DOWNLOAD PDF THE CANADA-ALBERTA WETLAND DRAINAGE AND IMPROVEMENT FOR FORESTRY PROGRAM

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1 Chapter 1 : Biophysical AEP - Environment and Parks Miscellaneous: Canada-Alberta wetlands drainage and improvement for forestry program. blog.quintoapp.com + 66 pp. ref + 13 Abstract: Response of ground and shrub layers and growth of trees, especially Picea mariana, was determined after drainage of wetlands in Alberta. It is mid-june in the Boreal Forest of Alaska, and a researcher kneels in the low shrubs along a remote lakeshore to examine a recently hatched nest of a northern pintail. He counts and records five recently hatched eggs. Noticing that the empty nest bowl is somewhat larger than usual, he begins to examine it more closely. After gently pulling apart the stack of feathers and dead vegetation, he is amazed to find the remains of five hatched nests, each one stacked atop the next. He realizes that the same hen likely returned to nest successfully in this exact spot for more years than many ducks live. Meanwhile, thousands of miles away on the prairies of Saskatchewan, another researcher kneels in a winter wheat field to examine a mallard nest. This is the second nest initiated by a young female after her first was lost earlier in the spring. It contains nine hatched eggs. After recording data about the nest, the researcher tunes her radio receiver to the frequency of a transmitter attached to the young hen. She picks up a signal coming from a nearby seasonal wetland and heads toward it in hopes of getting a look at the hen and her new brood. For waterfowl researchers, the stories of individual nesting ducks are endlessly fascinating, but the real power of science becomes apparent when information is collected from thousands of birds across vast landscapes. Knowledge gained from this research leads to more effective conservation actions and generates new questions about what can be done to benefit breeding waterfowl. Exploring these questions and evaluating the outcomes of our current conservation efforts allows Ducks Unlimited to adapt and take advantage of new opportunities to deliver our mission more efficiently and effectively. How We Study Breeding Waterfowl Breeding pair and brood surveys, nest survival research, and radiotelemetry studies are the mainstays of waterfowl research. Surveys are used to monitor the abundance and distribution of waterfowl populations. The most extensive and longest-running wildlife survey in North America is the annual Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey, which has been conducted by the U. On average, the traditional survey area hosts about Duck populations in this area have ranged from a low of about 25 million breeding ducks during times of severe prairie drought to highs exceeding 49 million birds during recent years of exceptionally wet weather. Nest survival research provides precise information about the probability of nests hatching. This research is used to monitor duck nest success across broad landscapes and in different habitat types and regions. Radiotelemetry studies of breeding females allow researchers to monitor individual hens from the time they begin to nest to when their broods fledge. While each of these techniques has strengths and weaknesses, together they serve as a powerful set of tools for studying and developing a better understanding of waterfowl breeding ecology. What We Have Learned Several decades of research have given us a clear picture of the factors that drive waterfowl population dynamics. Events that occur during the breeding season primarily determine if duck populations increase or decrease. The proportion of nests that hatch and the number of ducklings that survive to fledging are especially influential on waterfowl numbers. The breeding season is a perilous time for ducks. Hens suffer approximately 25 percent mortality while nesting. In addition, only 40 to 60 percent of hatched ducklings survive to fledge. However, the most important factor influencing duck populations across much of the breeding grounds is nest success the proportion of duck nests that hatch. For populations to be stable, nest success must average about 12 percent. If nest success exceeds that level, duck populations are likely to increase, while lower nest success rates usually result in declining populations. These factors account for much of the variation that we see in duck populations from one year to the next. The key ingredient to ensuring that waterfowl can successfully nest and raise their broods is habitat. Wetlands, of course, are a crucial component. Prairie potholes and other wetlands support multitudes of protein- and calcium-rich invertebrates, such as fairy shrimp and insect larvae, which breeding hens need to produce a clutch of eggs. Wetlands also provide vital feeding habitat and cover for Page 1

2 broods. Duckling survival is typically higher on landscapes with an abundance of natural wetlands than in areas where wetlands are few and far between. Stated simply, without wetlands there would be no ducks. However, wetlands are only part of the equation. Most dabbling ducks, including mallards, northern pintails, and blue-winged teal, nest away from wetlands in surrounding upland vegetationâ sometimes as far as a mile or more from the nearest water. Thus, adequate nesting cover provided by grasses and shrubs is crucial to both nest success and hen survival. More nests hatch and more hens survive on landscapes with abundant natural upland vegetation. In fact, we use this data to guide every aspect of our conservation programs. DU has used data collected from this research to develop planning tools that predict how landscape conditions influence waterfowl reproduction. For example, when wetlands are drained, we can estimate how many fewer ducks will likely settle in that area and what impact the loss of wetlands will have on duckling survival among the birds that remain. We can also estimate the positive impact our conservation programs will have on breeding ducks. When we restore tracts of grassland, we can estimate how many ducks are likely to use this habitat as well as its positive impact on nest success. Moreover, additional factors, such as the cost of restoring wetlands and grasslands in a particular area and the risk of habitat being converted to other uses, are included in our project planning. All this information helps ensure that we receive the greatest possible return on our conservation investments. On average, three-fifths of breeding ducks settle on the prairies each spring. About 90 percent of the land on the prairies is privately owned working agricultural land. And the more wetlands, the better. Unfortunately, the most valuable wetlands for breeding ducks are also those at the greatest risk of drainage. As global demand for food, fuel, and fiber increases, pressure to drain wetlands grows. Consequently, we are working to conserve shallow prairie wetlands in a variety of ways, including through restoration projects, perpetual easements, term-limited conservation agreements, land acquistions, and public policy. Grassland and other nesting cover, such as fall-seeded cereal crops, are also essential to prairie-nesting ducks, and we conserve these important habitats using many of the same methods that we use to conserve wetlands. These easements prohibit the plowing of grasslands and drainage of wetlands in exchange for a onetime payment of a percentage of the land value. Landowners retain ownership of their land and can continue to use it for farming or ranching as long as wetlands and grasslands are conserved. Perpetual easements are very popular with private landowners because they protect fundamental habitat values while also allowing producers to access capital that is tied up in the land. Term-limited conservation agreements typically range in length from one to 30 years. Longer contracts often include the restoration and management of perennial vegetation and wetlands on marginal cropland. In other cases, these agreements provide landowners with incentives, such as assistance with fencing and development of new water sources, to keep land in pasture. Winter wheat and other winter cereals programs provide incentive payments or in-kind donations of seed and other inputs to encourage producers to include these duck-friendly crops in their farming operations. When appropriate and when none of the other management actions will work, DU may acquire high-priority, at-risk habitats to fulfill its mission. DU purchases tracts of high-priority conservation land, restores wetlands and nesting cover on the property, protects the habitat with a conservation easement, and then sells the landâ usually to a local farmer or rancher. Land acquisition is an effective way to restore and protect threatened waterfowl habitats when the current owner is not interested in restoration incentives or a perpetual easement. This practice also keeps land in agricultural production, which is important to rural communities. However, land acquisitions are both timeand labor-intensive, which limits the amount of land that can be conserved in this manner. Public policies that protect wetlands and grasslands on the prairies vary between the United States and Canada and among Canadian provinces. In the United States, conservation compliance provisions in the Farm Bill stipulate that agricultural producers who participate in U. Department of Agriculture USDA programs, including crop insurance and conservation programs, cannot drain wetlands or farm land with highly erodible soil. Because producers almost always elect to comply with USDA regulations, these disincentives have helped reduce wetland losses on the U. In Canada, wetland regulations are determined at the provincial level. In Prairie Canada, Alberta regulates wetland drainage, and Manitoba is currently considering similar regulations. Page 2

3 Although wetland losses in Alberta have been slowed by these regulations, wetland drainage remains a serious problem in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Spanning more than 1. Because most of the region is publicly owned, DU works with federal, provincial, territorial, and First Nations governments to protect areas of great importance to waterfowl and other wetland wildlife. The Future of Breeding Grounds Conservation While it is always fascinating to observe firsthand how breeding ducks make the most of their few precious opportunities to pass on their genes, the information gathered by DU researchers on the breeding grounds is much more than a collection of interesting stories about individual birds. It is a living body of knowledge. For decades, researchers across North America have designed and conducted studies of breeding, migrating, and wintering waterfowl. In the future, we will continue to follow this proven, science-based approach to ensure that waterfowl will always have the habitats they need on the breeding grounds to thrive and fill the skies. David Howerter is national director of conservation operations for DU Canada. Page 3

4 Chapter 2 : Canada-Alberta wetlands drainage and improvement for forestry program. The Canada-Alberta wetlands drainage and improvement program for forestry: an update. Hillman, G.R. Pages (Vol. 1) in J.K. Jeglum and R.P. Overend, editors. Reports BWSR - History of Wetland Regulation and Conservation in Minnesota The debate over the value of wetlands, and their resulting drainage, has been the paramount water issue since Minnesota gained statehood in Early water management in Minnesota consisted mainly of manipulating surface waters -- mostly wetlands and small lake areas -- attempting to make more land suitable for farming. Surface water was viewed as a "common enemy" and wide scale drainage was the order of the day early in the twentieth century. Wetlands were considered "undesirable wastelands. In a climate so dry as ours, we may naturally expect that lands of this class will eventually be the most valuable in the state. The drought cycle has greatly influenced lawmakers on drainage and wetlands issues over the years. A series of wet summers would affect the need for more drainage. In recent years, summer drought patterns have increased public concern for wetland preservation. This law and the powers of the drainage commission were expanded by statutory amendments through During the s, the Depression and periods of drought, along with increased conservation concerns, halted wide-scale drainage efforts. Drainage of public waters could occur only if they were deemed "non-public," or permission was acquired from the Commissioner of Conservation. The state water bank program was created, where easements could compensate landowners who agreed to preserve their wetlands. Created a de minimis exemption of up to square feet of wetland area. It also allows existing roadways to be upgraded to current construction and safety standards, if wetland impacts are minimized and less than one-half acre is impacted. Exemptions were also reformatted for easier interpretation, with expansion of exemptions covering agricultural land, individual sewage treatment systems, wildlife habitat improvement projects, drainage and de minimis. The amendments provided that local governmental units may develop Local Comprehensive Wetland Protection and Management Plans as an alternative to the Rules, with flexibility in the application of sequencing standards, replacement standards and certain exemptions. The changes allowed DNR to waive permit jurisdiction to local governments for projects affecting public waters wetlands and allowed DNR to make updates and corrections to the Public Waters Inventory with local government concurrence. The bill was the result of the review process and resulting legislative report specified in legislation passed in Laws, chapter, section The chronology does not cover judicial case laws. Changes in the Wetland Conservation Act since the brief was written in March have also been incorporated. Chapter 3 : BWSR - History of Wetland Regulation and Conservation Canada-Alberta wetland drainage and improvement for forestry program. Edmonton, Alta.: Forestry Canada, Northern Forestry Centre: Alberta Forestry, Lands and Wildlife, (OCoLC) Chapter 4 : Going to the Source [DU Special Report The Life Cycle of Waterfowl: Part 1] In, ha were ditched near Goose River, one of the three experimental drainage areas set up under the Can ada-alberta Wetlands Drainage and Improvement Program. Chapter 5 : Publications by G.R. Hillman Canadian Forest Service Publications Natural Resources Cana The Canada-Alberta wetlands drainage and improvement program for forestry: an update. The Canada-Alberta wetlands drainage and improvement for forestry program. Page 4

5 Chapter 6 : NRCS TechReg - Report>Technical Service Category The Canada-Alberta Wetlands Drainage and Improvement for Forestry Program. Canadian Forestry Service, Northern Forestry Centre, Edmonton, AB, Canada. Alberta Forest Resource Development Agreement Report Chapter 7 : Alberta Wetland Policy AEP - Environment and Parks The Canada-Alberta Wetlands Drainage and Improvement for Forestry Program. Forestry Canada/Alberta Forestry, Lands and Wildlife, Project #, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Google Scholar. Page 5