U.S. Army and Ducks Unlimited Celebrate World Wetlands Day Together

ANNAPOLIS, Md., Jan, 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Department of the Army will join Ducks Unlimited on Friday, February 2, 2007, to celebrate World Wetlands Day. The open house event will be held at the Ducks Unlimited Mid- Atlantic field office in Annapolis, Maryland from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. The media are encouraged to attend.

World Wetlands Day celebrations promote public awareness of the value and function of wetlands both for people and the environment. U.S. Army Lt. Col. Joseph Knott will present information on the Army and Ducks Unlimited partnership, working efforts and future goals for wetlands conservation.

A Memorandum of Understanding between the Army and Ducks Unlimited was signed on July 7, 2006. The agreement creates a partnership to identify opportunities for wetland creation, enhancement, restoration and habitat conservation in the vicinity of Army installations participating or planning to participate in Army Compatible Use Buffer (ACUB) program.

The ACUB program was established in 2003, as a tool used by installations to protect accessibility, capacity and capability for training and testing on existing lands. The program’s success relies on partnerships with state and local governments and conservation groups, creating buffer zones near installations to enhance environmental conservation and protect the installation’s training and testing mission.

“Our partnership is a win-win not only for the Army and Ducks Unlimited, but for the public as well. Our combined efforts help protect and restore wetlands – a precious natural resource – in addition to maintaining a trained and ready force,” said Lt. Col. Joseph Knott, ACUB program manager.

The Army will provide displays and information to highlight recent successful wetlands restoration projects at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Fort Lewis and Fort Riley.

“World Wetlands Day is a great opportunity to remind people of how important our wetland resources are,” said Alan Wentz, Ducks Unlimited’s senior group manager of conservation. “Wetlands are critical, not only to waterfowl and hundreds of other wildlife species, but to human beings as well. The United States is losing 80,000 wetland acres every year, and through partnerships like this one with the Army, Ducks Unlimited is conserving hundreds of thousands of wetland acres every year.”

U.S. Army Environmental Command

CONTACT: Kelli Alfano, Ducks Unlimited Public Affairs, +1-734-623-2017,kalfano@ducks.org; or Lt. Col. Joseph Knott, ACUB Program Manager,+1-703-901-1141, joseph.knott@hqda.army.mil