California Waterfowl Granted $1M for Wetlands in San Jacinto and San Diego

CONTACT:
Chadd Santerre
CWA Senior Wetlands Projects Supervisor
California Waterfowl Association
4630 Northgate Blvd. Ste. 150
Sacramento, CA 95834
(530) 868-5072
Chadd_Santerre@calwaterfowl.org

Media Contact:
Sarah Swenty
(916) 275-1018
sarah_swenty@calwaterfowl.org 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
California Waterfowl received $1 million in grant funds to improve 1,200 acres of
wetlands in San Jacinto Valley and San Diego Bay. Beneficiaries of the work
include the endangered California least tern, the endangered light-footed clapper
rail, the threatened western snowy plover and a host of wetland dependant species.
These public and private lands are dedicated to providing homes for waterfowl,
shorebird and other wetland dependant species.

San Diego/San Jacinto, CA March 14, 2008 – California Waterfowl received a $1 million
grant for wetland habitat restoration and improvements in two important areas for
wildlife in southern California. Money spent at the San Diego Bay National Wildlife
Refuge’s Sweetwater Marsh in south San Diego Bay, will improve tidal marsh conditions
and improve breeding habitat for the federally listed California least tern (endangered),
light-footed clapper rail (endangered) and the western snowy plover (threatened).
Additional restoration will occur in the San Jacinto Valley on the state owned San Jacinto
Wildlife Area and on 3 nearby private properties dedicated to wildlife.
“California Waterfowl has been working for more than 20 years to restore the state’s
wetlands and this grant expands our conservation efforts in Southern California. By
increasing and improving overall habitat conditions for all species that rely on wetland
and riparian habitats this grant and the partners involved are making a difference for all
wildlife,” California Waterfowl’s Senior Biologist and project supervisor Chadd Santerre
explained.

The grant was awarded by the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and the US
Fish and Wildlife Service. Work on the project will begin in the spring of 2008 and will
continue through the end of 2009. Major contributing partners include the state’s
Wildlife Conservation Board, California Department of Fish and Game, the Sonoran
Joint Venture, US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Port of San Diego and California
Waterfowl.

California Waterfowl is a widely respected nonprofit, hunter-supported conservation
organization with a mission to conserve the state’s waterfowl, wetlands, and hunting
heritage. The association has received numerous awards, including Conservationist of
the Year in 2006 from The Wildlife Society. In the last 20 years they’ve restored,
protected or enhanced more than 300,000 acres, providing habitat for millions of birds
and animals, and introduced more than 250,000 children to the wonders of the great
outdoors.

For more info, please visit www.calwaterfowl.org.

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Additional Background Information
California Waterfowl Granted $1M for Wetlands in San Jacinto and San Diego
The Sweetwater Marsh will see several remnant water control structures and an old
roadbed from the WWII era removed to improve tidal flows within the marsh, creating a
much healthier tidal marsh ecosystem for the light-footed clapper rail any many other
dependent species. Improvements to the breeding habitat of the western snowy plover
and California least tern will also take place on the D-Street Nesting Area. Extensive
erosion has contributed to the decline in snowy plovers nesting at the site by limiting
access of the plover chicks to the sandy beach. The grant hopes to reverse this process
and help bring back locally nesting plovers.

"Funding from this grant will enable the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge to
implement important enhancement projects within the Sweetwater Marsh Unit that will
benefit numerous coastal species including migratory birds and the endangered lightfooted
clapper rail," said Andy Yuen, Project Leader for the San Diego National Wildlife
Refuge Complex.

The grant also benefits the San Jacinto Wildlife Area by increasing the managed wetland
habitats available to wildlife. A wooded riparian corridor will also be established for the
benefit of many locally nesting birds. Tens of thousands of waterfowl and shorebirds
will benefit thanks to enhanced management capabilities and improved water efficiency
at the wildlife area. The work that is planned will make limited water supplies go farther
and produce better wetland management results thus improving conditions for all wetland
dependent species in the future.

In addition, similar improvements will also occur on three privately owned properties
near the San Jacinto Wildlife Area that have preserved nearly 600 acres of habitat in
perpetuity for wildlife.