5-13 SS Ducks Unlimited

 Idaho’s Department of Fish and Game serves as a model for other states’ Fish and Game Departments.

 I received a press release from Idaho’s Department of Fish and Game inviting me to the Idaho Falls International Migratory Bird Day. The event was being put together by a coalition of conservation groups that included Idaho’s Department of Fish and Game and Ducks Unlimited. I thought, what an excellent idea for our Department of Fish and Game to reach out and get involved with Ducks Unlimited.  So I called Fish and Game spokesperson Greg Losinski and was pleasantly surprised:  “How often do other Fish and Game departments in other states work with ducks Unlimited?  Most states have learned that the partners that are out there in the conservation field are important, especially when it comes to habitat, so I think that all states are learning to reach out, especially to those conservation groups that involve hunting because those folks understand the value of habitat in relation to wildlife and they have been the folks all along to put up the money to make sure that there is the habitat for the wildlife that they enjoy. Groups like Ducks Unlimited are critical because they have the members that have the funds that the government agencies don’t have so they recognize that there are parcels of land that are critical habitat and they are able to go out and purchase those lands and then through conservation easements and other mechanisms they are able to plug goes into the big equation. They definitely help hunters, success wise, as far as providing habitat for the birds to come to and they also provide habitat for the birds that folks just like to come out and watch. So it is a win-win.