Dennis Anderson: To restore ducks, a call to action

Most amazing about the news release issued this week by the Department of Natural Resources was the apparent surprise to the agency that the state's breeding ducks this spring declined 31 percent from a year ago, and now are 19 percent below the long-term average.

Note to the DNR: Minnesota has no ducks. None to speak of, anyway.

Everyone who still chases these birds in this state knows as much.

Yet, and not unexpectedly, the agency Tuesday announced the pounding of still another nail in the coffin of Minnesota mallards, blue-winged teal and other fowl with its usual loopy obfuscation and cornball optimism.

"Though population swings are normal, it's always disappointing when numbers decline," Dennis Simon, DNR wildlife chief, intoned, as if talking to children. "Our goal is to build a breeding population of 1 million birds."

Hey, chief: Not in your lifetime. Or -- the way ducks are "managed" in Minnesota -- a hundred lifetimes.

Time for a change.

And Minnesota hunters and other conservationists need to support them with their money and time.

But Minnesota duck hunters for too long have been left out of duck management in this state (or have left themselves out), while the DNR -- which by default holds the state's duck management cards -- has proved itself over many decades ineffective in saving these birds and their habitat, or, for that matter, in managing hunters and hunting.

Time for a change.

The announcement today is the formation of a new alliance. It won't compete with DU or MWA or any other organization. It won't have banquets and it won't raise money.

It will concern itself solely with duck and duck habitat management issues in Minnesota, and give voice to Minnesota's nearly 100,000 duck hunters, so a spade can be called a spade about the inefficiencies, mistakes and sell-outs that have brought us to the current state of the state.

Call it the Duck Action Congress. Representatives from all corners of the state will be needed. The first meeting will be at Game Fair at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8. All are welcome.

But if you're coming to whine, don't bother. Dedicated people, yes, they will be needed. Sharp people, even more so. DU should be represented, also MWA, Delta Waterfowl, Pheasants Forever and other groups. Ideally, they will lend their expertise and knowledge to the Duck Action Congress as it formulates a new vision for wetland conservation in Minnesota.

In turn, with a board of perhaps a dozen or 15 members representing all sectors of Minnesota, the congress will develop policy recommendations and advocacy positions regarding wetland drainage, urban sprawl, waterfowl hunting and other important issues.

It's hoped these recommendations and positions will in turn help shape public opinion, and form public policy.

Agreement on solutions to the many complex problems facing ducks won't be easily reached, and in any event won't be unanimously voiced. But the new venture nevertheless will increase citizen involvement, and hunter-conservationists for the first time will have their say in matters about which the DNR has for too long been passive and weak.

Example: Can Minnesota duck hunters realistically expect reasonable numbers of ducks to be in the state on opening day, when over-water goose hunting is being expanded nearly statewide in September?

Example: Should Minnesota's remaining ducks -- under extreme pressure in October and November -- be allowed to rest after, say, 11 a.m., at least on some days of the week, meaning hunting would not be allowed past that time?

Leaving these and other important issues to the DNR alone to decide and advocate for has not been the answer, and never will be. Too often the agency frets more about its survival than that of ducks, worrying -- rightly, in some cases -- it will raise the ire of the Legislature, or developers, farmers or certain hunters.

No longer. Either we change, or it's more of the same-old, same-old -- this year's Minnesota duck population report worse than the last, chronicled in the usual fashion by the (surprised!) DNR.

The Duck Action Congress will need an interim chair person, or chair persons, to get things going. Nominate yourself or someone similarly worthy.

Time for a change. Finally.