Richard "Doc" Ramseyer's restored wetland in Licking County, Ohio as part of the Central Ohio Black Duck Initiative. - USFWS Photo by: Kurt Waterstradt, 7/3/2008

The Ohio Private Lands Office will receive $75,000.00 in habitat restoration funds to restore wetlands in three central Ohio counties as part of a North American Wetland Conservation Act grant. This region of Ohio is part of the glaciated allegheny plateau with rolling topography, fertile soils, and drained wetlands; thousands of drained wetlands.  This area is on the edge of the Mississippi Flyway and these wetlands (or what remains) are critical during spring and fall migration for waterfowl. 

Drive the roads of central Ohio in April and you can see a plethora of dabblers and divers making their way north.  Ring-necked ducks in numbers can be seen on every wetland, pond, and depressional area holding water that time of year.  Likewise,  during the fall migration, these wetlands are used by numerous waterfowl species. 

In particular, American black ducks use this area.  As Lake Erie freezes, the black ducks move inland, using these wetlands as they venture to their winter roosting grounds further south.  As a declining waterfowl specie, restoring wetlands in this area provides the needed food resources  black ducks need during critical times in their life cycle and that is what the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program is all about.  

Pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place in 2007.  The first being early success with wetland restoration in the area with willing landowners through the Partners program and a need for additional funding.  Second, central Ohio's thriving economy (Columbus, OH at the center) has lead to recreational landowners wanting and able to do what is right for the land and wildlife; some of us would call it a "good land ethic."  And lastly, pulling the right people together to build synergy and momentum to bring the idea to fruition. 

The Partners program teamed up with five conservation organizations: The Dawes Arboretum; Licking Land Trust; Ducks Unlimited Knox County Chapter; and Morrow and Knox County Park Districts to secure the required matching contributions for this successful grant application.  In addition, Audubon Ohio and The Ohio State University were instrumental during the development of this grant application.  301 acres of wetlands and uplands will be restored and protected in this focus area, which works towards the goals of Upper Mississippi River Great Lakes Region Joint Venture Waterfowl Management Plan.  

Many other waterfowl species will benefit including mallards, wood ducks, blue-winged teal and sandhill cranes, which have recently moved into the area and have flegged colts the last few years.  

Heavy rains this spring flooded these depressional areas, making it easy to see where wetlands could be restored.  Now the task is up to us, the conservation community, to work with private landowners and engage them to improve their land for wildlife, for recreational opportunities, and to keep the rural and natural aesthetics of this area for future generations to use and cherish.