Boozman, Citing Decline in Duck Populations, Leads Call for Renewed Habitat Stewardship Efforts

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), a Migratory Bird Conservation Commission member, led his colleagues representing Mississippi Flyway states in calling on the U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to continue supporting conservation easement investments in the National Wildlife Refuge System to help facilitate long-term recovery of duck populations. The lawmakers expressed their concerns to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum following a USFWS Waterfowl Population Status Report that estimated a total of 34 million breeding ducks, below the long-term average and well below historic highs.

In Arkansas alone, duck hunters contribute more than $300 million to the state economy annually. Nationwide, waterfowl hunting generates approximately $4 billion in economic activity and supports nearly 57,000 jobs. Falling breeding numbers that fail to meet management goals risk an adverse economic impact and other detrimental outcomes for communities in Arkansas, and especially within the Prairie Pothole Region.

"[We] thank you and the Department of the Interior, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), for your work supporting America's more than one million duck hunters. We are, however, increasingly concerned about continued declines in duck populations and strongly urge continued stewardship of the National Wildlife Refuge System-particularly USFWS conservation easements in the Prairie Pothole Region-as the foundation for long-term population recovery," wrote the senators.

"This decline can be attributed to drought conditions in the Prairie Pothole Region, where pond counts have fallen below average in three of the last four years. These trends pose a significant challenge to the future of waterfowl populations, with profound implications down the Mississippi Flyway," the lawmakers continued.

Joining Boozman on the letter to Secretary Burgum were Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and John Kennedy (R-LA).

Boozman has championed waterfowl recreation and habitat conservation, including through the Duck Stamp Modernization Act that authorized a permanent electronic duck stamp for the entirety of a waterfowl hunting season.

Text of the letter is available here or below:

Dear Secretary Burgum:

We write as the 2025-2026 duck hunting season concludes to thank you and the Department of the Interior, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), for your work supporting America's more than one million duck hunters. We are, however, increasingly concerned about continued declines in duck populations and strongly urge continued stewardship of the National Wildlife Refuge System-particularly USFWS conservation easements in the Prairie Pothole Region-as the foundation for long-term population recovery.

The USFWS 2025 Waterfowl Population Status Report estimates 34 million breeding ducks, a figure below the long-term average and well below highs. Several key species for hunters, such as mallards, blue-winged teal, and northern pintails, remain short of North American Waterfowl Management Plan goals. This decline can be attributed to drought conditions in the Prairie Pothole Region, where pond counts have fallen below average in three of the last four years. These trends pose a significant challenge to the future of waterfowl populations, with profound implications down the Mississippi Flyway.

If these conditions persist, hunters could face shorter seasons and reduced limits. These outcomes would diminish hunting opportunities and harm rural economies, especially in Mississippi Flyway states such as Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Mississippi. In Arkansas alone, duck hunters contributed more than $300 million to the state economy, even in a lower duck population year like 2022. Nationwide, waterfowl hunting generates approximately $4 billion in economic activity and supports nearly 57,000 jobs.

History shows that duck populations can rebound quickly when drought conditions ease and key breeding habitats are protected. Continued stewardship of the National Wildlife Refuge System, including both fee-titled lands and conservation easements in the Prairie Pothole Region, is essential to recovery and central to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission's (MBCC) purpose.

Since 1934, Duck Stamp revenues, paid for by generations of hunters, have conserved more than six million acres of habitat nationwide, including over 1.7 million acres protected by USFWS easements in the Prairie Pothole Region. These lands form the core habitat base needed for population recovery. We urge that these longstanding investments be fully considered as USFWS conducts its comprehensive review of the Refuge System under Director's Order No. 230.

For generations, hunters and conservationists have invested in the National Wildlife Refuge System to sustain waterfowl populations and preserve America's hunting heritage. As Secretary of the Interior and Chair of the MBCC, we encourage you to continue stewarding these investments-particularly Prairie Pothole Region easements-to support waterfowl, rural economies, and the future of duck hunting.

Sincerely,