08/04/2026
Please take just a few minutes to make your voice heard!!!
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing changes that could weaken long-standing protections for conservation easements in the Prairie Pothole Region... the most important duck nesting habitat in ALL of North America.
My family and I moved here from Ohio for the ducks. As someone who lives here for that very reason, I see firsthand just how many ducks, geese, shorebirds, pheasants, songbirds, and countless other wildlife depend on these small prairie wetlands to nest, raise their young, and stop during migration. They may seem insignificant, but they're the reason this region is known as North America's "Duck Factory."
Many of these easements were purchased using Federal Duck Stamp dollars, funded by generations of hunters who invested in permanently protecting these wetlands and grasslands. Weakening those protections puts that investment, and the future of waterfowl, at risk.
Drain tile has become one of the biggest threats to our fragile prairie ecosystem. Every wetland that's drained is one less place for ducks and other wildlife to breed, feed, and survive. These wetlands need all the protection they can get.
Rescuing orphaned waterfowl every day has only reinforced my belief that protecting their habitat is always better than having to rescue them.
As someone who loves all wildlife, and as a wildlife artist, hunter, and migratory waterfowl rehabilitator, I urge anyone who cares about preserving our beautiful Prairie Pothole Region, our wetlands, our waterfowl, and the countless other species that depend on these habitats to take a few minutes to sign the petition, submit a public comment, and share this post. Personalized comments carry the most weight.
Ducks Unlimited Petition : https://ducks.quorum.us/campaign/duckfactory/?utm_medium=email&_hsmi=430361988&utm_content=430361988&utm_source=hs_email&fbclid=IwT01FWATeRxJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR6KIgl7bVKwa4qip3I3BcFW0Megb80og3GKN2N1OzZlGnfA4lPjhkZdObmaTQ_aem_giKmhSsAaDo0FcDiODq1fg
Submit an Official Public Comment : https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/24/2026-14995/national-wildlife-refuge-system-request-for-information-on-implementation-of-drain-tile-setbacks?fbclid=IwT01FWATeRy5leHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR60REhOR-xjHfuBpsBlKHy1JrVbElxd5V488qAO5vm1_2dvqrgt9K7Ip5GBsA_aem_nPk3T1BnVEeS7rk6fnxeqg
Please don't assume someone else will speak up. If you care about preserving ducks, wetlands, conservation, or our hunting heritage, please take a few minutes to submit a comment.
Every voice counts, and together we can help protect the habitat that wildlife depends on.
Thank you!
