ATLANTA – From the Grand Canyon to the vast wilderness of Denali National Park, the United States and Canada have no shortage of breathtaking landscapes.
For Jim Kennedy, former chairman of Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises and current chairman of the James M. Cox Foundation, a vast, little-known area in the heart of both countries rivals the best of them: the Prairie Pothole region.
But like so many other wilderness areas on Earth, this important habitat is under threat, primarily from human activities. Kennedy, who has championed a variety of conservation projects over the years, now hopes that a generous new donation can help restore and preserve the ecosystem for future generations.
In May, Cox Enterprises donated $100 million to Ducks Unlimited, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting wetlands and waterfowl. The donation is the largest single donation to Ducks Unlimited in the organization’s nearly 90-year history.
Alex Taylor, chairman and CEO of Cox, announced the donation at Ducks Unlimited’s annual meeting in May. It was made in Kennedy’s name and will go to Wetlands America Trust, which is managed by Ducks Unlimited and works to protect North America’s prairies. In addition to emphasizing Cox’s focus on biodiversity, Taylor said the donation was a tribute to Kennedy’s 50 years of dedication and volunteer work with the organization.
“This has been at the heart of Jim’s life for as long as I can remember,” Taylor said. “There is no more fitting way to pay tribute to someone who has taken our family business to new heights for 30 years than to support the protection of the prairie smelting pots, an American treasure that means a great deal to him.”
Cox Enterprises is one of the largest private companies in the country and the parent company of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cox has also been a major supporter of Ducks Unlimited for years, and the family foundation has supported numerous other environmental organizations.
About the size of Texas, the Prairie Pothole Region is a network of wetlands that stretches across parts of the Dakotas, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana and southern Canada. The area’s signature “potholes” – shallow lakes, seasonal ponds and swamps – were formed when glaciers retreated from the area about 10,000 years ago.
Today, the landscape still serves as an important breeding and feeding ground for several duck species, including mallards, gadwalls, blue-winged teal, and pintails. Dozens of other birds, including the critically endangered whooping crane, thought to have only 536 individuals left, also rely on the potholes for migration. Several of these species migrate south, and some of them can be found in Georgia.
The wetland plants found throughout the region also help filter water and protect surrounding communities from flooding.
Viewed from the ground, the potholes look like individual ponds. From the air, the ecosystem they are part of becomes clearer, Kennedy said in an interview.
“When you fly over it, it looks like these little pearls that you can see when the sun is right,” said Kennedy, who has volunteered with Ducks Unlimited for more than 50 years. “It’s a wonderful area and a great nursery for all kinds of animals.”
But like many other wetlands, the Prairie Pothole region is under serious threat. About 90% of the landscape is privately owned by ranchers, farmers and other landowners. Over the centuries, many of the lakes and ponds have been filled in or drained to allow for agriculture and development.
Adam Putnam, CEO of Ducks Unlimited, said the money will have a “transformative” impact on the organization’s conservation and restoration efforts.
Ducks Unlimited’s roots go back to the Dust Bowl era. The organization, as it is now known, was founded in 1937 by hunters who feared what the devastating drought would do to waterfowl populations. Much of its mission focuses on wetland and habitat protection and wildlife management. The group supports sustainable hunting and says the majority of its members are hunters.
Putnam said Cox’s $100 million donation “goes directly to the prairies, where its impact on our communities can be strongest.”
The funding will increase the organization’s conservation efforts by 25% over the next few years, Putnam said, with the goal of protecting more than 100,000 acres of remaining grasslands and wetlands.
The group said it plans to focus on protecting wetlands in North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana, as well as the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Putnam said the potholes in those areas are the most productive breeding grounds for waterfowl and other birds, but are also under the most pressure to convert them to farmland.
To keep these areas wild, Ducks Unlimited says it is seeking long-term voluntary agreements with farmers and ranchers. The group offers farmers one-time payments if the landowner places their property in a conservation easement that permanently protects the wetlands and grasslands on the property.
According to Putnam, successful agreements protect important wetlands from destruction while providing participating farmers with an influx of capital and the opportunity to maintain “ecologically and economically sustainable operations.”
Kennedy, an avid duck hunting fan, said he feels fortunate to have the opportunity to work to protect the ecosystem and animals he cares about.
“It’s like supporting an opera or a symphony orchestra,” Kennedy said. “The really big supporters do it … because they’re passionate about it, and I have that passion for the environment and for waterfowl.”
