by Andy McDaniels
February 25, 2009

“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.