Covid 19 effect on wetland conservation

Roanoke

Roanoke

Eight Pointer
Ducks Unlimited is going to loose tens of millions due to cancelled events and fundraising. Remember that 86% of all of our revenue goes back into the ground to save wetlands. The NC committee is getting ready to start an online auction. Can this be posted on regular site or classified.


Also NRA is struggling and had to layoff several employees. Be good if people who can to renew their membership.
 
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Inshore duck

Eight Pointer
No offense, but people in general have a hard time caring about funding to improve nest success rates in the prairie pothole region when many people are losing their financial livelihoods, businesses and lives. We all like to hunt but in the scheme of things it takes a necessary backseat to our nation, families, churches and local community. Try convincing the unemployed guy trying to feed his family he needs to donate to help the pintail population.
 
shurshot

shurshot

Ten Pointer
Understand both points of views ...DU like any “business” needs operating revenue to continue on with its objectives. On the other side, 16 million American are out of work! Asking me for a donation now?

Donations won’t be a priority for those people and things will be tough. But the beauty in America is that in times of needs, there always seems to be someone or some business’s that steps up to the plate with their generosity because they are fortunate enough to do so because deep in their hearts it an endeavor worth supporting. Look at all the businesses that are now and in past crisis’ have donated xx$ to organizations that really matter to them. Sure, DU like so
many other volunteer organizations are going to take a major hit but guaranteed they will weather this storm. Just too many deep pockets that will be able to float them through this crapola.
 
Hydemarsh

Hydemarsh

Six Pointer
A lot of prosperous people hunt ducks and support DU. I wish them well. I still do not understand what they do with the billions they have raised. I do not understand, or simply put I have not seen evidence, of "conserving wetlands". I have spent a lot of time in Canada and I see lots of small wetlands being converted into crop land. I have seen DU projects in Canada but they a small dot compared to the vast area there.
 
Hydemarsh

Hydemarsh

Six Pointer
Roanoke, I know about the projects - there are not 130,000+ acres of waterfowl game land in NC. I think it is a simple question that I can never get an answer to, "what does conserving wetlands mean?" I hear about millions of acres "conserved". What does that mean?

The other question "how does DU know?"

By the way I am a DU sponsor and provide carved decoys for auction at banquets.
 

Woods and water

Ten Pointer
A lot of it is wet land mitigation, big money, let's say you are a developer and need additional wet lands , you partner with DU to conserve as much land as needed to offset what you are developing and DU foots the bill , you make more money on the development and the employees of DU make money and the people who donate feel good about conserving wetlands that would have been conserved anyway. Great money maker.
 
Roanoke

Roanoke

Eight Pointer
You are dead wrong. DU employees do not make any money from land that is conserved. Our staff is some of the lowest paid of any Non-Profit. Our CEO makes around 450K per year. Compare that to BSA who pays their CEO over 2 million per year or the NRA CEO that makes a annual salary of 3.7 million. We have about 500 staff members but the majority of DU is made up of volunteers. Volunteers pay their on travel, lodging, food and other expenses. Trust me I know. We mainly partner with US Fish and Wildlife as well as State Natural Resource Agencies on land deals. We buy it, implement it and then give it to the state or feds to manage. There would be a lot less public areas to hunt in NC if it were not for DU. Texas Plantation is a good example.

90201F7E-01CA-41DA-AB2C-492ED9EA877A.jpeg

You know the reason there are no ducks on Currituck. Loss of Habitat. Too many big houses, traffic, all the lights, etc. This is why we have partnerships with private land owners for waterfowl conservation easements. Keeps land from being commercially developed.

Ducks Unlimited has conserved over 2.2 Million acres specifically for waterfowl. IN 2019 ALONE 482 SQUARE MILES OF HABITAT WAS CONSERVED FOR NORTH AMERICA’S WATERFOWL!

Please see below report.
 
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Hydemarsh

Hydemarsh

Six Pointer
Roanoke said:
You are dead wrong. DU employees do not make any money from land that is conserved. Our staff is some of the lowest paid of any Non-Profit. Our CEO makes around 450K per year. Compare that to BSA who pays their CEO over 2 million per year or the NRA CEO that makes a annual salary of 3.7 million. We have about 500 staff members but the majority of DU is made up of volunteers. Volunteers pay their on travel, lodging, food and other expenses. Trust me I know. We mainly partner with US Fish and Wildlife as well as State Natural Resource Agencies on land deals. We buy it, implement it and then give it to the state or feds to manage. There would be a lot less public areas to hunt in NC if it were not for DU. Texas Plantation is a good example.

View attachment 43949

You know the reason there are no ducks on Currituck. Loss of Habitat. Too many big houses, traffic, all the lights, etc. This is why we have partnerships with private land owners for waterfowl conservation easements. Keeps land from being commercially developed.

Ducks Unlimited has conserved over 2.2 Million acres specifically for waterfowl. IN 2019 ALONE 482 SQUARE MILES OF HABITAT WAS CONSERVED FOR NORTH AMERICA’S WATERFOWL!

Please see below report.
Click to expand...


I keep hearing things like "482 square miles of habitat was conserved" - what does that mean?

To answer my question and in the spirit of transparency DU you should provide a detailed explanation. An example would be:
in 2020 DU bought (x) acres in the following states. have a list of purchases by state/province by year
DU paid (x) land owners $x million dollars for conservation easements. Provide a list of land owners and the amount of money they are paid along with the contract duration and high level terms.. Make this available on a searchable website (by State.) They should list how they monitor the property to ensure maximum benefit to waterfowl. they should provide an explanation as to why the payment benefits waterfowl
DU paid $ (x) to private landowners for waterfowl habitat improvement - List the land owners and the nature of improvements and the amount of money. It should explain how each project on private property benefits waterfowl.
DU provide $x dollars to waterfowl locations such as Honeybrake, Habitat Flats, etc - provide a detailed accounting by year foe these types of locations.
DU provided $x dollars to Canadian farmers to not destroy potholes and provide the process used to ensure they are not plowed under.

The list could go on but you get the idea. I think it would totally eliminate uncertainty.

This may be available and if it is I apologize but I have asked DU people and all I get is a blank stare.

DU raises a lot of money and those of us that donate want o know where our money goes - not nebulous terms lie "Habitat Conserved.
 
woodmoose

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Hydemarsh said:
This may be available
Click to expand...


it is

www.ducks.org

Conservation | Ducks Unlimited

www.ducks.org www.ducks.org

lots of details on their website, to include a very detailed breakdown of how they money flows,,where they do conservation, etc - lots more detail that "habitat conserved" - that term is normally just used in their summary info - you know, one pagers or emails

but expect you won't get the exact detail you want as it is likely not presented like you want it
 
Roanoke

Roanoke

Eight Pointer
Hydemarsh You can call the Region office at 843-745-9110 for any particular question. You can even request to meet with a biologist.
 
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