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Staff from Richardson International, Ducks Unlimited Canada and the local Conservation District honoured the Young family of Newdale, Man. with a dedication ceremony for the Conservation Agreement on their land.
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Manitoba family honoured for Conservation Agreement on their land
Brandon, Man., October 16, 2009—Not new to being a partner in conservation, Bob and Willine Young of Newdale, Man. recently signed a Conservation Agreement with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC), protecting over 60 acres of habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife in perpetuity. An official dedication ceremony hosted by the partnership of Richardson International and DUC celebrates this important project on the Youngs’ land today.
A Conservation Agreement is a written mutual agreement between a landowner and a holder that creates a conservation interest in the land without the loss of ownership. It runs with the land title and is binding upon subsequent owners. Conservation Agreements protect the natural features on the land for future generations to enjoy.
“The Newdale area is a very important area for waterfowl production in Manitoba. The quality of habitat here is no exception and the Youngs have a strong history working with DUC to preserve this natural treasure,” says Mark Francis, DUC’s head of habitat retention out of Brandon. “Currently more than 70 per cent of the wetlands in the area have been totally drained or degraded. But with the help of co-operating partners and like minded landowners, some of this habitat can still be preserved.”
Not only does this area provide habitat for North America’s waterfowl, it also provides ecological benefits to the surrounding areas including ground water recharge potential, reducing the impacts of erosion, ecotourism opportunities, flood and drought attenuation, storing greenhouse gases that could otherwise add to climate change, and important social and cultural benefits like hunting.
In 1988, DUC sought initial interest in the Youngs’ lands under the Small Marsh Management Program. The project initially included five adjoining quarters including the section where Bob and Willine now reside.
Ten years later, DUC enrolled the same land under an Idle Land Lease through the Prairie CARE Program. This provided wetland protection, but also idled the grasslands on the four quarters for the benefit of nesting waterfowl. The Youngs received annual rent on these lands for the 10-year duration of that agreement. Preceding the end of the Idle Land Lease program, DUC approached the Young’s to put a Conservation Agreement on their land.
“We talked about it as a family and agreed it would be a great idea,” says Bob Young. “It’s a deep marsh that is attractive for waterfowl and that’s the way it should be left. Signing a Conservation Agreement makes sure the land is never drained and this is important because we want this land to stay in our family for generations to come.”
This Conservation Agreement includes 23 acres of native upland habitat and 38 acres of wetland habitat consisting of five prairie pothole basins. These lands will continue to support waterfowl through many stages of their life cycle and will continue to do so in perpetuity through the Conservation Agreement.
“Owning land is something that comes naturally to people in Manitoba and keeping the land healthy is the life’s work for many landowners, just like the Youngs. I think everybody’s long-term goal should be to improve the health of their land, which includes keeping natural areas on the landscape. And Conservation Agreements are tools landowners can use to meet their long-term conservation goals,” says Francis.
Landowners who adopt the conservation programs offered by DUC are the key to influencing others. By their actions, neighbours help to influence changes to the landscape surrounding them. Through word of mouth and by example, landowners truly are DUC’s partners in conservation.
Several DUC conservation projects are located within a six mile radius of the Young project, providing a mosaic of secure habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife.
Funding for this and other Conservation Agreement projects in the Prairie Pothole Region of Manitoba and Saskatchewan is generously provided by Richardson International through the Healthy Prairie Landscapes Initiative. Richardson International and Ducks Unlimited Canada have a long history of working together for the common goal of making agriculture more sustainable.For more information, contact:
Karli Reimer, k_reimer@ducks.ca
National Communications Coordinator
Ducks Unlimited Canada
Phone: 204-467-3279
