Fast Facts:
&ull; DU receives North Dakota Outdoor Heritage Fund grant for habitat restoration
&ull; DU will partner with USFWS to repair levees and armor them with rock rip-rap
&ull; The refuge is a stopping point for many species of waterfowl and waterbirds

Moffit, N.D - With grant funding from the Outdoor Heritage Fund (OHF), Ducks Unlimited will soon begin restoring and improving habitat on the Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), near Moffit, North Dakota. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Long Lake is recognized for its diversity in wetland habitats and value to wildlife.

Ducks Unlimited will match the OHF grant funds to enhance and protect 454 acres of shallow wetland habitat used by migratory and breeding waterfowl. DU will repair breeches to two wetland cells and armor the levees with rock rip-rap to protect them against future erosion. The repairs will help maintain the diversity of wetlands and provide optimal habitat for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent species.

Long Lake was opened in 1932. The NWR aids migrating and breeding waterfowl throughout the year. Species from sand hill cranes to blue-winged teal use the refuge as a stopping point. Even the occasional whooping crane, which are endangered, will stop for a rest on the refuge. It was recently named a Globally Important Bird Area and a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network because of its importance to breeding and migratory wildlife.

Over time, erosion has breached two levees that were protecting the productive shallow wetlands that provide protein-rich food for breeding waterfowl. As the wetlands become deeper, refuge staff can no longer effectively manage them, so the wetlands become less productive for birds and other wildlife. The restoration work will again give staff the ability to manage shallow wetlands and control future high-water events.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 13.6 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. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.

 

Media Contact:
Becky Jones Mahlum
701-355-3507
bjonemahlum@ducks.org