| DU Members and Supporters! Last Friday the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opened a 14-day public comment period on the regulations that protect some of the most important easements in the Prairie Pothole Region. Today, the progress we have made to protect these habitats faces an urgent threat. If these crucial regulations are changed or removed the threat becomes reality. Importantly, you have an opportunity to help protect critical breeding habitat in the Prairie Pothole Region with just a few clicks on your phone or computer. It is critical that you, as our most informed and connected supporters, submit comments that are firmly in favor of keeping the existing regulations in place. For 60 years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has followed a “No Impact” policy for wetlands protected by voluntary easement contracts, which prohibit draining, filling, or burning these wetlands. DU supports maintaining this policy of “no impact” while providing safe harbor for landowners with approved tile drainage plans. Weakening the rule could result in changes that would have a devastating impact on habitat in the prairies. Please take a few minutes to leave a comment that will be submitted directly to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We are told that personalized comments are weighted more heavily than simple petition signatures. As a supporter of DU, you are one of Ducks Unlimited’s most valuable partners; you are in an elite team dedicated to waterfowl and wetlands conservation. For 89 years, leaders like you have helped protect wetlands and other habitats to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow, and forever. Thank you for taking action to protect the future of waterfowl breeding habitat in North America. For the Ducks, Rex Schulz, MD, President Bob Spoerl, Chairman Adam Putnam, CEO ATTENTION: If you prefer to write your own comment, great! If not, you can cut and paste one of the supplied replies below. Feel free to add your name and any other remarks you might want to leave. This is [insert name]. I’m responding to the Request for Information you posted online. If you are considering changes, I’d like to point out that The Prairie Pothole Region produces many of North America’s migratory waterfowl, so protecting these wetlands matters to myself, and all of us who care about waterfowl and wildlife. For more than 60 years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has supported these voluntary conservation easements that prevent wetland drainage. Please keep the current rule in place and protect the wetlands Americans have already paid to conserve. This is [insert name]. I am responding to the Request for Information you posted online. Hunters, anglers, and conservationists have invested billions of dollars in wildlife habitat through Duck Stamps, hunting licenses, and Pittman-Robertson funding. The current regulation protects our investment while also giving landowners clear, science-based guidance and safe harbor protections. It’s a fair approach that works, so please keep it in place for wetlands, waterfowl, and future hunting opportunities. This is [insert name]. I’m responding to the Request for Information you posted online. The current drain tile setback rule has worked for more than 60 years under both Republican and Democratic administrations. Weakening it could put voluntarily protected wetlands at risk when waterfowl populations are already under pressure. Please keep the current regulations in place to protect the public’s conservation investment, preserve healthy waterfowl populations and our hunting traditions for future generations. |
