Politics vs. Prairies

Well, I've been working for Ducks Unlimited for about a month now up in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota, and I have to say it has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. I have never seen so many ducks in my life, and with so many different species it is mind boggling. There is so much water due to a wet year and the later storms that occurred, giving our ducks and geese a chance to step back up on the population growth ladder, thus allowing us to hopefully have better bag limits (or ensure the same ones we had before)and perhaps put some species back on the limits that were previously off, such as our beloved canvasback, the king of ducks. I have seen quite a few canvasback pairs out here and it is truly a special moment when you catch those drakes out in the open, cinnamon and black and white glimmering in the sunlight.
I have also seen some things that have been a revelation as to the perilous circumstances that our waterfowl are in. This year the CRP (Crop Reserves Program) went off, thanks to the new Farm Bill. This means that land that was once set apart as conservation plots and waterfowl/upland game habitat is now going to be open to tilling, discing, and any other development the farmers see fit to implement. Not only this, but many of the wetlands that occur on private land are being developed as close to the edge as the plow can go. This leaves our waterfowl without the critical nesting habitat--cover, nest material, and shelter--that they need to successfully reproduce and ensure maximal brood survival. The WPA's (Waterfowl Production Areas, purchased by your Duck Stamp Dollars--proof that duck hunters are truly the saviors of waterfowl)and state/refuge land are the only remaining areas that cannot be touched, and WPA's are not as numerous as the land owned by farmers and cattlemen. I have seen pintails nesting in grass that was barely 4 centimeters tall, and some nests that were basically in the open. I am no environmentalist or radicalist, but I am a waterfowler and I do believe in conservation--the practice of wisely using our natural resources and ensuring adequate production of those resources. We almost lost a good portion of our ducks, and this time the dark clouds of population decline are looming again, this time in the form of politics and money. Hard times have come, and it looks like even the wildlife are suffering.
Of course people need corn, wheat, soybeans, and ethanol and wind energy. But do we need it at the expense of our passion and what we know is right?
Waterfowl need priaires. Duck hunters need ducks. Therefore duck hunters need prairies as well. So, it looks like there are common needs. Support DU, Delta Waterfowl, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Buy duck stamps each year, even if you don't hunt (you get free access to wildlife refuges with it all season long. Go duck hunting and take a kid with you. Keep up to date with NAWCA updates. Visit national waterfowl refuges and WMA's. Go duck watching or birdwatching at wetlands. If you are a farmer, set aside some land to help provide nesting habitat and give back to the waterfowl you enjoy so much. Humans have the unique power to give and take life, but we cannot create it or bring it back. Help save the Duck Factory and ensure that our waterfowl flourish and can be enjoyed by our children and theirs for generations to come. It is worth the money and the effort.