DU Honors Missouri NRCS Employees

At the recent Missouri Ducks Unlimited (DU) 2007 State Chairman’s Award Luncheon, DU presented plaques to 25 current and former NRCS employees for their efforts to restore wetlands in the State. The employees were recognized for their technical assistance to wetland conservation by restoring 120,000 acres of wetland habitat through 800 Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) contracts since the program’s inception in 1992.

Eleven current and former wetland biologists from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) were also recognized for their role in the partnership arrangement where they work out of NRCS area offices to assist with wetlands restoration efforts. “I am proud of the voluntary partnership accomplishments of NRCS, MDS, DU, and others in this wetland restoration effort.  WRP played a major role in the effort as well,” said Missouri NRCS State Conservationist Roger Hansen. “The B.K. Leach project shows what can get done when people work together.”

“Restoring 120,000 acres of wetlands exemplifies what can be accomplished when leaders and professional employees from federal and State agencies find a way to work together for a common cause,” said Jim Talbert, State chairman of Missouri Ducks Unlimited.

NRCS, MDC, DU, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, American Land Conservancy, Missouri Waterfowl Association, Mary E. Leach Trust Fund, and Forrest Keeling Nursery partnered to restore 950 acres in the Bittern Basin and 1,850 acres in Kings Lake. Those restorations nearly tripled the size of the wetland area at B.K. Leach and provide critically important habitat for migratory birds and wetland wildlife.
Your contact is Charlie Rahm, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 573-876-0911.