Wetlands are nature's natural filters, absorbing pollutants before they infiltrate waterways. Wetland restoration, to a large extent, has been and will continue to be achieved through voluntary measures. I think there's a perception that conservation can only be achieved through forced, regulatory efforts. This is not true. Another example is conservation easements, a vital land protection tool for private conservation groups like Ducks Unlimited, the Nature Conservancy, The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and American Farmland Trust.
Easements protect land in perpetuity while giving the landowner a sizeable tax break.
This past year, Ducks Unlimited signed up more landowners for easements than ever before. Ducks Unlimited is working with farmers who want to produce such grains with fewer fertilizers and pesticides. In Arkansas, rice producers are making extra efforts to impound winter rainfall, a process which results in less germination of winter weeds and much reduced introduction of sediments and nutrients into streams and rivers. Winter flooding of rice fields is a very effective, voluntary approach to water pollution prevention. In the plains states, DU is providing technical guidance and financial incentives to farmers willing to plant cereal grains in the fall instead of the spring.