitat comparable to last year. (Tough on us falconers to have the only good habitat be large stretches of water, but at least there was someplace for the ducks to winter.) For the second year in a row, the peak occurred 2-3 weeks earlier than average with the ducks then dispersing out of the west Valley.

In the Northeast, fall populations of waterfowl peaked at 0.7 million in the Klamath Basin, less than half of the 1.5 million counted in 2008. Considerably lower populations of arctic nesting geese and pintails were noted in the fall. Populations of canvasbacks were notably decreased as well.

Down south the temperatures were running 5 to 10 degrees above average. Which I’m sure everyone who waiting for some crisp weather to encourage high flying falcons definitely noticed.  Again irrigated lands had good to excellent habitat conditions, but everywhere else was hurting a bit for the lack of precipitation.

Looking at waterfowl numbers in specific locations from one year to the next really doesn’t give you a very good view of the overall picture, so I would caution against reading into these numbers. If you’re hunting or waterfowl watching in Northern California though, you can see a reflection of what our season looked like. Primarily these counts are on bigger water and since most of the ducks we hunt have dispersed from concentrated areas, you can sort of extrapolate what you saw from the big picture.

I wouldn’t hazard a guess to what all of the numbers and observations mean, but if there’s something in particular you want to know, I can corner a biologist and try to get an answer for you.  My only interpretation of both the numbers and the season itself would be to say that it was a better year to be flying a goshawk out here than a falcon…  But there’s always next season.

©2010 Operation Delta Duck. All Rights Reserved.