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Ducks Unlimited Canada Reveals Conservation Wish List for Upcoming Year 
Oak Hammock Marsh, Man., December 22, 1999 - Ducks Unlimited Canada has identified the top five items on its conservation list for the year ahead. While geese a laying and swans a swimming aren't mentioned specifically, these waterbirds will be among the wildlife and people that benefit from DU's activities.
At the top of DU's wish list is the conservation of native habitat in southern Canada that includes wetlands, grasslands and forested areas. "DU's research programs have identified that these habitats offer waterfowl and other wildlife the greatest habitat benefits," said Brian Gray, DU's director of conservation programs. "Unfortunately, native lands are most often at the greatest risk of development. Our research, and that of other conservationists, has proven that large expanses of native lands are much better for wildlife than smaller pockets, or islands, of habitat."
DU has conserved over 7.5 million hectares (almost 19 million acres) of wetland habitat and associated upland areas across Canada. In the New Year, DU intends to work with landowners, other conservation organizations and government agencies to develop mutually beneficial programs and policies that will help conserve the country's threatened native habitats.
An early gift to DU and other organizations concerned with habitat conservation has come in the form of conservation easements (CE) or covenants that are legal agreements between a landowner and a qualified conservation organization. It is DU's wish that the federal government will eliminate capital gains from donated CEs, thereby enabling more landowners to use CEs to ensure the natural values of their property are protected in perpetuity. Ownership of the land remains with the landowner not the conservation company and the CE is effective even if land is sold in the future.
The next item on DU's wish list is answers. While many waterfowl populations have been increasing over the last decade, growth in certain duck species such as scaup and northern pintail has been limited. Waterfowl biologists working with the Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research, DU's research arm, are gathering information to answer questions about waterfowl populations and guide DU's habitat conservation programs.
While the answers to some of DU's questions are still forthcoming, Canadians can help DU with the next item on the list - wetland appreciation. "Wetlands play a vitally important role in maintaining the quantity and quality of Canada's water supplies," Gray said. "They've filtered out impurities from our water for centuries and they ease flooding by controlling the flow of water. It's time for people to start linking the quality of their lives with the presence of wetlands."
The final item on DU's conservation list is cooperation. "For over a decade we have integrated the conservation needs of other species into our conservation programs," Gray said. In addition to waterfowl, DU's work is helping to conserve other wildlife including grassland birds, shorebirds and fish. "We anticipate many years of successful partnerships with landowners, other conservation organizations and the federal and provincial governments to create landscapes across Canada where people and wildlife can live together and be productive."
