Frankfort, KY (March 24, 2004) - Ballard County’s Shelby Lake Farms (SLF) has been selected to receive the 2004 National Great Blue Heron Award by the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (the Plan) Committee. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) submitted the nomination.

The 2900-acre western Kentucky farm is situated near the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, adjacent to Ballard Wildlife Management Area (WMA), one of the KDFWR’s primary waterfowl areas.

The prestigious award recognizes conservationists whose actions result in substantial benefits to waterfowl and other wetland-associated migratory bird populations and is presented annually by the Plan Committee. The Plan was created and adopted in 1986 by the U.S. and Canada and later by Mexico as a blueprint for addressing the continent’s declining waterfowl populations through habitat protection, restoration and enhancement.

Managing partner Orran Ingram (Nashville, TN) brought locally renowned land manager Ricky Walden on-board to ramrod the SLF operation in 2001. The farm has since exploded into one of the premier waterfowl areas in the region and has become a model for successful waterfowl management.

"Committed private land managers like Ricky Walden and dedicated landowners like Orran Ingram are solid and valuable partners in helping Kentucky meet its habitat goals," said KDFWR wildlife director Dr. Jon Gassett.

Walden believes in water. "Nature didn’t give waterfowl webbed feet so they could light on dry ground," he contends.

When Walden started, the farm had water management capability on about 175 acres. The self-taught habitat manager has since built five miles of levees and installed 30 water-control structures, creating water management capabilities on 1200 acres. Walden and Ballard WMA manager Charlie Wilkins collaborate on water management and other habitat strategies.

The SLF wildlife management scheme also includes more than 1800 acres of row crops with never less than 20 percent left standing in the field after harvest to provide food for migrating and wintering waterfowl. Another 200 acres of alfalfa, millet and winter wheat provide additional wildlife foods.

At Wilkins’ urging, Walden tried and has since become "a believer" in moist-soil management.

"The farm presents a prime example of how moist-soil management can complement traditional agricultural practices on managed wetlands," said Rocky Pritchert, KDFWR Migratory Bird Program Coordinator.

Walden also has supplemented a natural timber stand by planting an additional 250 acres (10,000 seedlings) to bottomland hardwoods.

Due in part to SLF efforts, average duck and goose use has increased substantially in the region with peak populations often exceeding 100,000 and 120,000 birds, respectively.

A partial list of past U. S. award winners includes The Nature Conservancy, Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., Delta Waterfowl Foundation, Dow Chemical Company, Phillips Petroleum Company and Westvaco Corporation.

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