Ducks Unlimited Wins $9 Million Wetlands Grant
A $3 million grant will conserve about 17,846 acres of North Dakota grasslands and wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Hunting
Ducks Unlimited was awarded $9 million through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act to advance three major conservation projects across the Great Plains Region. Among them, a $3 million grant funds the Missouri Coteau Working Wetlands Project Phase V in North Dakota.
Why it matters
The project protects temporary and seasonal wetlands and adjacent native prairie on agricultural lands, sustaining habitat for wetland-dependent wildlife. The partnership model pairs federal funding with matching contributions from private and foundation partners.
The $3 million grant is paired with more than $6.07 million in matching funds, supporting about 17,846 acres of grasslands and wetlands on agricultural land in North Dakota's Prairie Pothole Region. How the acreage will be measured after conservation was not detailed in the source.
The players
Ducks Unlimited
A nonprofit waterfowl and wetlands conservation organization that works to protect habitat across North America.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
The federal agency responsible for conserving fish, wildlife, and plant habitats across the United States, and a partner in the project.
North Dakota Natural Resources Trust
A North Dakota organization that funds natural resource conservation projects, and a partner in the project.
The details
The $9 million award advances three projects across the Great Plains Region, with the North Dakota portion funding the Missouri Coteau Working Wetlands Project Phase V. Partners include the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust, and other foundations and private contributors.
Timeline
November 2, 2026: Article announcing the $9 million NAWCA award was published.
Culture Shift
The award follows the North American Wetlands Conservation Act's model of pairing federal grants with matching private and foundation dollars for habitat restoration on working agricultural lands. This partnership approach to prairie and wetland protection has been a central feature of the Act's conservation grants since its creation.
Hunters and outdoor users in North Dakota may see more protected wetland and grassland habitat as the Missouri Coteau project advances. The stub does not indicate changes to hunting access or seasons.
The takeaway
Partnership-funded habitat projects like this one rely on federal grants matched by private and foundation dollars to protect wetlands on working agricultural land. Readers interested in waterfowl habitat can follow how these matched projects progress across the Prairie Pothole Region.
Further reading
Explore more on Hunting in North Dakota to see how wetland habitat supports waterfowl across the state.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Minot Daily News.
