Partnerships, Waterfowl, Wetlands

40 years of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan

An enduring continental commitment to wetlands

By Pat Kehoe May 07, 2026

By Pat Kehoe

Pat Kehoe is the acting CEO of Ducks Unlimited Canada.

As a student of waterfowl ecology in the early 1980s, I learned that waterfowl populations in North America were in a crisis. Although there were debates over the impacts of hunting and habitat loss on ducks and geese, it was widely recognized that habitat was the critical factor driving populations. Harvest management had long been an international collaboration for these shared migratory species, but habitat ravaged by drought and drainage needed immediate attention and a concerted effort.

Recognizing the worsening situation, Canada, the United States and Mexico came together in 1986 to adopt the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP), a bold framework for reversing waterfowl declines through targeted, science‑based habitat conservation. But NAWMP’s vision needed resources.

Turning a continental plan into action demanded sustained investment, not just a short-term spending spree. That moment arrived in 1989 when the U.S. signed into law the North American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA), the impactful funding engine that would help answer nature’s cry for help and drive wetland conservation forward.

North American Waterfowl Management Plan: A model built on partnership

NAWCA was unique from the start. Rather than just a law with funding mechanisms, it was designed as an incentive‑based, cost‑share program requiring every federal dollar to be matched by non‑federal or private contributions. This did more than stretch conservation dollars. It galvanized a new era of collaboration among governments, landowners, communities and conservation organizations such as Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC), Ducks Unlimited Inc. (DU) and Ducks Unlimited de México (DUMAC), as well as federal, provincial and state agencies and other conservation interests in the three countries. These efforts are to this day co-ordinated through a collective of habitat and species joint ventures under the NAWMP umbrella.

Over the past four decades, this approach has proven extraordinary. Since 1991, NAWCA investments have supported more than 3,300 projects, engaged over 7,000 partners, and helped conserve more than 32.6 million acres (13.2 million hectares) of wetlands and associated habitats across North America.

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And in a rare example of legislated international co-operation, NAWCA has always been continental in scope. A significant share of its funding is dedicated to projects in Canada and Mexico, thereby recognizing the simple truth that migratory birds follow no political boundaries.

Pat Kehoe, acting CEO of Ducks Unlimited Canada

Benefits beyond wetlands and wildlife

From 1989 to 2025, Canadian grantees received approximately $34 million CAD annually through NAWCA to support wetland conservation and restoration. That steady investment enabled DUC to place over 6.5 million acres (2.6 million hectares) of some of the most important waterfowl habitats in the world under various forms of protection during that period. The funds granted through NAWCA are matched dollar for dollar by various funding partners across North America, so total investment in conservation in Canada by all partners is about $68 million annually.

Wetlands conserved and restored through NAWCA continue to deliver a cascade of ecological benefits, including cleaner water, natural flood mitigation, strengthened shorelines, replenished groundwater and thriving levels of biodiversity. They also support outdoor recreation and traditions, local economies and cultural connections to the land enjoyed by communities across Canada.

Looking ahead

For Ducks Unlimited Canada, NAWCA remains one of our most powerful means to more than fund conservation and restoration initiatives. It has helped us amplify donor generosity, strengthen cross‑border partnerships and helps ensure that our work contributes to healthy waterfowl populations across the continent.

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Forty years on, NAWCA is more than a piece of legislation. It is a testament to what we can achieve when nations, organizations and communities unite around a shared purpose. As we look to the future, we remain committed to honouring and advancing this legacy, one wetland, one partnership and one generation at a time.

Pat Kehoe, acting CEO of Ducks Unlimited Canada

And today, waterfowl and wetland-associated birds are the only group of birds not showing significant population declines. Habitat loss and alteration are ongoing challenges, but NAWMP and NAWCA continue to ensure that these critical habitats get the attention they deserve so that society can enjoy the benefits of the species they support and the ecological services they provide. Forty some years on in my career, I am proud of the work DUC has done in supporting these efforts.

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