The United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Ducks Unlimited, and Friends of Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge will host a tour of the wetland habitat restoration project area at the refuge south of Sumner.
The public tour will begin at the Community Center on Main Street in Sumner on the afternoon of December 14th at 1 o’clock. It will include an overview of the completed project, an explanation of the water management challenges impacting refuge habitat, and possible solutions being explored to address issues.
Ducks Unlimited secured a $1,000,000 grant in 2014 from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act to restore and enhance wetland habitat at Swan Lake. Project partners committed about $2,400,000in matching funds to the money from the grant.
Refuge Manager Steve Whitson reports the grants are “very competitive,” and partner support is considered when the North American Wetlands Conservation Act Council decides which projects should be funded.
Swan Lake will be able to protect and restore some of the region’s productive habitat for the benefit of waterfowl and other migratory birds. The focus of the project was to expand the amount of wetland habitat and convert portions of the higher ground to grasslands. It affected 1,890 acres of habitat on Swan Lake and included the restoration of 780 acres between Silver Lake and the Swan Lake Marsh and enhancement of 1,110 acres of existing wetlands.
Anyone interested in attending the project area tour December 14th should call the wildlife refuge at 660-856-3323 and tell how many people will be attending with him or her.
