$200,000 donation restores wetlands.The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) will help restore the McPherson McPherson, city (1990 pop. 12,422), seat of McPherson co., central Kans., in a farm area on the old Santa Fe Trail; inc. 1874. The city has an oil refinery and factories that make plastics, railroad equipment, and motor vehicles. The city is named for Gen. James B. McPherson, the highest ranking Union general to die in the Civil War. McPherson College is there. Valley wetlands wetlands, low-lying ecosystem where the water table is always at or near the surface. It is divided into estuarine and freshwater systems, which may be further subdivided by soil type and plant life into bogs, swamps, and marshes. Because wetlands have poor drainage, the area is characterized by sluggish or standing water that can create an open-water habitat for wildlife. thanks to a grant from the Arthur Daniels Midland Company (ADM). The $200,000 donation was given in February to Ducks Unlimited, Inc., a private company that helps park and recreation departments restore wetlands without burdening their communities with tax increases. "This grant from the company is a reflection of our commitment to safeguarding and improving the environment," said Brian Peterson, ADM senior vice president of corporate affairs. "ADM is pleased to take this step toward ensuring that generations to come will benefit from restoration of the McPherson wetlands." The McPherson complex is one of Kansas' largest wetlands areas, providing a home to thousands of waterfowl waterfowl, common term for members of the order Anseriformes, wild, aquatic, typically freshwater birds including ducks, geese, and screamers. In Great Britain the term is also used to designate species kept for ornamental purposes on private lakes or ponds, while in North America it is used for quarry species and is sometimes extended to refer to wading birds of the order Charadriiformes, such as plovers and sandpipers, as well as to other edible water birds., pheasant, quail, doves and wildlife. The wetlands also play an important role in water quality management, and in helping to prevent and contain flooding. Originally stretching more than 9,000 surface acres, this chain of 52 wetlands was seriously degraded through ditching, beginning around 1910. Prior to any restoration activity, fewer than 10 of the natural wetlands remained. The KDWP began restoration of the McPherson wetlands in 1987. By purchasing lands from willing sellers, DU and KDWP have expanded the wetland base to 4,010 acres. Working closely with other conservation partners and area landowners, the ADM grant will enable DU and KDWP to pursue various restoration activities, including the maintenance and enhancement of existing wildlife habitat; the purchase of additional acreage from willing sellers; the replacement of antiquated equipment; the construction of roads allowing better access to the wetlands for hunters, naturalists and other visitors; the maintenance of dikes, ditches and water control structures; and the seeding of non-wetland acres with prairie grasses and other plants native to the region. |
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