Ducks Unlimited • Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Offi ce 1

DUCKS UNLIMITED INITIATES UPPER PEORIA LAKE PROJECTNearly $3.5 million in federal and private funding has helped Ducks Unlimited (DU) jump-start a new $5 million project aimed at

conserving wetland habitat surrounding Upper Peoria Lake. Initially, funds are being targeted towards the acquisition and protection

of wetland habitat adjacent to Woodford County State Fish and Wildlife Area (SFWA) on the east side of the lake. However, DU’s

fi ve year goal is to restore and protect up to 1,000 acres of strategically located wetland habitat in this important waterfowl migration

area.

DU’s fi rst conservation action has been to purchase 237 acres of former cropland with $1 million in grant funds from the Grand

Victoria Foundation, Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Th e newly acquired

property includes more than 100 acres of restorable marsh habitat, a wetland fen, and a strip of oak-hickory forest that provides a

dramatic view of the Illinois River Valley. DU’s plans are to develop the site into a waterfowl refuge and as an interpretive “waypoint”

for visitors on the Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway.

A second project involves the restoration of wetland habitat on 83 acres of frequently fl ooded cropland adjacent to Woodford

County SFWA. In this case, the land has been enrolled by its owners into the Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP)

through a special project that DU has established in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) under

the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watershed Initiative. Federal WREP funds will be used to restore wetland habitat on this

privately owned property according to a plan designed and implemented by DU biologists and engineers. In addition, the landowners

will receive $3,200 per acre from WREP for a permanent conservation easement that protects the restored wetland

from future crop production.

DU’s goal is to use these two Woodford County projects as demonstration sites to encourage more wetland projects in the Upper

Peoria Lake area. In particular, DU is hoping that other landowners will take advantage of the $2.5 million of federal and private

funding that is now available through WREP to

restore wetlands on marginal farmland.

According to DU, wetland restoration and

conservation is critical to the future ecological health

of Upper Peoria Lake. Each wetland restoration

project that DU undertakes will be carefully planned

to maximize its potential to not only provide habitat

for waterfowl, but also to improve water quality by

fi ltering out excess nutrients and sediment coming

from adjacent agricultural fi elds. In doing so, DU

hopes to someday return Upper Peoria Lake to its

earlier status as a premiere waterfowl area of the

Illinois River.

DU Property At Upper Peoria Lake.

Illinois2011 CONSERVATION REPORT • GREAT LAKES/ATLANTIC REGIONAL OFFICE

www.ducks.org2

WETLANDS ADDED TO CLINTON LAKE PROJECTIt is always possible to improve upon even a good thing. Th at could be the motto of the latest suite of small wetland projects that

Ducks Unlimited (DU) has completed at Clinton Lake State Recreation Area in DeWitt County.

In 2007, DU restored 40.5 acres of wetland habitat along the margins of Clinton Lake to form a new public hunting area that has

since been designated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) as the Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area

(WMA). Th e project, located on land owned by Exelon, was uniquely designed to help capture storm water run-off from 6,200 acres

of adjoining farmland. In addition to providing habitat for migrating waterfowl, Salt Creek WMA is helping to improve water quality

at Clinton Lake by trapping excess nutrients and sediment. In fact, the project has received national recognition because of its unique

partnership and its multiple conservation benefi ts.

Th is past year, DU restored three

additional wetlands adjacent to Salt

Creek WMA that added approximately

23 acres of habitat to the project area.

Similar to its larger counterpart, each of

the smaller wetlands was designed by DU

engineers to slow down and capture water

from adjacent agricultural fi elds before

entering Salt Creek. Rock check dams

and chutes also were used at two of the

wetlands to address problems with gully

erosion. Funding for the $103,000 project

was provided through a cooperative

agreement with the Natural Resources

Conservation Service as part of DU’s

Illinois River Water Quality Initiative.

EMIQUON PROJECT ENHANCES WATERFOWL HABITATDucks Unlimited (DU) has been a long standing supporter of Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). Nearly a decade ago, DU

contributed more than $250,000 to help the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) acquire its fi rst lands at the newly established

refuge located at the confl uence of the Spoon River with the Illinois River in Fulton County. More recently, DU provided another

$100,000 to the USFWS for the purchase of additional lands on the north end of Emiquon.

Th is past year marked yet another project milestone as DU

completed a $265,000 project to enhance waterfowl habitat at

the 430-acre Wilder Unit at Emiquon NWR. According to DU

Regional Engineer Brian Nicholson who designed the project,

more than 47,000 cubic yards of accumulated silt - enough

to cover a football fi eld with 22 feet of dirt - was excavated

to restore two linear sloughs and two pothole wetlands.

Th e excavated material was in turn used to develop higher

elevation wildlife habitat on a less frequently fl ooded portion

of the property.

A $100,000 environmental settlement secured by Illinois

Attorney General Lisa Madigan and administered by the

Illinois Conservation Foundation helped provide funding for

the Emiquon wetlands. Other funds were provided directly by

the USFWS while DU donated a large portion of its biological

and engineering services during early planning stages of the

project.

HABITAT HAPPENINGS

Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area.

Restoring wetlands at Emiquon NWR.

Ducks Unlimited • Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Offi ce 3

HABITAT HAPPENINGS

SANGAMON BAY PROTECTED BY DU CONSERVATION EASEMENTApproximately 426 acres of wetland habitat along the Illinois River will be protected forever thanks to a conservation easement

established by Ducks Unlimited (DU).

Sangamon Bay is a backwater lake located along the Illinois River in Cass County. Th e property is owned by Richardson Farms

Outfi tters, a family company that specializes in trophy deer hunting. In 2008, DU approached the Richardson family about

protecting the natural wetland features of Sangamon Bay in

perpetuity under a DU conservation easement. Grant funding

from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation allowed

DU to subsequently purchase such an easement from the

Richardson’s late the following year.

According to DU Manager of Land Conservation Programs

Jenifer Christman, Sangamon Bay is a great example of DU’s

eff ort to strategically protect high priority wetland habitat within

the lower Sangamon River ecosystem - the largest remaining

remnant of “wilderness” like wetland habitat left in the Illinois

River valley. “Th e Sangamon Bay easement is proof of the

potential for private landowners to work collaboratively with DU

to protect both their property and the traditions of waterfowl

hunting for future generations to enjoy,” says Christman.

NORTHEAST ILLINOIS PROJECTS UNVEILED AT NOTEBAERT MUSEUMTwo McHenry County wetland restoration projects were unveiled by Ducks Unlimited (DU) at a special event hosted at the Peggy

Notebaert Nature Museum in downtown Chicago. Th e three projects are part of a multi-year program that DU has initiated to restore

and protect wetland habitats in northeast Illinois.

Th e fi rst project, located near Hebron, seeks to restore a classic “pothole” wetland characteristic of the glacial morainal region of

northeastern Illinois. DU is using grant funds from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) to help the McHenry

County Conservation District (MCCD) fully restore “Goose Lake Conservation

Area” to wetland and prairie habitat. Previously, DU contributed $103,000 to

MCCD for the purchase of 53 acres at this site. Now that all land and necessary

rights have been acquired, DU anticipates completing the wetland restoration

in 2011.

Th e second NAWCA funded project involves the control of invasive plants and

restoration of natural hydrology on lands owned by Th e Land Conservancy

(LPC) and the city of Woodstock, IL. A portion of this site contains high

quality sedge meadow habitat eligible for designation as an Illinois Nature

Preserve. DU previously helped LPC purchase this 40-acre tract using $50,000

in grant funds from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

A third project provided $10,000 from DU’s PRIDE program to MCCD

to restore 113 acres of wetland habitat along Nippersink Creek. Th e project,

known as Nippersink Bottoms, will serve as a future Greenwing Legacy

project.

“Th e Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum was a great setting to talk to our

members and donors about DU’s conservation work in northeast Illinois,” said

DU Regional Biologist Eric Schenck. “Th e museum’s research and educational

eff orts associated with the Blanding’s turtle, and with wetlands in general, fi ts

very closely with the on-the-ground habitat projects that DU is delivering in

Lake and McHenry Counties.”

Pelicans on Sangamon Bay.

Sedge Meadow at Woodstock Wetland.

www.ducks.org4

HABITAT HAPPENINGS

PRIDE DEDICATION INCLUDES SCENIC BYWAY TOURDucks Unlimited donors and supporters from across the state turned out for a dual PRIDE (“Putting Resources Into Ducks

Everywhere”) dedication of Wightman Lake and Spring Lake Bottoms held April 17, 2010. Many also took advantage of an optional

bus tour between the dedication sites that followed the Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway and included lunch at Jonah’s

Seafood in East Peoria and a stop at Willet’s Winery in Manito, IL.

DU acquired and restored Spring Lake Bottoms (411 acres) between 2000 and 2006, and acquired and restored Wightman Lake (370

acres) between 2004 and 2009. Th e Illinois River Road was established as a national scenic byway in 2005. Both Wightman Lake and

Spring Lake Bottoms are designated “waypoints” on the byway and have since been donated to the Illinois Department of Natural

Resources for management as wetland and waterfowl areas. Th e two projects collectively represent a $3.3 million investment by DU,

its donors and its partners in wetland habitat conservation.

Names of 75 PRIDE donors are engraved on bronze plaques at the two project sites. According to DU Director of Development Todd

Bishop, the dual dedication and bus tour was one of the most celebrated DU dedications of the past year. “Everyone seemed to have a

great time both on and off the bus,” Bishop remarked. “It helped that we got to visit these wetland projects on a nice day and see lots

of spring migrating waterfowl.”

Illinois PRIDE is a major gift campaign developed

by DU to secure Major Sponsors in support

of habitat conservation and our waterfowling

heritage in the United States, Canada, and

Mexico, with special emphasis on the Great Lakes

and Upper Mississippi River Ecosystems. Th rough

this program, donors can choose to restrict their

dollars to Illinois to fund wetland conservation in

DU priority landscapes. In turn, PRIDE donors

are recognized on a DU project located in the

state. DU’s conservation staff leverages funds

raised through the PRIDE program against other

funding sources, eff ectively turning each PRIDE

dollar into four or more for conservation in

Illinois! To learn more about PRIDE, contact a

DU Regional Director or the Great Lakes/Atlantic

regional offi ce.

WETLAND WORKSHOPS A HIT IN SOUTHERN ILLINOISThis past year, Ducks Unlimited (DU) worked with the Southwestern

Illinois Resource Conservation and Development District to co-host

three popular wetland and forestry workshops in southern Illinois.

Workshop attendees visited wetland sites in Jackson, Randolph

and Union Counties, and listened to presentations about wetland

restoration and management. Th e workshops covered DU projects

located on the Shawnee National Forest and Middle Mississippi

River National Wildlife Refuge. Nearly 300 people attended the

workshops which were off ered at no charge to participants.

“Th ese tours and habitat workshops have provided a great

opportunity to see and learn about the conservation work that DU

is doing in southern Illinois,” said DU Regional Director Jon

Sturgill. “I hope we can continue to provide this type of outreach

to our local members.”

Participants view a wetland project as part of the Southern Illinois

Wetland Field Tour co-sponsored by DU.

Major donors pose with the bronze plaques commemorating the PRIDE dedication

of DU’s Wightman Lake project.

Ducks Unlimited • Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Offi ce 5

MEET YOUR ILLINOIS BIOLOGIST

7 completed projects

558 acres conserved

8,785 acres of

technical assistance

$1.8 million invested

51,868 acres conserved

$16.5 million invested

2010ACCOMPLISHMENTS

CONSERVATION SUMMARY

P R O J E C T SDUCKS UNLIMITEDDUCKS UNLIMITEDDUCKS UNLIMITED

Note: Project points may represent more than one project.

completed featuredNippersink

Bottoms

Salt Creek wetlands

Upper Peoria Lake

Eric Schenck, an Illinois

native, has more than 23

years of experience in wildlife

conservation, 17 of which

have been with DU. Eric’s

educational background

includes a B.S. in Wildlife

Management from the

University of Idaho and

an M.S. in Forest Science

from Yale University. Eric

previously worked as director

of conservation for the

Wildlife Management Institute

and chief of environmental

services for the Kansas

Department of Wildlife and

Parks. Prior to being named

regional biologist for Illinois,

he served as DU’s manager

of agricultural policy in

Washington, D.C.

Contact Information:

Eric Schenck

229 N. Th ird Avenue

Canton, IL 61520

Phone: 309.647.5651

eschenck@ducks.org

ACCOMPLISHMENTSTO DATE

A gift of real estate is an excellent way to support Ducks Unlimited and take advantage of signifi cant tax deductions. You have several options when donating real estate, each with unique benefi ts for both you and DU.

GIVING OPTIONS:

Outright gift of real estate. Real estate that you no• longer wish to own, but is owned outright and readily marketable can be

gift ed to DU.

Gift of real estate with retained life use.• You may gift your principle residence to DU and retain the right to continue to live

and use the property for the rest of your life. Such a gift is deductible in the year the gift is made, not at the end of the retained

life interest.

Gift of real estate through CRT.• For landowners who wish to continue to gain income from their property, there is an option

called a Charitable Remainder trust, or CRT. Th e owner transfers the property to the trust, the trust sells the property, usually

avoiding capital gains taxes (check with your tax advisor) and then the proceeds of the sale are invested to provide income to

the owner for their life. Th e owner should receive a tax deduction for the gift and DU receives the balance of the trust aft er

their death. Th ere are a number of options available, please visit DU’s gift planning website at:

http://www.ducks.org/conservation/land-protection/donations-or-gifts-of-land

DUCKS, POLITICIANS AND LOBBYISTS – ADVANCING DU’S MISSION THROUGH PUBLIC POLICY Although Ducks Unlimited has worked on behalf of waterfowl and wetlands conservation for 74 years, it’s only recently that any

eff ort has been directed at our national and state capitals. A strong biological foundation has always been the cornerstone of DU’s

conservation programs, but science also tells us that we also have to consider the social and political environment and get engaged

where we can make a diff erence.

Perhaps the most signifi cant policy work in which DU engages concerns the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. Each

year DU advocates on NAWCA appropriations that yield millions of dollars for habitat conservation in the United States, Canada

and Mexico. NAWCA is a model federal program that encourages partnerships and creative leveraging of funds to produce on-the-

ground results that benefi t waterfowl and many other species of fi sh and wildlife. Much of NAWCA’s success is related to the many

DU members and volunteers working with their elected offi cials to ensure that the program receives adequate funding.

Another signifi cant policy issue aff ecting the entire United States is the Farm Bill, which will be up for renewal in 2012. Th e Farm

Bill is where highly wildlife-friendly programs like the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Wetlands Reserve Program

(WRP) originate. Both of these programs, plus others, have provided millions of acres of not only high quality wildlife habitat, but

conservation lands that serve all of society through reduced soil erosion, improved water quality and improved carbon sequestration.

Th e current budget situation will make for tough times in negotiating for conservation programs in the new Farm Bill. A high

priority will be the inclusion of a strong sodsaver provision that will remove federal incentives for converting native grasslands. DU

will be advocating for conservation programs to be an integral part of a working lands approach to America’s farms and ranches.

Although duck hunters and wetland conservationists may not consider themselves lobbyists – we all are. We can either voice our

concerns and needs to our elected offi cials, or we can remain silent lobbyists. DU would like to invite all of you to act on behalf

of the waterfowl we love by visiting DU’s policy web page at www.ducks.org/policy. You can also receive the latest policy news by

subscribing to DU’s Conservation Issues Briefi ng at www.ducks.org/cib. Th ank you!

www.ducks.org6

SUPPORTING THE VISION

Ducks Unlimited • Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Offi ce 7

$136,861

$1,220,270

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

Con

serv

atio

n Ex

pend

iture

s ($)

5-Year AverageConservationExpenditure

Goal

5-Year AverageConservationExpenditure

Actual

1,200,000

Th e minimum conservation goal for each state is to spend the

equivalent of 7.5% of total grassroots income raised in that state.

Th is is based on a fi ve-year average.

DU ILLINOIS GRASSROOTS & CONSERVATION

2006 - 2010

SUPPORTING THE VISION

CONSERVATION IN TOUGH TIMESJim Ringelman, Director of Conservation Programs at the Great Plains Regional Offi ce

It’s apparent that our nation is in for some fi nancial belt-tightening. As defi cits soar and people struggle to make ends meet, the search is on to cut back on “frills.” One can’t help but wonder about the implications for conservation.

Most DU members place conservation high on their list of personal values. Preserving the wetlands and waterfowl that we hold dear has, for decades, motivated many of you to give generously of your time and wealth. Unfortunately, not everyone in our nation shares the same viewpoint, so it’s worth considering how DU’s conservation programs add value to society as a whole.

For example, research has shown investments in conservation off er a hundredfold return on capital. Th e reason for this extraordinary return has to do with what’s called “ecosystem services” performed by wetlands and grasslands, which are the focus of DU’s conservation programs. Th ese habitats, abundant in priority landscapes like the Prairie Pothole Region, Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Gulf Coast, Chesapeake Bay and the Central Valley of California, also purify water, recharge aquifers, moderate fl ooding and off er dozens of other benefi ts that would be extraordinarily costly to replace.

If that’s not enough practical benefi t from conservation, consider that medical science has demonstrated clear linkages between connecting with nature and ameliorating ADD, lowering blood pressure, and off ering general improvement in physical and mental health. Increasingly, “nature” persists through the dedicated eff orts of organizations like Ducks Unlimited.

So as we think about how to get our fi nancial house in order, let’s remind decision-makers that conservation is anything but a “frill.”

SENATOR JOHN M. SULLIVANThe 47th Legislative District cuts a broad swath across west-central Illinois that includes all

or part of 13 counties stretching from the Mississippi River to the Illinois River. Representing

the citizens of this region for 8 years is Illinois State Senator John M. Sullivan. In addition to

serving important leadership positions as Majority Caucus WHIP and Chairman of the Senate

Appropriations Committee, Senator Sullivan is Co-Chair of the Illinois Legislative Sportsmen’s

Caucus - a telling testimony of his dedication to conservation and sportsmen interests.

During the 2009-2010 General Assembly sessions, Senator Sullivan successfully led passage of

two important pieces of legislation for Ducks Unlimited (DU) and for waterfowl conservation.

Th e fi rst established a DU license plate that will raise $25 from each plate that is issued or

renewed for DU projects across Illinois. Th e second increased the Illinois Duck Stamp from $10

to $15, to make that license fee closer to being on par with the rising cost of conservation projects

that benefi t Illinois waterfowl and sportsmen.

Th is past October, Senator Sullivan received an award from DU Regional Vice President

Rex Schulz in recognition of the public policy work that he has done on behalf of Illinois

sportsmen. Presenting the award, Schulz remarked, “A specialty license plate for DU has the

potential of raising more than a million dollars for Illinois projects over time. DU members have

John Sullivan to thank for laying the groundwork that should result in a great conservation legacy

for Illinois.”

FRIENDS OF DUCKS UNLIMITED

Ducks Unlimited conserves, restores

and manages wetlands and associated

habitats for North America’s waterfowl.

These habitats also benefi t other wildlife

and people.1220 Eisenhower Place, Ann Arbor, MI 48108

734.623.2000 • 734.623.2035 (Fax)

DU LICENSE PLATE BILL BECOMES LAWLegislation to establish a Ducks Unlimited (DU) specialty license

plate passed the Illinois state legislature this past year and was signed

into law by Governor Pat Quinn on August 17, 2010. Th e original

bill, SB1380, was introduced by Senator John M. Sullivan and was

subsequently co-sponsored by Representative Robert Pritchard.

Th e legislation authorizes the Secretary of State to issue a specialty

license plate for which DU will receive $25 for each plate that is sold

or renewed. Funds generated by the DU license plate are to be used

exclusively for DU habitat and conservation education projects in

Illinois. Because this is a new plate issuance, Illinois residents will

be able to request all new vanity names or numbers for an added fee

charged by the state. A total of 1,500 people must apply and submit

their $25 donation before the Secretary of State will issue the new

DU plate.

If you would like to pre-order your own Ducks Unlimited license plate, a website has been

established to assist with the signup. Complete the form on the website and mail it to the

IL Secretary of State along with a check in the amount of $25.

www.ducks.org/illinois/illinois-content/illinois-ducks-unlimited-license-plate

ILLINOIS

LAND OF LINCOLNLAND OF LINCOLNLAND OF LINCOLN

DUDUCKS

DU CEO Dale Hall receives a commemorative duck

call from IDNR Director Marc Miller during the signing

ceremony at the Illinois Executive Mansion.