hey, tweets, i just received this message and thought i'd share it
with you.

regards,

Deborah Wisti-Peterson email:nyneve at u.washington.edu
Department of Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash, USA
Visit me on the web: http://students.washington.edu/~nyneve/
<><><>Graduate School: it's not just a job, it's an indenture!<><><>


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 1999 11:31:29 -0400
From: Mitch_Snow at fws.gov
Subject: Improved Habitat Conditions Produce Bumper Crop of Ducks

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July 13, 1999 Chris Tollefson 202-208-5634

Improved Habitat Conditions Produce Bumper Crop of Ducks

Reflecting improved habitat conditions throughout much of
their breeding range, the population of breeding ducks rose by 12
percent to 43.8 million, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service's 1999 annual survey of key nesting areas for breeding
ducks.

The increase reverses an 8 percent decline in 1998, and
represents a 34 percent increase over the long-term average
breeding population since 1955. Prior to 1998's decline, duck
populations enjoyed three straight years of increases.

Breeding populations of mallards rose 15 percent to 11.1
million, 51 percent greater than their long-term average. Blue-
winged teal numbers, at 7.2 million, were similar to 1998, but 66
percent greater than the long-term average. Other species also
saw improvement, with northern pintails up 21 percent, northern
shovelers up 22 percent and green-winged teal up 61 percent.

Scaup populations rose 27 percent, an encouraging sign for a
population that has declined steadily in recent years. Despite
the improvement, scaup populations remain 18 percent below their
historic average. Pintail populations also remain 30 percent
below their long-term average.

An early warm spring and good precipitation created abundant
ponds and excellent nesting cover in much of the survey area.
Most of the Dakotas, northern Saskatchewan, the Northwest
Territories and Western Ontario saw improved habitat conditions
over 1998. The estimated number of May ponds in prairie Canada
and portions of the northcentral U.S., critical to the
reproductive success of waterfowl, rose 46 percent over 1998
levels, to a level 37 percent above the long-term average.

"It's heartening to see duck populations at these impressive
levels. While improved habitat and weather had much to do with
the improvement, wetland restoration efforts deserve a good share
of the credit," said acting Service Director John Rogers. "For
the fourth time in five years, we enjoy record duck populations,
but the need for continued habitat conservation has not
diminished."

According to preliminary estimates of waterfowl harvest and
hunter activity gathered during the 1998-99 season through the
Harvest Information Program, hunters harvested over 16.5 million
ducks, a 4 percent increase over the previous season. Persons
buying duck stamps for hunting averaged nearly 9 days afield and
harvested an average of more than 10 ducks, an increase of 7
percent over the previous season's level.

"Improved duck numbers don't always translate into greater
hunting success, as any hunter knows. But the best way to ensure
continued hunting opportunities is to conserve populations by
doing everything we can to protect, restore and even rebuild
waterfowl habitat," Rogers said.
The traditional breeding duck survey samples 1.3 million
square miles across the north-central United States, western and
northern Canada and Alaska and estimates the approximate numbers
of ducks in important breeding areas.
Among other duck species, the breeding population of
canvasbacks rose slightly to 700,000, while redhead populations
remained steady at 1 million.
Habitat conditions in the eastern areas of Canada and the
U.S., which are not part of the traditional survey are, were
generally poorer than in other surveyed areas. Dry conditions
throughout Maine and Southern Quebec and Ontario resulted in few
temporary ponds and low water levels in permanent water bodies.

Despite these conditions, total breeding duck populations in
the eastern survey areas grew to approximately 1.8 million, an
increase of 82 percent over 1998 and 85 percent above the long-
term average. These totals were led by increases in population of
American wigeon ring-necked duck, and goldeneye, while other
populations remained largely unchanged from 1998. This recently-
developed survey includes the eastern provinces and northeastern
states and is a part of the Service's effort to expand the
surveys outside the traditional area.
Annual survey results help guide the Service in managing its
waterfowl conservation programs under the 1918 Migratory Bird
Treaty Act. The Service works in partnership with state
representatives from the four flyways - the Atlantic,
Mississippi, Central and Pacific - that waterfowl and other birds
use during their migrations, to establish regulatory frameworks
on waterfowl hunting season lengths, dates and bag limits.
The Service also administers or participates in a number of
programs to conserve and restore waterfowl habitat. For example,
the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, an international
partnership effort, has protected, restored, or enhanced more
than 2.5 million acres of wetland habitat since 1986.
Provisions of the Farm Bill, such as the Conservation
Reserve Program and the Wetland Reserve Program, have provided
significant acreage of wildlife habitat in the United States in
recent years. The Swampbuster provision of the Farm Bill and the
wetland protection provisions of the Clean Water Act also have
helped conserve waterfowl habitat. And conservation organizations
such as Ducks Unlimited have conserved and restored prime habitat
for ducks.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal
agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing
fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing
benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-
million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprised of more
than 500 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands,
and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national
fish hatcheries, 64 fish and wildlife management assistance
offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency
enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered
Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores
nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife
habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with
their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid
program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in
excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife
agencies.


-FWS-


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