Texans are helping ducks in some far-away places.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department awarded Ducks Unlimited $250,000 in state grants funding this year.
This commitment brings Texas’ cumulative contribution for habitat conservation on Canadian breeding grounds important to Texas’ waterfowl to nearly $3 million.
“Waterfowl are a shared resource. As a result, waterfowl habitat conservation has to take place not only here on Texas’ continentally significant wintering grounds but also on the breeding grounds that produce our waterfowl,” said Carter Smith, TPWD executive director. “Ducks Unlimited matches every dollar we contribute to the state grants program, and TPWD is proud to be a strong DU partner.”
Through Ducks Unlimited, Texas’ new commitment will be leveraged a minimum of four times to yield at least $1 million for waterfowl habitat conservation in Saskatchewan.
“Ducks Unlimited is very pleased to see the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department continue making wise investments in waterfowl habitat important to the birds that wing their way to the Lone Star State each year,” said DU Director of Conservation Programs Jerry Holden. “As banding data shows us a large portion of the ducks harvested in Texas come from Saskatchewan, investing the state’s dollars in this region clearly provides the greatest return for Texas waterfowl hunters.”
Breeding-ground habitat work is critical for the health of continental populations of waterfowl, and Texas’ waterfowl hunters understand that. As such, the more than 41,000 Texas DU members appreciate TPWD’s continued contributions to the state grants program.
The Association of Fish and Wildlife State Grants Program, begun in 1965, is funded primarily through hunting license sales. Funds must be used for habitat conservation in Canada, but the distribution of available funding is decided by each state’s wildlife agency commission following a request for funding proposals. Texas has been participating in the program since 1985.
