The U.S. prairie is disappearing at a rate of 2% per year; in just 34 years, more than half of our native prairie will be gone...forever. To duck hunters, this means the loss of vital breeding grounds critical to fostering abundant waterfowl populations.

Ducks Unlimited knows how to rescue this "duck factory." We have a backlog of more than 650 landowners waiting to place conservation easements on their 300,000 acres of native prairie. We must raise $40 million in private gifts to turn these acres into permanently protected habitat.

Below is a description of several properties whose owners are waiting on your gifts to place easements on their valuable duck-producing lands. Our biologists estimate that, under normal conditions, these lands would produce 100,000 ducks annually. Your gift will ensure that this nesting habitat remains in production forever.

Don't wait - tomorrow may be too late!


South Dakota Easements

Easement #1 A Buffalo County rancher in the southern end of the Missouri Coteau in South Dakota has made application for a perpetual grassland easement on 2,646 acres of native prairie. The tract also contains 469 acres of wetland habitat. Current land use is for pasture and hay. This large tract supports over a 100 breeding pairs of ducks per square mile. The cost of this easement is estimated at $886,745.

Easement #2 A Hyde County rancher in some of the best pintail breeding habitat in North America has made application for a perpetual grassland easement on 2,560 acres of native prairie. The tract contains 262 acres of wetland habitat that attracts between 80 and 100 breeding duck pairs per square mile, with many of the pairs being pintails. The cost of the easement is estimated at $832,000.

Easement #3 A Hand County rancher in some of the best pintail breeding habitat in North America has made application for a perpetual grassland easement on 560 acres of native prairie. The tract contains 83 acres of wetland habitat that attracts between 80 and 100 breeding duck pairs per square mile, with many of the pairs being pintails. The cost of the easement is estimated at $224,000.

Easement #4 An Edmunds County rancher in the heart of the Missouri Coteau of South Dakota has made an application for a perpetual grassland easement on 640 acre of native prairie. The tract also contains 52 acres of wetland habitat. Current land use is for pasture and hay. This large tract supports more than 100 breeding pairs of ducks per square mile. The cost of this easement is estimated at $262,400.

Easement #5. An Edmunds County rancher in the heart of the Missouri Coteau of South Dakota has made an application for a perpetual grassland easement on 1,040 acre of native prairie. The tract also contains 180 acres of wetland habitat. Current land use is for pasture and hay. This large tract supports more than 100 breeding pairs of ducks per square mile. The cost of this easement is estimated at $426,400.


North Dakota Easements

Easement #1 A Ward County rancher in the heart of the Missouri Coteau in North Dakota has made application for a perpetual grassland easement on 240 acres of native prairie. The tract also contains 73 acres of wetland habitat. Current land use is for pasture and hay. This tract supports more than 100 breeding pairs of ducks per square mile. The cost of this easement is estimated at $31,200.

Easement #2 A McLean County rancher in the heart of the Missouri Coteau in North Dakota has made application for a perpetual grassland easement on 220 acres of native prairie. The tract also contains 45 acres of wetland habitat. Current land use is for pasture and hay. This tract supports between 80 and 100 breeding pairs of ducks per square mile. The cost of this easement is estimated at $34,100.

Easement #3 A Burleigh County rancher in the heart of the Missouri Coteau in North Dakota has made application for a perpetual grassland easement on 2,200 acres of native prairie. The tract also contains 128 acres of wetland habitat. Current land use is for pasture and hay. This tract supports between 80 and 100 breeding pairs of ducks per square mile. The cost of this easement is estimated at $396,000.

Easement #4 A Sheridan County rancher in the heart of the Missouri Coteau in North Dakota has made application for a perpetual grassland easement on 560 acres of native prairie and 80 acres of re-established grassland. The tract also contains 42 acres of wetland habitat. Current land use is for pasture and hay. This tract supports between 80 and 100 breeding pairs of ducks per square mile. The cost of this easement is estimated at $99,200.

Easement #5 A Kidder County landowner in the heart of the Missouri Coteau in North Dakota has made application for a perpetual grassland easement on 590 acres of native prairie. The tract also contains 30 acres of wetland habitat. Current land use is for pasture and hay. This tract supports between 60 and 80 breeding pairs of ducks per square mile. The cost of this easement is estimated at $118,000.

Easement #6 A Stutsman County rancher in the heart of the Missouri Coteau in North Dakota has made application for a perpetual grassland easement on 1,130 acres of native prairie. The tract also contains 115 acres of wetland habitat. Current land use is for pasture and hay. This tract supports more than 100 breeding pairs of ducks per square mile. The cost of this easement is estimated at $226,000.

Easement #7 A Stutsman County rancher in the heart of the Missouri Coteau in North Dakota has made application for a perpetual grassland easement on 392 acres of native prairie. The tract also contains 56 acres of wetland habitat. Current land use is for pasture and hay. This tract supports more than 100 breeding pairs of ducks per square mile. The cost of this easement is estimated at $78,400.

Easement #8 A Stutsman County rancher in the heart of the Missouri Coteau in North Dakota has made application for a perpetual grassland easement on 1,680 acres of native prairie. The tract also contains 178 acres of wetland habitat. Current land use is for pasture and hay. This tract supports more than 100 breeding pairs of ducks per square mile. The cost of this easement is estimated at $336,000.

Easement #9 A McIntosh County landowner in the heart of the Missouri Coteau in North Dakota has made application for a perpetual grassland easement on 210 acres of native prairie. The tract also contains 14 acres of wetland habitat. Current land use is for pasture and hay. This tract supports more than 100 breeding pairs of ducks per square mile. The cost of this easement is estimated at $48,300.

Easement #10 A McIntosh County rancher in the heart of the Missouri Coteau in North Dakota has made application for a perpetual grassland easement on 1,240 acres of native prairie. The tract also contains 70 acres of wetland habitat. Current land use is for pasture and hay. This tract supports between 80 and 100 breeding pairs of ducks per square mile. The cost of this easement is estimated at $285,200.