Chevron recently continued its commitment to restoring and enhancing critical wetlands along the Louisiana coast by partnering with Ducks Unlimited (DU) to enhance private lands for waterfowl and other wildlife through the Louisiana Mottled Duck Project and the USA Rice-DU Rice Stewardship Partnership. Chevron contributed $450,000 in support of the two programs, which will positively impact at least 6,000 acres in the next year.
“Chevron is proud to continue our longstanding support of Ducks Unlimited,” said Jeremy Haken, Chevron Corporate Affairs Senior Manager. “Since 2013, Chevron has contributed more than $4.5 million in support of DU’s Gulf Coast Initiative in Louisiana. This work benefits wetlands and habitats for waterfowl while protecting local communities. We thank Ducks Unlimited for their efforts.”
Mottled ducks are a unique, non-migratory waterfowl species, and the majority of their population lives in coastal Louisiana and Texas. Louisiana's mottled duck population has declined by more than 60 percent since 2011, primarily due to poor nest success and young birds not surviving to adulthood.
“To add new mottled ducks to the population, we need to increase nesting habitat and provide shallow water wetlands for ducklings” explained DU Biologist David Hicks. “LMP pays landowners to provide shallow water wetlands during the spring and summer and to manage vegetation, so those wetlands have the preferred 50/50 mix of vegetation and open water. By maintaining water in these wetlands until young birds can fly, their survival chances increase greatly.”
With 90 percent of Louisiana in private ownership, private land conservation programs are vital for biodiversity and environmental quality. These programs address multiple resource concerns, including water quantity and quality, private land conservation needs, sustainable agriculture, biodiversity loss, and declining mottled duck populations in coastal Louisiana. Projects like this also help local communities by supporting the agricultural industry and providing other functions and values such as water quality improvements, wildlife habitat, and economic benefits.
The Rice Stewardship Partnership (RSP), which Chevron helped launch in southwest Louisiana more than a decade ago, has evolved into a larger partnership with USA Rice, the leading voice for America’s rice industry. The program has grown from its humble roots in southwest Louisiana to cover all six rice-growing states. In its first decade, RSP impacted over 800,000 acres of rice on more than 1,000 farms. RSP also supports critical research and development of innovative techniques and practices to improve production, conservation, and sustainability on working farms.
DU is working diligently to stop wetland loss through partnerships like the one with Chevron to restore and protect coastal wetlands on the Gulf Coast and inland wetlands elsewhere in the state. To date, DU has helped conserve more than 629,000 acres across Louisiana, improving water quality, community resilience, and wildlife habitat and growing economic opportunities associated with outdoor recreation.
For more information, visit ducks.org
