Coastal Cat 1 WMAs suffered several years of flooding through breeches of dikes since 2015. Each flood required money and much effort to remedy. Repairs are expensive and laborious. Other inland Cat 1 properties have flooding issues and crop failures.
For years, concerned landowners and public hunters have complained, especially in Georgetown. They have seen duck world in a death spiral resulting in ever declining harvest results on most Cat 1s. I believe the cause of the decline is a combination of valid reasons and unsubstantiated excuses.
It appeard DNR had given up on repairing and managing of Samworth while letting nature run its course. Unfortunately, lack of management resulted unmanaged habitat lost completely taken over by giant cutgrass called white marsh. That meant no food, no ducks and no lottery hunts.
Why are the private impoundments still having success? Fast repairs to a breech is critical to prevent the expansion and to preserve management the fields. Private managers immediately begin to make repairs. This preserves the ability to manage the fields and saves the next hunting season.
DNR takes too long to repair. They rely on a slow funding and procurement process instead of an urgent repair performed by existing staff and equipment. They have no emergency reserve funds and are not self-reliant enough to get it done. They have not made Cat 1s a priority. This has resulted in a snowball effect on several WMAs causing a region nearly wide collapse of DNR managed properties.
Public outcry led to legislative action. I convened a special budgetary hearing to address the problem. DNR Deputy Director Emily Coates testified they needed 29 million to address the dike problems and statewide infrastructure needs.
The legislature, Ducks Unlimited, and national grants have and continue to pour resources to DNR to fix the problems. Much progress was made with dikes but the inability to annually manage the fields led to a complete takeover of cutgrass. DNR is struggling to resume moist soil management because of years of neglect.
Underpaid technical staff are working hard and have some success. I don't believe they are the problem.
Management requires constant observation, timely implementation of plans, and leadership. Success requires a combination burning, spraying, discing, ditching, roto-tilling, and water level management. That is particularly difficult on islands that require barging of equipment and fuel. It takes time to reverse the problems created by negligence. The locals are furious at DNR. I admit, I am impatient. Staff appears to be working when I schedule a visit but I also go when unscheduled by boat and do not see consistent effort. Someone must held be accountable.
The chain of command is the Governor, who appoints the Board, Senate confirms, Board who appoints the Director, the Director, Robert Boyles hires the deputy director Emily Coates, Emily hires the statewide biologist, regional managers, and Cat 1 managers and technicians. The Legislature funds. Someone or several in this bureaucracy are not getting it done.
The legislature has exceeded funding requests. I passed a law creating extra annual funding, creation of a statewide waterfowl manager position, and an advisory committee led by former DNR waterfowl biologist, Bob Perry. He has managed Samworth and Delta West during better times. His experience along with the other volunteers on the committee generate an annual report to the legislature on Cat 1s. He contends they have not yet had enough time to reverse the habitat and acknowledges many repairs with. the dikes.
On several occasions I have urged you to get involved and express your opinions.
What is success? To me, restoring and maintaining 90% of habitat in each manageable impoundment. Ultimately, hunters will judge success by the number of birds in the bag.
Everyone must be judged by results, not just effort.
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Originally Posted by Tranquility
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