Partners Gather To Celebrate Confluence Conservation
Hunting News | Missouri Fishing News
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI - Seven St. Louis area duck hunting clubs and their members were honored last Thursday for their efforts in protecting, restoring and enhancing wetland habitat within the Missouri Confluence Conservation Area near here. The event hosted by Ducks Unlimited and the Great Rivers Habitat Alliance (GRHA) also highlighted the importance of the Confluence Area and provided a setting for conservation partners and landowners to discuss opportunities for the future.
"The Missouri Confluence is a unique and vital area for waterfowl habitat and flood protection," said Craig Hilburn, manager of conservation programs for Ducks Unlimited (DU). "However, development pressures are threatening the area's ability to maintain that historic role."
The Confluence Area, an intersection of the three major American rivers, the Illinois, Missouri, and Mississippi Rivers, is a critical migration and wintering area for migrating ducks and other waterbird species in the Mississippi Flyway.
Ducks Unlimited and the GRHA of St. Louis are seeking to preserve this region for waterfowl, hunters, and private landowners who live and work the land. The GRHA was founded in 2000 in order to directly combat the growing consumption of the 100-year Confluence Flood Plain through commercial development.
The GRHA is an enormous cooperative effort from a diverse group of partners including Ducks Unlimited, the American Rivers, The Mule Deer Foundation, Missouri Coalition for the Environment, Missouri Department of Conservation, Quail Forever, National Rifle Association, Missouri Waterfowl Association, Conservation Federation of Missouri, Missouri Stream Team, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Delta Waterfowl Missouri Department of Natural Resources and National Wild Turkey Federation.
Adolphus Busch, IV, founder and chairman of the GRHA, was instrumental in bringing together federal, state and non-government organizations with a common goal of conserving the Confluence. "It will take the collective resources of all partners, working together, to safeguard the wetland, agricultural and waterfowl hunting heritage of the Confluence," he explained.
The conservation partnership has had success in protecting and increasing wetland diversity on private lands by working with landowners participating in popular state and federal conservation programs. One strategy for protection is working with willing landowners to place conservation easements on their lands.
A conservation easement is a legal agreement that a land owner makes to restrict the type and amount of development that may take place on his or her property. The easement document is tailored to meet the needs and interests of the landowner. Lands protected by easements benefit wildlife habitat and still produce an economic return to its owner.
Six landowner groups were recognized for their recently donated easements and the seventh groups signed an easement in a special ceremony during the event. The Wilke Land Company LLC, the first landowner to donate a conservation easement in the Confluence area, Thousand Oaks duck club, Mallard Point duck club, Pine LLC, the Dardenne Club and Belleau Farm were the first six to be recognized.
The Hager family on Raccoon Ranch, a historic duck club adjacent to the Mississippi River and the property on which the event was held, signed the seventh easement during the event.
"It is vital to protect the critical migration habitat of Raccoon Ranch in perpetuity - -especially as it relates to the abundant spring migration habitat on the property" explained Charlie Hager, President and Chief Operating Officer for C. Hager & Sons Hinge Manufacturing Company. "The more of us in the Confluence that take the step to protect the wetland values of our property with a conservation easement the more we can insure that waterfowl will use the Confluence in the future," Hager said.
Donated easements in the Confluence Area now permanently protect more than 4,600 acres of habitat from development.
Garth Fort, Dardenne Club member and chairman of the club's easement committee said, "The 22-member club voted unanimously to protect Dardenne's natural wetlands with a conservation easement, and we all feel really good in doing so. It's the most important action the club has ever taken."
With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world's largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization with more than 12 million acres conserved. The United States alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands - nature's most productive ecosystem - and continues to lose more than 80,000 wetland acres each year.
"The Missouri Confluence is a unique and vital area for waterfowl habitat and flood protection," said Craig Hilburn, manager of conservation programs for Ducks Unlimited (DU). "However, development pressures are threatening the area's ability to maintain that historic role."
The Confluence Area, an intersection of the three major American rivers, the Illinois, Missouri, and Mississippi Rivers, is a critical migration and wintering area for migrating ducks and other waterbird species in the Mississippi Flyway.
Ducks Unlimited and the GRHA of St. Louis are seeking to preserve this region for waterfowl, hunters, and private landowners who live and work the land. The GRHA was founded in 2000 in order to directly combat the growing consumption of the 100-year Confluence Flood Plain through commercial development.
The GRHA is an enormous cooperative effort from a diverse group of partners including Ducks Unlimited, the American Rivers, The Mule Deer Foundation, Missouri Coalition for the Environment, Missouri Department of Conservation, Quail Forever, National Rifle Association, Missouri Waterfowl Association, Conservation Federation of Missouri, Missouri Stream Team, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Delta Waterfowl Missouri Department of Natural Resources and National Wild Turkey Federation.
Adolphus Busch, IV, founder and chairman of the GRHA, was instrumental in bringing together federal, state and non-government organizations with a common goal of conserving the Confluence. "It will take the collective resources of all partners, working together, to safeguard the wetland, agricultural and waterfowl hunting heritage of the Confluence," he explained.
The conservation partnership has had success in protecting and increasing wetland diversity on private lands by working with landowners participating in popular state and federal conservation programs. One strategy for protection is working with willing landowners to place conservation easements on their lands.
A conservation easement is a legal agreement that a land owner makes to restrict the type and amount of development that may take place on his or her property. The easement document is tailored to meet the needs and interests of the landowner. Lands protected by easements benefit wildlife habitat and still produce an economic return to its owner.
Six landowner groups were recognized for their recently donated easements and the seventh groups signed an easement in a special ceremony during the event. The Wilke Land Company LLC, the first landowner to donate a conservation easement in the Confluence area, Thousand Oaks duck club, Mallard Point duck club, Pine LLC, the Dardenne Club and Belleau Farm were the first six to be recognized.
The Hager family on Raccoon Ranch, a historic duck club adjacent to the Mississippi River and the property on which the event was held, signed the seventh easement during the event.
"It is vital to protect the critical migration habitat of Raccoon Ranch in perpetuity - -especially as it relates to the abundant spring migration habitat on the property" explained Charlie Hager, President and Chief Operating Officer for C. Hager & Sons Hinge Manufacturing Company. "The more of us in the Confluence that take the step to protect the wetland values of our property with a conservation easement the more we can insure that waterfowl will use the Confluence in the future," Hager said.
Donated easements in the Confluence Area now permanently protect more than 4,600 acres of habitat from development.
Garth Fort, Dardenne Club member and chairman of the club's easement committee said, "The 22-member club voted unanimously to protect Dardenne's natural wetlands with a conservation easement, and we all feel really good in doing so. It's the most important action the club has ever taken."
With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world's largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization with more than 12 million acres conserved. The United States alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands - nature's most productive ecosystem - and continues to lose more than 80,000 wetland acres each year.
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