western region ( Prairie/ Boreal ) Yukon • Northwest Territories • Nunavut • Alberta • Saskatchewan • Manitoba
volume 32, number 1, 2011
Producer group wins conservation award
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A group of volunteers dedicated to promoting sustainable agricultural practices is being recognized for their hard work with the 2010 Lieutenant-Governor’s Greenwing Conservation Award. The Honourable Dr. Gordon L. Barnhart, Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan, presented the North Moose Mountain Creek Agri-Environmental Group Plan Inc. (NMMC) with the award during a ceremony at Government House in Regina recently. “Education is the key to conservation,” said Dr. Barnhart. “I congratulate the North Moose Mountain Creek AgriEnvironmental Group Plan on this well deserved honour, and I thank everyone who contributes to the group for helping to educate producers about the importance of preserving our precious wetlands.” The award is sponsored by Ducks Unlimited Canada and recognizes those who have taken leadership roles in contributing to the public awareness of conserving wetlands and recognizes people who demonstrate outstanding volunteer service in assisting organizations that benefit wetland conservation. Douglas Cressman and Ken Singleton were also nominated for the award this year. “The work this group does within the Upper Souris River watershed has a tremendous impact on conservation and agriculture across the province,” said Jack H. Hole, president of DUC. “DUC is proud to work with and recognize groups like the North Moose Mountain Creek Agri-Environmental Group Plan. They are committing their efforts into promoting sustainable agricultural practices and are working to protect and conserve Canada’s wetlands.” The NMMC is a non-profit organization that works with agricultural producers in southeast Saskatchewan to promote
The Honourable Dr. Gordon L. Barnhart, Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan (left), and Jack H. Hole, president of DUC (right), present the 2010 Lieutenant-Governor’s Greenwing Conservation Award to Les Johnston, chairman of the North Moose Mountain Creek Agri-Environmental Group Plan Inc.
and implement the sustainable use of the natural resources on their land including uplands, wetlands and other natural areas. “It’s a tremendous honour to receive this award,” said Les Johnston, the chairman of the organization. “As stewards of the lands, we as producers work and live here, all the while conscious of the benefits a healthy watershed has to everyone living inside and outside of it. Agriculture is a significant part of our watershed and we promote practices that reduce our footprint, so future generations have the same opportunity we did to make a living off the land.” NMMC understands that healthy wetlands and uplands contribute to the overall health of the environment. The group promotes a number of beneficial management practices including the use of forages and remote water systems. This past July, it hosted the Youth Pasture Olympics, where youth toured a farm and learned about sustainable pasture management and how to identify upland and wetland plants. S
western region (prairie/boreal)
DUC calls upon government’s leadership to conserve Canada’s northernmost wetland jewel – the Mackenzie River Delta
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Not surprisingly, Ducks Unlimited Canada’s (DUC) focus is driven by a vision of abundant and sustainable waterfowl populations. Achieving this vision demands that sufficient habitat be conserved in the right places. Data from 55 years of breeding waterfowl surveys confirms that one of the most important “right places” to conserve habitat in all of North America is the Mackenzie Valley of the Northwest Territories. In particular, the Mackenzie Delta, Canada’s largest freshwater delta, and one of the least disturbed such environments in North America, is of tremendous value to waterfowl. In the N.W.T., there exists a rare opportunity to proactively implement necessary planning measures for responsible development, sustaining waterfowl populations in the process. This is very good news because experience shows that it is significantly more expensive for all parties, governments and industries included, to attempt to restore ecosystems once they have been damaged than it is to manage activities in the first place. DUC also recognizes that there are tremendous industrial development opportunities in the N.W.T. upon which long-term economic sustainability of the territory depends. DUC believes that a specific and measurable commitment by the Government of Canada to complete the following will contribute to a sustainable future for the N.W.T.
1. The Northwest Territories Protected Areas Strategy Great progress has been made towards establishing six new National Wildlife Areas in the N.W.T. Four of these sites have been chosen primarily because of their importance to waterfowl and DUC is proud to collaborate with Environment Canada to secure these areas. 2. Cumulative Effects Management More than 70 per cent of the Mackenzie Valley’s waterfowl rely on habitat outside of current or proposed protected areas or conservation zones; therefore, proactively managing cumulative effects in areas where development does occur is critical to waterfowl conservation. 3. Regional Land-Use Planning Regional land-use planning provides a clearly defined context for resource development and conservation decisions. Implementation of well designed land-use plans ensures that day-to-day decisions made by land managers and regulators are consistent with highlevel policy. Ducks Unlimited Canada takes pride in its reputation of working with Aboriginal, government and industry partners to find pragmatic, common solutions and using science as a basis for decision-making. DUC is committed to continuing this strong partnership approach to achieve a sustainable future for the people and waterfowl of the N.W.T. S
Marshy Point – a wetland legacy
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Situated along the east shoreline of Lake Manitoba’s south basin is one of the most productive Interlake wetlands in existence. Known as both East Meadows Ranch and Marshy Point Goose Refuge, this area consists of a maze of coastal marshes and freshwater lakes connected by a variety of channels and grassland meadows. This lakeside marsh is an important staging area for waterfowl and is also an Important Bird Area of Canada. Within this wetland area lies a four-cell, 845-acre Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) water control project. The project, in combination with the extensive adjacent marshes, offers waterfowl and other wildlife important habitat and that’s why DUC felt it necessary to rebuild and maintain the wetland control structures in the area. “Beginning last year, DUC determined that it would be essential to replace the four aging water control structures as well as the inlet culverts and the cross-dike screw gate structure. These structures were installed to facilitate independent water control in each of the wetland cells,” says Cal Cuthbert, a program conservation specialist with DUC. “Without the ability to control water levels in the cells, this area would not be nearly as productive for waterfowl, various other water birds, muskrats or marsh vegetation.” DUC’s presence at Marshy Point goes back to the late 1950s when two small projects were built for a Canada goose reintroduction project. This evolved into the creation of the four-cell system complete with 39,600 feet of dikes constructed in 1983. To ensure adequate water supply, a double-diked supply ditch from Lake Manitoba and a permanent pumphouse site complete with a wet well and a submersible electric pump facility were constructed.
Since its construction, the original galvanized steel culverts had rusted badly and were replaced recently with concrete drop box controls complete with plastic pipes. These new control structures cost $70,000 and will last 75 years. With longtime marsh manager Lawrence King operating the cells for maximum waterfowl and wildlife productivity, the Marshy Point project has become a perfect example of what a wetland should be. “All you’ve got to do is make a marsh that is good for muskrat, and then it’s good for waterfowl too,” says King. “The project keeps levels good for production and eliminates the chance of disease in waterfowl because the conditions are more optimal. Before DUC came in, the marsh was in very poor condition and wasn’t good for waterfowl or wildlife at all.” The rebuild work is complete and ensures that the project continues to function properly and provides valuable wetland habitat for a wide variety of plant and animal species. Pair, loafing, feeding, nesting and brood rearing sites are necessary not only for waterfowl, but for other water birds in the area. Having this wildlife area is important as many wetlands have been inundated with above normal rainfall in recent years and are under siege from drainage in the region. The problem is, when landowners improve their local situation by moving water from one area, it usually creates new problems for others downstream. In many cases drainage is the problem – not the solution. As water levels increase, the beneficial vegetation dies off and that’s not good because the plants are important for waterfowl and other wildlife. That’s why ever since 1983 the DUC project has been beneficial to the area: the water levels can be controlled to prevent vegetation loss. S
Silver medal for DUC staffer at Commonwealth Games
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Nearly 10 years of hard work and training has paid off for Richard McBride. He returned in October from Delhi, India, after winning a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. “It was exciting. That was the event I was expecting. If I was going to win a medal, that was probably the one I would have won it in. We had a good team going in,” McBride says. McBride is the lead of upland restoration for Ducks Unlimited Canada in Saskatchewan. He competed in two skeet shooting events at the Commonwealth Games and won his medal in the pair competition. He says competing in India was a bit of a culture shock, but his past experiences pulled him through. “My teammate and I have travelled a fair bit. You have to have attended a lot of high level competitions to do well. It’s just part of the whole mental training aspect.” McBride is modest about his accomplishment. “We were pretty happy. I don’t know how you describe the levels of happy … being
shooters we’re supposed to be non-emotional because when you get excited you don’t do as well, but we were happy,” he says about the win. McBride is already planning for a number of shooting events next year in an attempt to qualify for the 2012 Olympics in London, England. S
western region (prairie/boreal)
N.W.T. government and First Nations earn two thumbs up from Ducks
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The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) and territorial Aboriginal groups earned Ducks Unlimited Canada’s praise for taking significant strides to conserve two areas valued for their wildlife habitat. The first involved the government’s decision to sponsor Buffalo Lake, River and Trails as a proposed critical wildlife area. The Kátlódeeche First Nation, whose people have relied on this ecologically rich area to support their cultural and traditional activities for generations, had nominated Buffalo Lake. Buffalo Lake, River and Trails encompass 2,177 km2 (538,000 acres), approximately 45 per cent of which is comprised of wetlands, with an additional 10 per cent of open water. The area is south of the town of Hay River and adjacent to Wood Buffalo National Park. Coming off the heels of its earlier decision regarding Buffalo Lakes in March, the GNWT announced in November its intent to sponsor the Five Fish Lakes as a candidate cultural conservation area. Located in the Dehcho Region, the Five Fish Lakes encompasses the Ekali, Sangues, Gargan, McGill and Deep lakes, an area about 180 km2 in size. The Jean Marie River First Nation initially proposed this area. “Both announcements signify the government’s commitment to incorporate conservation as a critical component of an
overarching land-use framework for the N.W.T.,” says Shannon Haszard, DUC Northwest Territories manager. These announcements mark the first time the GNWT will use its own legislation to conserve areas of interest through the Northwest Territories Protected Areas Strategy (NWT PAS). The NWT PAS is a process designed for communities, government and other concerned groups to work together to help balance needs for conservation, economic development and land management, while respecting Aboriginal rights and other interests. “DUC has been actively engaged in the NWT PAS for a number of years and values working with our partners to conserve habitat that is crucial for sustaining continental waterfowl populations,” Haszard says. “Much remains to be done before conservation of these areas receives final approval. We look forward to continuing our involvement in the Protected Areas Strategy in the years ahead.” The wetlands, streams and lakes found in these proposed conservation areas provide habitat for waterfowl, fish and other wildlife, contribute to clean, secure water sources for surrounding communities, and help to moderate the effects of climate change through carbon storage. S
Saskatchewan forum pushes for water management strategy that includes wetlands
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More than 55 people joined together with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) recently to discuss one of Saskatchewan’s most important resources: water. DUC, in conjunction with Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) and the Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds (SAW), hosted a water forum to discuss the future of water management in Saskatchewan last month. “Water management is an important thing for Saskatchewan to deal with in the next little while,” says Joel Peterson, head of industry and government relations at DUC in Saskatchewan. “Water is a resource that needs to be managed appropriately so we can protect water security.” Peterson explains that the organizers of the forum are hoping the provincial government will develop a comprehensive water strategy, something they’ve been promising since 2009. “There is urgency for water management to be dealt with, in all aspects. I see water being dealt with through multiple departments in multiple different ways with no common strategy attached to it,”
says Peterson. “I think what the forum did was say we can’t keep working this same way.” The forum featured a variety of speakers from Manitoba and Alberta discussing how their water management strategy works. The audience also heard from Dr. Howard Wheater, the Canada Research Excellence chair on Water Security. According to Peterson, the main message Wheater brought is the need to manage water now, so problems do not arise later. The organizers sent a proposal to the government based on the ideas raised at the forum. They are asking the government to develop a comprehensive water management strategy using their recommendations. “From a DUC perspective, a water management strategy can ensure that wetlands and their associated benefits are managed appropriately and we know what the future is going to bring for this resource,” says Peterson. “We hope the government seriously considers our recommendations.” S
DUC's push for Winter wheat helping to feed the world
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Winter wheat has proven to be a great crop for both farmers and waterfowl. Now it’s also proving to be a great way to feed the world’s hungry. For almost three decades, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank has provided more than 1.1 million tonnes of food to feed people in need in 78 countries. This year, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) was part of that effort. Recently, local producers near Cheadle, Alta., gathered with 14 combines to harvest 320 acres of winter wheat. The crop was donated to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Despite wet conditions this summer, the average yield was 91 bushels per acre and it’s estimated the grain is worth about $170,000. “We forget how much we have here,” says Rick Istead of the Alberta Winter Wheat Producers Commission (AWWPC), one of the sponsors of the field. “We have so much land here and to be able to plant a few acres of winter wheat to help feed hundreds of people all over the world is a big accomplishment for the producers and volunteers who came out to participate.”
DUC, Bayer CropScience and the AWWPC sponsored the seed through the Winter Cereals: Sustainability in Action partnership. For years DUC has promoted winter wheat as a waterfowlfriendly cropping option. According to Autumn Holmes-Saltzman, winter wheat is important to DUC “because it provides more attractive and safer nesting habitat than spring-seeded cereals. Since winter wheat is seeded in the fall, farming activities that disturb spring-nesting waterfowl are minimized.” Holmes-Saltzman points out that 24 times more ducks are hatched in winter wheat than in spring wheat. This is particularly beneficial to the northern pintail, a species that has steadily declined since the late 1970s. The Canadian Foodgrains Bank collaborates with the Canadian Wheat Board and other grain industry organizations to collect and donate grain and other agricultural commodities from farmers across Canada. DUC and the AWWPC have been involved with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank project for a number of years. S
western region ( Prairie/ Boreal )
Celebrating DUC success
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It was a milestone year for a number of Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) chapters across the province. Estevan, Melfort, Battlefords and Dauphin all hosted their 30th annual dinners this year, making them some of the longest-running events for the organization. “The long-standing events are kind of near and dear to our hearts because they’ve been raising a lot of money for Ducks for a lot of years,” says Keith Mackintosh, the regional manager of fundraising programs with DUC in Saskatchewan. These 30th anniversary dinners are part of the first 100 events Ducks Unlimited ever had, Mackintosh points out, and their success is in large part due to the dedication of the volunteers. “Our volunteers bleed green. We’ve probably got some of the most passionate volunteers of any charitable organization that raises money on the planet. In some cases people work harder for us than they do at their own jobs,” says Mackintosh. “It’s just an unbelievable passion they have for ducks. It’s a testament to the volunteers when they start hitting the 30-year anniversaries.” Those people working at the events agree. “I volunteer because I care about the water,” says Colleen Ratcliffe, the volunteer chairperson for the Melfort chapter. “I think somebody has to be out there working towards preserving the wetlands, and since Ducks Unlimited Canada is, I’m very happy to try and bring in as much money as we can to try and support them.” Planning for the events, which often attract hundreds of people from the community, takes months and involves dozens of volunteers and sponsors. Mackintosh describes the dinners as “the best party of the year,” while Ratcliffe points out the dinners and the volunteer work that goes into them are about more than just fun. “These dinners are extremely important because then we get to tell all the people in the community ‘Hey, your dollars are staying here’,” she says. “People come and think we are just having a good time but once they get into some of the meetings and they hear some of the good work being done, they kind of get on the bandwagon of conservation.” S
Regina Beach DUC bash
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The small community of Regina Beach held its first ever fundraising dinner recently, and according to organizers it was a complete success. “More than 260 people showed up for the event. That is an especially good turnout for a first-time dinner,” says Don Cozine, a development manager with Ducks Unlimited Canada in Saskatchewan and a resident of Regina Beach. “We were only planning on selling 250 tickets, but more people just wanted to come.” Cozine points out that the credit for the event’s success goes to the organizing committee spearheaded by local chairman Ken Schere. The community is growing, and those planning the event feel a dinner can be sustained there in the future. “It was just a completely successful evening with a lot of fun,” says Cozine. “We are getting a lot of people already saying ‘Don’t forget to contact us next year before all the tickets are sold.” S
The Flyway newsletter is published by Ducks Unlimited Canada Oak Hammock Marsh Conservation Centre P.O. Box 1160, Stonewall, Manitoba R0C 2Z0 tel (204)467-3000 fax (204)467-9028 toll-free 1(800)665-DUCK Please direct your inquiries to the following: Eastern Region Atlantic: Krista Elliot Quebec: Bernard Filion Ontario: Joanne Barbazza Western Region British Columbia: Wendy Thatcher Alberta: Anh Hoang Saskatchewan: Tom Jordens Manitoba: Karli Reimer Flyway production staff Editor: Duncan Morrison Assistant: Deb Menard Manager Creative Services: Lindsay Pikta-Marie Graphic Designers: Christa Edwards, Aquila Samson, Jeope Wolfe © Ducks Unlimited Canada, 2011 Printed in Canada on 100% recycled paper including 100% post-consumer fibres
Area Contacts Marketing/Communications Karli Reimer, Manitoba Tom Jordens, Saskatchewan Anh Hoang, Alberta Wendy Thatcher, Western Boreal
(204) 467-3000 (306) 569-0424 (403) 476-1879 (604) 592-0987
Manager of Operations, Manitoba Bob Grant, Brandon (204) 729-3500 Manager of Operations, Saskatchewan Brent Kennedy, Regina (306) 569-0424 Manager of Operations, Alberta Perry McCormick, Calgary
(403) 201-5577
Education Rosemarie Ferjuc, Calgary Barb Hanbidge, Saskatoon Bob Laidler, Oak Hammock
(403) 476-1877 (306) 665-7356 (204) 467-3000
Western Boreal Program Eric Butterworth
(780) 489-8110
Fundraising, Manitoba & Saskatchewan Brent Richards (204) 832-0755 Fundraising, Alberta, NWT & the Yukon Keith Mackintosh (306) 665-7155 publication agreement #40064849