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SENECA, N.Y. - March 10, 2020 - Ducks Unlimited (DU) and numerous partners invested $1 million to protect, enhance or restore 894 acres of wetland and grassland habitat across four New York project sites in 2019, greatly improving water quality and wildlife habitat.New York 2020 State Conservation Report

Partners included the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Friends of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex, Thousand Islands Land Trust, TugHill Tomorrow Land Trust, Cargill and DU major donors.

The milestones in 2019 added to a sizeable historical investment in New York. Over the last 30 years, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 56,000 wetland and grassland acres across the state, investing more than $40 million into wetland habitats.

"New York's wetlands play a significant role for local and continental waterfowl," said Brandy Neveldine, Ducks Unlimited regional biologist in New York. "But our wetlands are also crucial for water quality. New York has lost 60 percent of its wetlands, which filter pollutants from the landscape before they enter our rivers, streams and lakes. The more wetlands we can put back on the landscape, the better for ducks and residents."

Highlights from 2019 include:

  • Buckhorn Island State Park - Construction has started on new channels and potholes at the 150-acre Buckhorn Marsh, the largest remaining emergent marsh habitat in the highly developed Niagara River area located just south of the Niagara Power Dam.
  • Northern Montezuma Wildlife Area - Ducks Unlimited, the NYSDEC and Friends of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex restored a 140-acre former agriculture field to wetlands in the wildlife management area, along the floodplain of the Seneca River.
  • Cargill partnership - A partnership between Ducks Unlimited and Cargill Corp. conserved more than 5,500 acres of vital wetland habitat throughout New York since 2016. Cargill in 2019 committed another $248,000 to Ducks Unlimited, continuing a longstanding corporate commitment to conservation.

For a complete report of 2019 activities and a look into what's planned for 2020 and beyond, see the New York Conservation Report and www.ducks.org/New-York.

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 14.5 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:
Chris Sebastian
(734) 623-2017
csebastian@ducks.org
@GLARducks