Introducing Delta’s New Chairman of the Board - Donald J. Douglas

It is indeed an honor to speak to you, the thousands of Delta supporters, for the first time as the incoming Chair of Delta Waterfowl’s Board of Directors. 

These are an exciting times at Delta.  Our celebrated research program is more vibrant than ever, our Delta Duck Production Program is expanding and our efforts to establish Alternate Land Use Services (ALUS), a CRP-type program for Canada, are exceeding our wildest expectations.

These advances were made possible by the support of our members, contributors and a growing legion of volunteers helping to generate dollars for Delta’s important programs.

You are truly helping make an important difference for ducks.

Like most of you, I developed my passion for waterfowl and waterfowl hunting at an early age.  As a youngster, I hunted at every opportunity in the sloughs north of Strathmore east of Calgary, where I grew up.  We hunted every evening after school and all day on Saturday.

Those hunts not only provided many fond memories, but also instilled in me an early appreciation for the pressures breeding ducks face in the Prairie Pothole Region.

I witnessed the magical flights of the 1970s, but have also have seen the sharp decline of pintail and scaup.  I witnessed the securing of critical habitat, but also have watched the decline in the prairie’s ability to produce the large fall flights we all desire.

I’ve seen remarkable advancements in the science of duck biology, but at times have been frustrated by management’s willingness to follow the science.

I have also witnessed the dramatic decline in the number of Canadian waterfowl hunters.  Although I am lucky enough to live in western Canada, where rural lifestyles still rule, the pressures on citizen gun ownership and a host of other factors are making duck hunting in Canada a dying culture.

It is for all these reasons that I proudly accepted the chairman’s position at Delta. I believe that through its diverse programs, Delta is uniquely positioned to address the threats to prairie ducks and to duck hunting, and thanks to the exciting new developments at Delta the future is even brighter.

I look forward to sharing my perspectives on ducks and duck hunting in coming issues of Delta Waterfowl Magazine.  We’ll discuss Delta’s innovative programs and unique vision for providing solutions to the challenges facing waterfowl. 

We have a lot of work to do, and I sincerely thank our members for their generous contributions, their time and energy, and for their passion.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to pass along my appreciation to my predecessor, Dr. Thomas P. Hutchens, for a job well done during his tenure as chairman of the board.  

Hutch is about as ardent a wildfowler as I’ve ever met, and his passion came through in every chairman’s message he wrote. 

I’m looking forward to working with all of your toward a better future for waterfowl and waterfowling.

Donald J. Douglas

Chairman, DWF