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09-26-2005, 05:26 PM
OUTDOORS
Reclaiming wetlands takes work
Friday, September 23, 2005
D'Arcy Egan
Plain Dealer Columnist
Bay View, Ohio- The bulldozers chugged their way across Ed Moxley's open fields, restoring 44 acres of wetlands for waterfowl and wildlife.
It is a reversal of the trend to eliminate the muck and mire of a marsh from the northwest Ohio landscape. The massive Black Swamp stretched from Toledo to Sandusky and many miles inland a couple of centuries ago. Mostly drained and developed, the rich, black soil now bristles with corn and soybeans.
"Forty-four acres of wetlands may not seem like a lot, unless you're a duck," said Moxley, with a laugh, as we toured the project with Ducks Unlimited officials. The 300-acre property caters to waterfowl, with a portion used for duck and goose hunting.
"We've owned this marsh for 35 years, constantly trying to enhance and improve it," said Moxley, who lives in nearby Vickery with his wife, Sue, who is also active in DU projects and fund raising. "It is an important area for waterfowl, giving them a place to rest and feed during the migration. And it's considered a top birding area, with cars often lining the road."
Moxley is a conservationist with a passion for waterfowl hunting. He killed his first duck at age 8, following in the footsteps of his father, the late John Moxley, a Medina industrialist.
Like his father, Moxley isn't the kind of guy who bags a few ducks and goes home. His father created more than 60 ponds and lakes and many pockets of wetlands around Medina County. With marshy edges and lots of flooded timber, the lakes were a haven for fish and waterfowl - and sportsmen.
The Moxley Marsh on the edge of Sandusky Bay is shared by Ottawa County Engineer Dave Brunkhorst. Both Moxley and Brunkhorst have been active members of DU, a national waterfowl conservation group. The men practice what they preach in their own marsh, battling invasive species and providing a home for wildlife, including eagles, egrets and even a pair of white pelicans this summer.
They are restoring 44 acres of wetlands through the Habitat for Healthy Water program established by DU and 10 conservation partners to improve water quality. Helping to fund the $104,000 project is a grant from the Ohio EPA 319 Nonpoint Source Program, the Ohio Division of Wildlife and DU.
While ducks are usually on Moxley's mind, the hunting seasons are short. "There are 25 to 40 hours of birding for every hour of waterfowl hunting on the marsh," said Moxley. "Historically, this has been a hunting marsh since at least 1920, the reason why it has not been drained and farmed or developed."
Moxley has maintained his small corner of the wetlands world at his own expense in the past. He praises programs such as the North American Wetlands Conservation Act passed by Congress in 1989. Re-approved this week to provide nearly $29 million for habitat conservation, it will fund 25 public and private projects costing more than $24 million in 19 states. The program will restore or enhance 198,000 acres of wetlands and upland habitat. Project partners will add nearly $97 million.
"Teamwork is essential," said Gildo Tori, the DU director of public policy. "These projects need a lot of partners to succeed."
Marshland projects at nearby Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area cost $1.8 million.
Partners ranged from DU, ODOW and NAWCA to the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, Ohio Plan Clubs, Maumee Valley Audubon Society, Lake Erie Wildfowlers and the League of Ohio Sportsmen.
Metzger Marsh, between Port Clinton and Toledo, was badly in need of restoration after years of high water and wind-drive erosion. Teaming up on the $4.15 million project were DU, ODOW, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Great Lakes Protection Fund and the Lucas County Engineer. With 7,700 feet of new dikes and pumps, the wetlands is blossoming into a wildlife-rich environment.
"So many partners are needed, but it is amazing how many people come forth to team up," said Dave Brakhage, the DU director of conservation programs.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
degan@plaind.com, 216-999-6136
http://www.cleveland.com/outdoors/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1127467946142982.xml&coll=2
Reclaiming wetlands takes work
Friday, September 23, 2005
D'Arcy Egan
Plain Dealer Columnist
Bay View, Ohio- The bulldozers chugged their way across Ed Moxley's open fields, restoring 44 acres of wetlands for waterfowl and wildlife.
It is a reversal of the trend to eliminate the muck and mire of a marsh from the northwest Ohio landscape. The massive Black Swamp stretched from Toledo to Sandusky and many miles inland a couple of centuries ago. Mostly drained and developed, the rich, black soil now bristles with corn and soybeans.
"Forty-four acres of wetlands may not seem like a lot, unless you're a duck," said Moxley, with a laugh, as we toured the project with Ducks Unlimited officials. The 300-acre property caters to waterfowl, with a portion used for duck and goose hunting.
"We've owned this marsh for 35 years, constantly trying to enhance and improve it," said Moxley, who lives in nearby Vickery with his wife, Sue, who is also active in DU projects and fund raising. "It is an important area for waterfowl, giving them a place to rest and feed during the migration. And it's considered a top birding area, with cars often lining the road."
Moxley is a conservationist with a passion for waterfowl hunting. He killed his first duck at age 8, following in the footsteps of his father, the late John Moxley, a Medina industrialist.
Like his father, Moxley isn't the kind of guy who bags a few ducks and goes home. His father created more than 60 ponds and lakes and many pockets of wetlands around Medina County. With marshy edges and lots of flooded timber, the lakes were a haven for fish and waterfowl - and sportsmen.
The Moxley Marsh on the edge of Sandusky Bay is shared by Ottawa County Engineer Dave Brunkhorst. Both Moxley and Brunkhorst have been active members of DU, a national waterfowl conservation group. The men practice what they preach in their own marsh, battling invasive species and providing a home for wildlife, including eagles, egrets and even a pair of white pelicans this summer.
They are restoring 44 acres of wetlands through the Habitat for Healthy Water program established by DU and 10 conservation partners to improve water quality. Helping to fund the $104,000 project is a grant from the Ohio EPA 319 Nonpoint Source Program, the Ohio Division of Wildlife and DU.
While ducks are usually on Moxley's mind, the hunting seasons are short. "There are 25 to 40 hours of birding for every hour of waterfowl hunting on the marsh," said Moxley. "Historically, this has been a hunting marsh since at least 1920, the reason why it has not been drained and farmed or developed."
Moxley has maintained his small corner of the wetlands world at his own expense in the past. He praises programs such as the North American Wetlands Conservation Act passed by Congress in 1989. Re-approved this week to provide nearly $29 million for habitat conservation, it will fund 25 public and private projects costing more than $24 million in 19 states. The program will restore or enhance 198,000 acres of wetlands and upland habitat. Project partners will add nearly $97 million.
"Teamwork is essential," said Gildo Tori, the DU director of public policy. "These projects need a lot of partners to succeed."
Marshland projects at nearby Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area cost $1.8 million.
Partners ranged from DU, ODOW and NAWCA to the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, Ohio Plan Clubs, Maumee Valley Audubon Society, Lake Erie Wildfowlers and the League of Ohio Sportsmen.
Metzger Marsh, between Port Clinton and Toledo, was badly in need of restoration after years of high water and wind-drive erosion. Teaming up on the $4.15 million project were DU, ODOW, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Great Lakes Protection Fund and the Lucas County Engineer. With 7,700 feet of new dikes and pumps, the wetlands is blossoming into a wildlife-rich environment.
"So many partners are needed, but it is amazing how many people come forth to team up," said Dave Brakhage, the DU director of conservation programs.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
degan@plaind.com, 216-999-6136
http://www.cleveland.com/outdoors/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1127467946142982.xml&coll=2