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ESTABLISHING WILDLIFE HABITAT
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Wildlife management strategies, in addition to effective conservation,
has led to much success where certain wildlife populations are
concerned, especially Ohio's wild turkey and whitetail deer.
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Many other species have benefited
from the improvement of habitat. Upland game birds, the bald
eagle and most recently, the river otter, now can be found
throughout the Buckeye state after having disappeared completely
from our landscape as a result of unregulated hunting and land
use changes. |
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for wildlife to survive and flourish, good habitat is essential
in both quality and quantity, the later dictated by the species
you wish to attract and maintain. There are lots of ways that
habitat can be configured, so the best place to start is by
setting some goals and objectives. |
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There are numerous agencies and
resource professionals that can provide you with information,
program opportunities, technical and possibly even financial
assistance. Contact the Wildlife Specialist at the Erie SWCD
office, your NRCS District Conservationist, or the ODNR Division
of Wildlife, Private Lands Biologist at the
District Two office for fact sheets or further assistance. |
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For habitat considerations, you can download the fact sheet, "Wildlife
Habitat Management". |
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WETLANDS - ONE OF OHIO'S NATURAL WONDERS |
| What is a
wetland? Basically as the name implies, a wetland is an area
greatly influenced by the presence of water at or near the
surface, throughout the year or intermittently. Wetland comes
in various shapes, sizes and names - swamps, marshes, fens,
bogs, peatlands, oxbows, sloughs, wet meadows, vernal pools, or
potholes.
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Prior to European settlement, over 200,000,000 acres of wetlands
are said to have existed in the 48 contiguous United States.
Today, only about half of that amount remains. Ohio at one
time was comprised of approximately 5 million acres; currently
there are only about 800,000 acres that still exist.
Wetlands are a vital natural resource. Consider just a few of
the many benefits wetlands provide:
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Filter pollutants via surface runoff |
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Reduce flood damage by creating extra storage |
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Recharge aquifers |
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Provide countless educational opportunities |
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Provide recreational opportunities (hunting, fishing,
bird watching, etc.) |
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Provides necessary habitat for plants, invertebrates,
mammals, and waterfowl |
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| A wetland
is a diverse area of plant and animal life. Did you know that a
third of all species of birds, 190 species of amphibians, and
nearly all of the ducks and geese known to us depend on wetlands
for survival? And nearly 5,000 species of plants are found in
our wetlands throughout the country. |
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Partnering agencies like the Soil
and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and the Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) have proven time and again that "if
you will build it, they will come".
Programs that allow for the restoration of wetlands include the
Wetland Reserve Program (WRP), the Conservation Reserve
Program (CRP, CREP) and the |
Wildlife Habitat
Incentive Program (WHIP).
In addition to your local SWCD or NRCS counterparts, other partnering
agencies and organizations who are able to provide assistance include
the
ODNR Division of Wildlife, Ohio EPA (319 grants), and
Ducks Unlimited.
For more information contact any of the resource professionals mentioned
or check out the complete details of each program online.
For those that currently have a wetland on their property or are
considering building one, check out the DU publication, "Wetland
Habitat Management: a guide for landowners". The 44-page guide
will help you understand wetlands better, offer criteria for site
selection, explain regulations and permits that may be needed, and
provide design and construction options, in addition to wildlife habitat
management considerations.
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