U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), a member of the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, has led a group of senators from Mississippi Flyway states in urging the U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to continue investing in conservation easements within the National Wildlife Refuge System. The request comes after a USFWS Waterfowl Population Status Report estimated 34 million breeding ducks, which is below the long-term average and historic highs.
The lawmakers addressed their concerns to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, highlighting that duck hunters contribute over $300 million annually to Arkansas’s economy and that waterfowl hunting generates about $4 billion nationwide, supporting nearly 57,000 jobs. They warned that continued declines in breeding numbers could negatively affect rural economies, particularly in Arkansas and 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,” they continued.
Other signatories on Boozman’s letter include 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 been active on issues related to waterfowl recreation and habitat conservation. He supported legislation such as the Duck Stamp Modernization Act, which allows for a permanent electronic duck stamp during hunting seasons.
The letter notes that if current conditions persist, hunters may face shorter seasons and reduced limits, affecting opportunities for hunting as well as rural economies across several states along the Mississippi Flyway. It also points out that even during lower population years like 2022, Arkansas duck hunters contributed significantly to local economic activity.
According to historical data referenced by Boozman and his colleagues, duck populations can recover when droughts end and key habitats are preserved through stewardship efforts within systems like fee-titled lands or conservation easements—central elements under review by USFWS per Director’s Order No. 230.
Since 1934, revenues from Duck Stamps purchased by hunters have conserved more than six million acres nationally—including over 1.7 million acres protected by USFWS easements in regions vital for breeding ducks.
“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.”
Senator Boozman maintains district offices throughout Arkansas communities to assist constituents (official website). He holds positions on several Senate committees including Appropriations; Veterans’ Affairs; Environment and Public Works; Rules and Administration (official website). In addition to his legislative work on wildlife issues, he has helped enact provisions expanding care for women veterans and modernizing GI Bill benefits (official website). Boozman lives with his family in Rogers, Arkansas (official website).
