California Waterfowl will once again be advertising youth hunting opportunities on our website for the post-season youth waterfowl hunts.  If your club has any hunting opportunities available for February 4th and 5th, 2012, please consider advertising them through CWA.  California Waterfowl will promote these opportunities and offer your club FREE insurance for participating.  These hunts are a great way to get today's youth involved in the traditions and lifestyles we all cherish so much.

To get your club involved in the Post Season Youth Hunts, call George Oberstadt at (916) 275-0961 or email george_oberstadt@calwaterfowl.org.

California Waterfowl, America's largest state waterfowl and wetlands conservation organization, announced today that Mark Hennelly has been named as the new Vice President of Legislative Affairs and Public Policy.

Effective February 6, 2012, Hennelly will take over as the organization's lead person dealing with legislative and public policy challenges and opportunities that affect the conservation of our waterfowl, wetland, and hunting heritage resources.

"I am very excited that Mark is joining our team here at California Waterfowl," commented John Carlson, Jr., President of California Waterfowl. "His legislative and public policy experience will enhance our capabilities to carry out our mission: the conservation, protection, and enhancement of California's waterfowl resources, wetlands, and associated hunting heritage."

Hennelly is leaving his position as Vice President of California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA) where he spent the last six years promoting wildlife conservation and the preservation of our outdoor heritage.

Over the past several years, Hennelly has helped write and pass state legislation to protect conservation easements on private land from urban growth, encourage private landowners to open their properties to hunting and other wildlife-dependent recreational activities, and ensure that state waterfowl-dedicated monies are used as effectively and efficiently as possible on state-managed wetland areas.

Private landowners interested in enhancing, restoring or protecting their wetlands with the Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) should get their applications in soon. The deadline for 2012 WRP funding is February 15th.

WRP is a voluntary program that provides farmers, ranchers and other private landowners compensation for land placed in conservation easements, and cost-share funding for restoring and enhancing wetlands.

For more information and an application, go to http://www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp/index.html

California Duck Days, the annual northern California wetlands festival, will be held from 8am to 5pm on Saturday, February 25th at the Department of Fish and Game's Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area Headquarters in south Davis. This family-oriented event is organized by Yolo Basin Foundation, California Waterfowl, City of Davis and Yolo Audubon.

There will be 13 field trips to sites around the region, including Central Valley Raptors, Rice Farming First Hand and East Delta Birding. There will also be workshops throughout the day, interactive displays, and the popular kid's fishing activity.

For more information and to register for the event, go to http://www.yolobasin.org/DuckDays2012.cfm

March is the perfect month to plant your fall dove food plots for fall dove hunting. California Waterfowl has safflower seed for sale to help you get started.  The seed is perfect for wildlife food plots and is for sale for $0.50 per pound, or $25 for a 50lb sack of treated seed.  Take advantage of spring rains to grow a healthy plot of safflower for next year's dove flight! Typically, seed can be planted at a rate of 25-50lbs per acre.  Support CWA by purchasing your seed from us, call today to arrange delivery or pickup of seed, 916-648-1406, Ext. 100.