VIRGINIA MIGRATORY WATERFOWL CONSERVATION FUND UTILIZED TO RESTORE WETLANDS

South Boston, VA — The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) recently completed the first wetland restoration financed by the Virginia Migratory Waterfowl Conservation fund. Cooperating with partners including the Town of South Boston, Ducks Unlimited, The North American Wetlands Conservation Act, and private cooperators, VDGIF restored over 30 acres of wetland habitat on property owned by the South Boston Industrial Development Authority.

The site is situated on the floodplain of the Dan River and was previously utilized for row crop agriculture. Future management plans incorporate the use of a water control structure to mimic natural water movements on the site. Natural vegetation will be allowed to colonize the site providing food resources for a variety of wildlife species including waterfowl, wading birds, furbearers, reptiles and amphibians.

The Town of South Boston will manage the site and plans to have the site open to the public for educational and recreational purposes including visits from school groups. The site will be named the Biggy Hunt Memorial Wetland Area, after F. W. (Biggy) Hunt, a long time supporter of wetlands and wildlife in Virginia, who passed away in 2003.

Following completion of the construction, Town Manager, Ted Daniel, stated, "This waterfowl conservation project is exactly what the Town intended for the area when it purchased the property several years ago." Biggy Hunt's wife, Elaine, remarked, "Biggy worked his whole life on waterfowl protection and this project is a wonderful tribute to him." She said that Biggy "would be very proud that his Halifax County and State friends would undertake such a project for him."

During the 2005 legislative session of the Virginia General Assembly, legislation was passed requiring the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to create and require a "Migratory Waterfowl Conservation Stamp" for individuals hunting waterfowl in Virginia. According to the legislation, funds raised from the sale of this stamp were to be utilized in three ways:

1. Funds shall be utilized to pay for the overhead associated with producing and selling the stamp.

2. Fifty percent of the remaining funds shall be contracted with appropriate non-profit organizations for cooperative waterfowl habitat improvement projects.

3. The remaining fifty percent of the funds shall be utilized by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to protect, preserve, restore, enhance or develop waterfowl habitat.

This project is the first, of what VDGIF hopes will be many, wetland restoration projects that can be completed with the use of funds from the new Migratory Waterfowl Conservation Stamp. It is the mission of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to manage wildlife populations, to provide recreation opportunities for hunting, fishing, boating and wildlife watching and to protect people engaged in these activities. The Game Department works with landowners to restore wetlands. Anyone interested in participating in the program should contact Wetland Project Leader David Norris at 804-843-5962.