Evening star., 1961-08-06
REPORT DUE TUESDAY
Duck Hunting Outlook Bleak
BY CHARLES COVELL
Outdoor Editor

The Fish and Wildlife Service
is coming out Tuesday with
its annual report on the status
Of duck production on the
northern prairies and its fore
cast for the approaching
season.
This will be followed about
August 16 with announcement
of the outside dates on which
the States can base their hunt
ing seasons, if any, in the At
lantic and other flywayS.
Fish and Wildlife officials
won't give any indication Of
what its report, based on aerial
surveys Of duck breeding
grounds in the Northwestern
United States and the prairie
provinces Of Canada, will say,
but it's not hard to guess that
the news will be bad.
Ducks Unlimited Pessimistic
Ducks Unlimited Of Canada
Is usually optimistic in its re-
ports, much more so than
United States Fish and Wild
life, but its latest was just the
opposite.
The cool weather and heavy
general rains, desperately need
ed by both prairie farmers and
ducks, have not appeared"
Ducks Unlimited said. Instead,
heat records have been broken
day after day and precipitation,
except for some local areas,
has been negligible.
Although pointing out that
ducks have been nesting where
ever there has been water, the
report continues, "The situa-
ton nevertheless is critical ana
many of the areas now with
water will be dry before the
ducks can fly.
North of the prairieS. on
the fringe of agriculture, con-
ditions are much better, water
is secure and a good duck crop
is being produced, but this
relatively small area cannot
compensate for the dry prairie
habitat"
Bad News to Hunter
All this is unwelcome news
to the Chesapeake duck hunter
who was limited to only three
birds a day last season, of
which none could be a canvas
back or redhead, and who, if
the situation is critical enough
might not be allowed to hunt
ducks at all this year.
Particularly regrettable is
the action of House and Sen
ate conferees in knocking out
the wetlandS amendment be-
fore sending the farm bill to
the President.
This proposal, by Represent
ative Reuss, Wisconsin Demo-
crat, would have cut off soil
conservation subsidies to farm
ers for draining and reclaiming
wetlandS needed for duck
breeding or other wildlife.
Conservation organizations
long had sought an end to this
inconsistency which has per-
mitted one Federal agency to
SubSidize the drainage Of areas
another Federal agency, Fish
and Wildlife, seeks to acquire
and preserve.
Another Bill Pending
1t is not too late, on the
other hand, for duck hunters
to rally behind another meas
ure to step up acquisition of
wetlands needed for duck
breeding.
The bill, passed by the House
and now before the Senate
Commerce Committee, would
authorize a 5000 million, 10
year program to acquire about
7 million acres of wetlands. 4
The Federal Government (
would take over Az million
acres in addition to the 312
million it now has and the
States would acquire 212 mil ;
lion acres in addition to the 2
million they own.
This would provide Federal {
and State control of 1914 mil {
lion acres, the minimum ]
needed to insure a continued '
supply of ducks, sponsors say.
Loan Necessary ,
To finance the program, the
Treasury would make a $3.50
million loan over the 10-year
period which would be repaid
from duck stamp revenues. !
Both Senator Metcalf, Dem
ocrat of Montana, and Frank
P. Briggs, Assistant Secretary
of the Interior, say time is 6
running out" in acquiring the
wetlandS. {
Chairman Magnuson Of the
merce Committee has
promised early action. Ii