 Emiquon, along the Illinois River near Lewistown, includes The
Nature Conservancy's Emiquon Preserve, the Emiquon National Wildlife
Refuge and the Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge. The complex
totals 14,000 acres and includes a diversity of wetland habitats.
"At Emiquon, The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service have restored a thriving and productive wetland mosaic, and
we're delighted our work and successes are being confirmed by this
important designation," said Doug Blodgett, director of river
conservation for The Nature Conservancy.
"Through our collective and collaborative restoration and
management initiatives, the Emiquon Complex supports thousands of
migrating waterfowl and other native species, helps to clean water
entering the Illinois River, provides recreational opportunities for
thousands of visitors, and serves as a model for resource managers
around the world."
Emiquon is one of eight proof-of-concept sites within the
Mississippi River Basin that the Conservancy's Great Rivers
Partnership uses to facilitate the exchange of science and practices
among those who manage large rivers around the globe.
Similarly, the 2,750-acre Sue and Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge at
Hennepin Lake and Hopper Lake along the Illinois River has also been
named a "wetland of international importance."
It's believed to be the first time that two sites on one river
have earned this distinction.
"I'm pleased these wetlands are being recognized for their
international importance as they play a key role in Illinois
tourism," said Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon. "These sites draw
folks from all around to hike, bird-watch, kayak and fish. This
designation recognizes the work that's been done to restore these
natural resources and will boost efforts moving forward."
Simon chairs Illinois' three coordinating councils on river
issues, including the Illinois River Coordinating Council, which
will have a dedication ceremony for the two Ramsar-designated sites
in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, and the Wetlands Initiative.
"This is a great day for the Illinois River. It's a validation of
the practices used to restore formerly drained and degraded areas
back to high-quality natural areas, all in a relatively short time,"
said Paul Botts, executive director of the Wetlands Initiative,
which restored the Dixon site.
The Ramsar Convention -- with 162 member nations, including the
United States -- encourages countries to promote wetlands
conservation and lays out strict criteria for a wetland to be deemed
internationally important. A total of 2,031 sites around the world,
including only 34 in the United States, have earned Ramsar
designation. The Cache River-Cypress Creek Wetlands and the Upper
Mississippi Floodplain, which stretches from Wabasha, Minn., to
north of Rock Island, are the only other Illinois sites that have
been recognized.
This week's Ramsar Conference of the Contracting Parties, COP 11,
in Bucharest marks the signing of a three-year cooperation
memorandum between The Nature Conservancy and Ramsar Convention
Secretariat. The signing signifies an extension of an already
12-year relationship to improve, restore and sustain the world's
natural resources through creating awareness surrounding wetland
conservation, climate change, river basin management and ecosystem
valuation.
"We are excited to continue our relationship with the Ramsar
Convention Secretariat," said Carmen Revenga, a Nature Conservancy
senior freshwater scientist and head of the delegation for the
conference. "Working with Ramsar to find global solutions to protect
the world's most precious natural resources is an honor as is the
recognition of the restoration efforts at Dixon Waterfowl Refuge and
Emiquon in Illinois."
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The Emiquon Complex met eight of the nine Ramsar criteria for
designation. These include supporting endangered species, supporting
plants and animals that are important for maintaining a diverse
ecosystem, supporting 20,000 or more water birds, supporting 1
percent of a species population, and serving as an important food
source for fish.
In most cases, Emiquon not only met, but exceeded the criteria.
As examples, the Emiquon Preserve noted the presence in one day of
4.5 percent of the continental population of American coots, while
the Ramsar criterion is 1 percent; and the Emiquon Complex supports
hundreds of thousands of migratory water birds, far surpassing the
Ramsar criterion of 20,000.
The Dixon Waterfowl Refuge met six Ramsar criteria, including
containing globally rare wetland ecosystem types and being an
important example of the region's native landscape, which is rare in
Illinois today due to extensive habitat loss and wetland drainage.
The refuge supports outstanding biodiversity, including 146 animal
and plant species that are vulnerable to extinction in Illinois.
The Dixon and Emiquon locations are outstanding sites for hiking,
bird-watching, boating, wildlife photography, canoeing and kayaking,
and fishing. Both sites attract thousands of visitors each year.
The Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and
the Wetlands Initiative plan an Aug. 8 dedication ceremony of their
respective Ramsar-designated sites at 2:30 p.m. during a meeting of
the Illinois River Coordinating Council at the Dickson Mounds Museum
in Lewistown.
___
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization
working around the world to protect the land and water on which all
life depends. To date, the organization and its more than 1 million
members have been responsible for the protection of more than 18
million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more
than 117 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the
Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy online at
www.nature.org.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with
others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and
their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
The agency is both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife
conservation, known for scientific excellence, stewardship of lands
and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to
public service. For more information on the work of the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service and the people who make it happen, visit
www.fws.gov.
The Wetlands Initiative is dedicated to restoring the wetland
resources of the Midwest to improve water quality, increase wildlife
habitat and biodiversity, and reduce flood damage. The Wetlands
Initiative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Visit The Wetlands
Initiative at www.wetlands-initiative.org.
[Text from file received from
The Nature Conservancy]
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