American duck hunters and major waterfowl conservation organizations, including Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl, have voiced strong opposition to a Trump administration review that could affect protections for key duck breeding grounds in the Prairie Pothole Region.

On July 24, the Fish and Wildlife Service initiated a 14-day public review of a 2024 rule that regulates how close farmers can install underground drainage pipes, known as “drain tile,” near federally protected prairie wetlands. While the administration has not proposed changes, it is assessing whether the current protections are effective or need revision.

Hunting groups have mobilized waterfowlers nationwide to submit feedback, resulting in over 10,000 public comments by early August. Parker Williams, communications director at Ducks Unlimited, said hunters were speaking with “one voice” in support of maintaining the existing protections. The issue was also a major topic at Ducks Unlimited’s annual expo in Memphis, according to Outdoor Life.

The Fish and Wildlife Service highlights the Prairie Pothole Region as providing habitat for more than 60 percent of North America’s breeding waterfowl and producing between 50 to 75 percent of several major duck populations, including mallards, pintails, canvasbacks, and blue-winged teal. Since 1958, proceeds from the Duck Stamp program have helped protect these wetlands through conservation easements with willing landowners.

However, some landowners have raised concerns. In a recent Washington Post op-ed, Peterson claimed that Fish and Wildlife had “expanded the regulated farmland to include 40 percent of my property, covering areas that were not a part of the original [easement] agreement.”

The review reflects ongoing debates over balancing agricultural interests and wildlife conservation in critical habitats.

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