Annual Banquet Held by Ducks Unlimited

The annual banquet of the Sandhills Chapter of Ducks Unlimited was a resounding success as community residents and their families gathered to support the conservation of waterfowl and their habitats.

Attendees ranged in age from infants to elders. Adults conversed while kids ran around having fun. Some participated in games – including “Duck-O bingo”  – when many smiles were obvious. The winner of “Last Duck Standing” certainly had a special day as he not only won, but he won on his birthday. The crowd gave him a rendition of the Happy Birthday song. There were raffles of many waterfowl-related items donated by businesses.

Some youngsters spent time at the Greenwing Raffle, a youth-oriented booth. One tyke present had a tiny, plastic, yellow duck held close as his expression of waterfowl. A couple of young girls with their raffle tickets all ready, bantered about ice-fishing with their dad at the Valentine lake district.

Jake Ohlmann, chair of the local chapter, was pleased with the outcome of the banquet. He was busy helping at the “Mug of Tickets” table while noticing the fine bunch of people present and appreciating the many contributors.

“There are a lot of generous people in the community,” said Ohlmann, appreciative of every donation since each of them were helpful in raising fund for waterfowl conservation. Volunteers were “essential” and helped make the banquet a success as they also do for other group projects.

“I really enjoy kids being involved,” said Ohlmann. The banquet, as well as other outreach programs are “a chance to teach them about wildfowl hunting and conservation.” Adding that DU projects conserve “resources for generations to come.” He especially appreciates the dedication of long-time members in the organization.

There were a few people at the banquet that became new members.

Funds raised at the banquet will contribute to DU projects throughout the nation.

There is a nationally significant DU and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service project currently underway at Valentine NWR, said JuanCarlos Giese, manager of Valentine National Wildlife Refuge and DU member.

Carp barriers and berms will be placed to manage wetland conditions and prohibit fish access at Sweetwater Lake, 21 Lake, Center Lake, Homestead Lake, Cow Lake, Little Hay Lake, Calf Camp Marsh (where a structure was placed in 2018) and Pony Lake, said Giese. Most of these places are east of Highway 83.

Once the “construction” phase of the project is completed, these sites will be treated to remove fish – notably invasive carp – from the lakes and wetlands. These shallow lakes and ponds will be managed for migratory birds and other wildlife, so no sport fish will be introduced into these wetlands.

About 900 acres wetlands will be restored, said Giese.

This “on the ground project will provide benefits to waterfowl and many others sorts of wildlife” as well as wetland flora. Some nongame birds that will benefit include many wildbird species, including the trumpeter swan, pied-billed grebe and marsh wren, for example. Amphibians are also expected to flourish amidst the rejuvenated wetland flora, Giese said.

Environmental improvements associated with natural land features will “attract the community and visitors to appreciate the refuge resources. It is very exciting to be involved with these landscape basis projects,” Giese said, noting the significance of being able to “work with the community and partners for the benefit of current and future generations.”

Work will be initiated once Section 404 permits are received in coming weeks from the Army Corps of Engineers, Giese said.

The FWS will continue to monitor results in order to evaluate success of the project, he said.
DU and FWS are the primary project partners. Essential funding has been provided by the Nebraska Environmental Trust and the North American Wetland Conservation Act. Also involved are the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission as well as the volunteer member-based Sandhill Prairie Refuge Association.

This project is ancillary to the lake restoration projects underway by the NGPC and FWS to remove carp and improve the fisheries at several prominent lakes of the refuge, west of Highway 83.

Two historic projects DU has been involved with in Cherry County include the Lord Lake project at the McKelvie Division of the Nebraska National Forest where water control structures and tree removal occurred, said DU member Mark Lindvall. Elsewhere, water control structures were added and a dike was rebuilt at Calf Camp Valley marsh, Valentine NWR.

Lindvall, of Valentine, has been a DU member for more than 20 years. The group “is a good conservation organization that puts projects on the ground,” he said. The local chapter was active in 1985 when he arrived to work at Valentine NWR. “I enjoy watching waterfowl in the spring a hunt in the fall which might be a time to just watch fowl in flight,” he said. “With wetland conservation projects there are more ducks and geese” for everyone to enjoy.

About 150 people attended the annual banquet held February 2nd at the 4-H building at the Cherry County fairgrounds, including Bill Stroup who started the local chapter years ago. The Sandhills chapter has about 100 members, Ohlmann said.

Any wildbird enthusiast with an interest in wetland conservation is welcome to join Ducks Unlimited, which has been active in Nebraska for many decades.