June 7,2010 Update

Latest Update on Swan Lake Comprehensive Conservation Plan
This plan for the future of the Swan Lake Waterfowl Area is currently being drafted by the Fish and Wildlife Service.  There is the possibility that the F&WS will call for a dry prairie rather than a wetland area.  The plan should be available for public comment in May or June.  If their plan calls for a dry prairie rather than a wetland, we need to ask all our members to write their congressmen to oppose the plan.  We will draft correspondence that you can send and all you have to do is add your name and address to the correspondence.  We also will alert other interested waterfowl groups and ask them to participate.  It is important that we not lose this wetland area.  You will be kept abreast of the situation as it develops.

The Chairman of the Waterfowl Committee for the Conservation Federation of Missouri statede that he had heard rumors about the proposed changes at Swan Lake National Wildlife Area and stated that until the report is released it is premature to make any speculations.

All, the Swan Lake Comprehensive Conservation Plan is scheduled to be released any day now. The rumor mill has it that they want to tear down the levees and drastically reduce the 3500 acres of wetland and replace it with prairie.

Interestingly enough, if you take a look at any map of the prairie pothole region, not one acre of land in Missouri was EVER included in the ppr. You have to go to mid-Iowa to even consider ppr land. There is no upside to creating prairie on this land as far as waterfowl are concerned. Ducks will not use it as a breeding ground. However, they will use it to fuel up and rest on the migration south and on the return trip to the breeding grounds.

As you recall, we've been working hard on this project once we found out that they were undergoing this review process. Several years back, we wrote letters to Senator Bond asking him to support the expansion of waterfowling opportunities at Swan Lake, and our membership weighed in heavily on the plan. I can honestly say that these letters made a huge difference and MVDHA was suddenly known as an organization willing to enter the political ring.

Well, the battle is just starting to heat up as far as we're concerned. According to our contact on the inside, we need to bombard Senator Bond and the legislature stating that we want the wetlands to remain intact. After all, the USFWS website notes that Federal Duck Stamp money paid for Swan Lake in the first place. Wouldn't that be something if our duck stamp dollars were in vain and they destroy yet another wetland?!

The power of the pen is an amazing thing. We're counting on you to do your part and write Senator Bond and the other key individuals that we identify. Be on the lookout for more information on this critical issue.