DU Given $2.5 Million to Shortstop Ducks

[DanP]

This has been in the works for a few weeks and wingy alluded to it in an earlier thread, but here is the result.

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/nrcs_migratory_birds.html

[blgros1]

Yes i read it, but from what i gathered hntrpat1 is saying that they are using this money to shortstop ducks. For one who are they shortstopping them from, THE HAITIANS. Two adding money to the flooded rice fields of south louisiana, coastal mississippi, or whereever it's needed will only help perpetuate an already established habitat. These rice fields, in some cases border the potentially oil ridden marshes of our area. So if you can entice these birds to hang tight in a safe environment instead of partaking in some of BP's finest fruits and berries, then i'm all for it.

I'm not sure where you getting this info from but i would like to see it cited???????

They aren't fixing coastal marshes they are using this money to flood rice fields in central La to short stop ducks

Copied from the article:

The funds will be used to flood alternative habitats in the critical rice region of coastal Louisiana and Texas. The areas to be flooded will provide crucial migration and wintering habitat within the Gulf Coast region. This will be especially important if oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill is pushed into fresh and intermediate salinity marshes by storms later this summer and fall. Normally, fresh and intermediate salinity marshes winter vast numbers of ducks, shorebirds, wading birds and other wetland-dependent birds.

It looks like an attempt to divert ducks and other birds from oil-polluted wintering areas. While I agree with Double R that it's probably the tip of the iceberg, I am glad to see any effort to do something positive in the face of the catastrophe.

[Seymore]

What's the big deal. I must be missing something. There's all sorts of oil washing up and the ducks up north havent' been watching CNN or Fox News so they don't no to cancel their winter vacation on the coast. When they get here they are going to need somewhere to go other than the oil fouled areas.

Yes, they are short stopping them to keep them from ending up dead in the oil. Somebody help me out here and tell me what I have missed that is so evil about this.

[hntrpat1]

Because spending 2million and some change to flood rice fields in Central La, buy new motor and pumps for WMA in north La and fix levees on these WMA ain't gonna do $#!+

[Wingman]

Because spending 2million and some change to flood rice fields in Central La, buy new motor and pumps for WMA in north La and fix levees on these WMA ain't gonna do $#!+

Arguing isn't gonna do anything but dumb me down, but for the record the article says coastal Louisiana, not central.

[Hambone]

Because spending 2million and some change to flood rice fields in Central La, buy new motor and pumps for WMA in north La and fix levees on these WMA ain't gonna do $#!+

What would help?

[hntrpat1]

Read this

http://www.refugeforums.com/refuge/show ... p?t=799320

Steel3 is a state biologist of la

[duramax]

Read this

http://www.refugeforums.com/refuge/show ... p?t=799320

Steel3 is a state biologist of la

If you are agreeing with what he says, and he agrees with the decision to give DU the money, then why are you against it? And why do you keep saying central LA? It's coastal projects. Steel3 (who you seem to agree with) says they drew a line from coastal TX to Alexandria LA, to Mobile AL and deemed that all project must be below that line. If Alexandria is in the middle of the state, and everything has to be south of it, does that not stand to make sense that it would be southern Louisianna? I'm pretty sure that the idea is to short stop ducks from dying from the oil spill. So I'm not sure why you are against it.

[hntrpat1]

I think the line should be I10 and all the money go to that. Paying some farmer to keep his fields flooded around Alexandria is a waste of money

[Wingman]

This has been in the works for a few weeks and wingy alluded to it in an earlier thread, but here is the result.

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/nrcs_migratory_birds.html

No inclusion of cp 40 for deep water diver habitat even.

[redneck22ms]

"The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is adversely affecting the marshes and coastlands used by shorebirds, waterfowl, and other birds that will soon be traveling through the area on their annual migration south.

Under a new Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative, USDA will work with farmers, ranchers and other landowners to manage portions of their land to enhance habitat for migrating birds.

The initiative includes portions of eight States: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas. "
now i agree that work needs to be done to help these birds that will be affected by the oil spill. but how will doing work in missouri arkansas and georgia going to help them?

[DukGrl]

Maybe I'm taking the title to this thread the wrong way, but how is fixing up coastal habitat shortstopping ducks? Maybe if you hunted in Cuba, but it ain't shortstopping any southward migration as far as the Delta is concerned.

+1

[DukGrl]

The initiative includes portions of eight States: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas. "
now i agree that work needs to be done to help these birds that will be affected by the oil spill. but how will doing work in missouri arkansas and georgia going to help them?

The NRCS initiative will do work in portions of those eight states listed.

The 2.5M given to DU from NFWF will be spent in coastal Louisiana and coastal Texas as the press release stated.

[DukGrl]

I think the line should be I10 and all the money go to that. Paying some farmer to keep his fields flooded around Alexandria is a waste of money

The funds that DU will spend in Louisiana through this initiative will be spent in Allen, Acadia, Cameron, Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Iberia, St Landry, St Martin, St Mary and Vermilion parishes. I don't know what counties money will be spent in in Texas.

[thomdjohn]

Divers generally do not prefer flooded rice fields so deep water habitat would be needed. A duck or any bird for that matter can only land in oil once, I would think, before they would be unable to fly.
Just my $.02 worth.