Vanishing Paradise

Travels with Andy: Conservation for our Generation

by Andy McDaniels
February 25, 2010
 
“There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country.”
Theodore Roosevelt, Chicago, August 6, 1912
 
As I read those words I realize that they remain true nearly one hundred years later. Our fathers and grandfathers taught us to hunt and fish and, in doing so, instilled in us a great love and respect for the wildlife we hunt and the places in which our wildlife depend.
 
Our grandfathers understood the need for a conservation ethic as they saw waterfowl brought to the brink of extinction by market hunters in the late 19th and early 20th century. It is for this reason and others that the conservation movement began.It is our turn to pick up the torch, for our children and grandchildren.Since the 1930s, more than 1,900 square miles of Louisiana’s vital marshlands have disappeared. Every 30 minutes, another area of coastal wetlands the size of a football field disappears. At stake is Louisiana’s coastal marshes hosting up to 20% of the nation’s wintering waterfowl. Incredibly, more than 10 million ducks and geese from the Mississippi and Central flyways winter on Louisiana’s coast. Hunters and anglers have been at the forefront of the conservation movement for over one hundred years, it is time for us to again stand shoulder to shoulder to address this issue. A conservation plan for the Louisiana coast must be two-fold. First, we must ensure that sound policies and partnerships are in place to support wetland habitats in the region, second, we must continue to conserve and restore coastal marshes. This issue is important and if we work together it can be accomplished. It is for this reason; I will be traveling the states in the Mississippi and Central flyway regions.

Duck and Goose Hunting remain the largest funding source for wetlands protection in the nation. If the quality of duck hunting continues to decline, hunters will be forced to leave the sport. What will happen to the millions of dollars they contribute to wetlands restoration and protection? Things will get much worse for the wetlands our waterfowl depend on without the support of our fellow hunters, and the dollars we bring to conservation. Please join me on my travels and lend your help and support for this all important issue.

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Andy McDaniels is the National Sportsmen Outreach Coordinator for NWF’s Coastal Louisiana Restoration program. Andy grew up hunting and fishing and was immersed in conservation activism at an early age. His grandfather started the Oklahoma Outdoor Council in 1950 which became the Oklahoma Wildlife Federation. In 2002, Andy accepted the position of Executive Director of the Oklahoma Wildlife Federation. In addition, he started the Conservation Coalition of Oklahoma, which included the Sierra Club, the Nature Conservancy, the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, Quail Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation and others.

Published February 25th, 2010 | Permalink


Notes from the field: Waiting for Ducks

by Lew Carpenter

 New NWF Outreach Coordinator Andy McDaniels (foreground) and NWF Senior Manager for Sportsmen’s Leadership Land Tawney wait patiently for the ducks that never arrived.
NWF Outreach Coordinator Andy McDaniels (foreground) and NWF Senior Manager for Sportsmen’s Leadership Land Tawney wait patiently for the ducks that never arrived.

To say that I haven’t yet earned a perfect duck hunt in Louisiana is an understatement. Humping my way south with gun and ammo for the first time hardly warrants massive expectations — I’ve been a first-time hunter before, as we all have.

It’s probably best to garner some appreciation for a place — spending time observing — before harvesting its resources. Some might say it’s the law of the land, and on a recent duck hunt to Louisiana’s wetlands, I spent some quality time waiting for ducks…appreciating…and then I waited some more.

As a conservation professional deeply concerned about the health of Louisiana’s wetlands and its relationship with the Mississippi Flyway, the hours spent watching the skies for ducks cemented my appreciation for this unique destination — a place vital to waterfowl and hunter alike. Certainly, the two are joined by countless years of tradition and place.

Tradition spans the deep connection between the hunter — his heritage and passion — and the soul of the sport. And place, obviously, is the habitat neither hunter nor prey can live without.

It comes as no surprise that the old saying “No habitat, no ducks, no hunting,” is clearly expressed by the plight of Louisiana’s wetlands. These days, a lack of game means more than just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It can also mean the habitat and natural system that supports said game is broken in some way — be it connectivity issues for big game or, direct and rapid loss of habitat — as is the case in Louisiana’s wetlands.

The impact stretches throughout the Mississippi Flyway, affecting a broad swath of this nation’s hunters.

So, sitting carefully hidden among the cypress with four companions — NWF staffers Land Tawney from Missoula, and relative company newcomers Andy McDaniels of Oklahoma, and Chris Pulaski and Ben Weber of Louisiana — and our guide, Hunter, we all contemplated the true nature of a bad duck season and the absence of our quarry.

Make no mistake; it was a spectacular day. Two hundred yards in front of us was an active great blue heron rookery. Watching the big, graceful strokes of the majestic birds as they came and went on unknown errands beyond our field of view, while listening to the harsh croaks of their chatter, made us acutely aware that we were visitors.

The constant sounds of life in the flooded timber, the quiet conversations between newfound friends and the expression of our sport without drawing blood – all made the day worthwhile.

Yet I am still left with deep feelings about what is being lost on a grand scale in Louisiana’s wetlands. I’ll certainly return — perhaps to that exact spot — and hope that we can remedy this loss to our natural treasure before it’s too late.

Lew Carpenter is the National Wildlife Federation Regional Representative for Wyoming, Nevada and Nebraska. He lives in Denver, Colorado.

Published February 12th, 2010 | Permalink