KAIT-TV Jonesboro, Ark.
Arkansas senator expresses concern for declining duck populations
By K8 Newsdesk
JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - Sen. John Boozman and other lawmakers are calling on the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to continue supporting conservation efforts to recover duck populations in Mississippi Flyway states.
Boozman, R-Ark., a Migratory Bird Conservation Commission member, expressed concern over a federal report estimating the breeding duck population at 34 million, below the long-term average and well below historic highs.
The lawmakers want the federal agencies to continue supporting conservation easement investments in the National Wildlife Refuge System to aid the long-term recovery of the duck populations.
Duck hunters contribute more than $300 million to Arkansas’ economy annually. Waterfowl hunting generates about $4 billion in economic activity and supports 57,000 jobs nationwide.
“[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 1 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 lawmakers said.
“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.
Senators Tom Cotton, Bill Cassidy, Roger Wicker, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Marsha Blackburn and John Kennedy also signed the letter.
The text of Boozman’s letter is included 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 6 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.