USFWS Wetland Easements, Duck Hunters in Sacramento, and Regulatory Meetings in Canada
Delta’s Policy Team has been on the road meeting with members and volunteers to advocate for duck hunters across the continent
United States
Delta Responds to Prairie Pothole Region Challenges
In late July, United States Fish and Wildlife Service published a Request for Information on a 2024 rule regarding the calculation of drainage tile setback regulations on wetland easements. Immediately, Delta’s Policy Team began reaching out to lawmakers, USFWS officials, donors, members, and conservation partners to ensure the voices of duck hunters were heard in regard to the importance of this legacy asset.
Delta’s response was clear: these easements are the legacy asset of generations of duck hunters, and duck hunters deserve a seat at the table when any changes are discussed. These efforts were not solely the result of work from the organization’s Policy Team. Every corner of the organization played a role in ensuring this advocacy campaign was executed swiftly and with precision to provide the maximum impact.
You can read more about these efforts here.
VPA-HIP
Earlier this month, Natural Resources Conservation Service announced its 2026 Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program project selections. VPA-HIP is a critical program for duck hunters, creating incentives for public hunting access and habitat improvement on private lands. Delta has long been a supporter of VPA-HIP and continues to advocate for increased hunting opportunities and better habitat.
You can read more about VPA-HIP here.
California
Annual ‘Duck Hunters Day’ at the Capitol
Delta Waterfowl members from chapters throughout California traveled to Sacramento to meet with state legislators on Aug. 4. Joining Delta members were Christopher Hoon, Delta’s senior manager of government affairs for the Pacific Flyway, and Frank Andrade, Delta’s regional director for California. The Delta Team met with a bipartisan group of assembly members and senators from districts throughout California, and members discussed priority legislation affecting duck hunters and the importance of waterfowl conservation. Delta members directly participated in democracy, speaking with the lawmakers who make decisions on their behalf.
Delta thanks all of our members who came to show their support at the annual ‘Duck Hunters Day’ at the Capitol. Delta will hold the same event next year and strongly encourages the attendance of all California Delta members who want to make their voices heard and impact the future of waterfowl conservation.
Colorado
Constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish
The Colorado Secretary of State’s office announced on Aug. 20 that proponents of Proposed Initiative #302 — ‘Constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish’ — had submitted more than the required number of signatures and it will appear on the Nov. 3 General Election ballot.
Delta’s Policy Team, as well as our partners, have been advocating for the constitutional right to hunt and fish in Colorado. The proposed ballot initiative would amend the Colorado Constitution to establish the right of people to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife. It would recognize hunting and fishing as preferred methods for responsibly managing wildlife populations while preserving Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s authority to regulate seasons, licenses, bag limits, and other wildlife-management measures based on sound science, public safety, and conservation needs.
On July 8, 2026, supporters submitted 184,097 signatures in an effort to place the measure on the Colorado ballot for the November 2026 election. More than 124,000 valid signatures are required for the measure to qualify for the ballot, and 145,299 signatures were validated.
In November, the initiative will need to receive at least 55% of the vote to pass as a constitutional amendment. If you would like to make your voice heard on this issue, please join us and our partners in signing onto the Protect Wild Colorado petition in support.
Tennessee
Memphis Chapter Waterfowl Heritage Fund Project
Jeff Wardlaw, Delta’s senior manager of government affairs for the Mississippi and Central Flyways, organized and convened a meeting between the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Delta Waterfowl Memphis Chapter to discuss potential habitat projects in the Memphis area that could be supported with the chapter's Waterfowl Heritage Funds — a portion of the net proceeds that Delta chapters keep from their fundraising banquets to reinvest in local projects.
The group identified a strong candidate project on the Fig Field Unit at the John Tully Wildlife Management Area, a pipeline to move water directly from the wells to the field. The new pipeline will reduce seepage loss and allow water to reach the field roughly two days earlier, a meaningful improvement for timely flooding ahead of the season. The chapter voted to move the project forward at an estimated cost of $15,000. The improvement is expected to be in place ahead of this year's duck season.
Kentucky
Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Reception at Southern Legislative Conference
Delta Waterfowl sponsored the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation reception held at the Southern Legislative Conference. As president of the National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses, Jeff Wardlaw addressed the assembled legislators to underscore the importance of their participation at the upcoming NASC Sportsman-Legislator Summit in Oklahoma City in December. The reception also provided valuable time to reconnect with legislators and strengthen relationships.
Texas
Coastal Landowner Engagement
Delta’s Jeff Wardlaw met with several large landowners along the coast just south of Anahuac, Texas, east of Houston. These landowners voiced significant concerns about saltwater intrusion along the coast and the ongoing maintenance of the Texas Chenier Plains National Wildlife Refuge Complex. During the discussion, Wardlaw discussed Delta’s work on tracking these coastal concerns and is actively lobbying and working to help where able. He also provided an update on the Texas State Committee of Delta Waterfowl’s partnership with Texas Parks and Wildlife to improve the refuges, including replacing small water-control structures and assisting the department with capital investments such as equipment. The landowners were very encouraged to learn the committee is engaged in this work.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Hatchery Meeting
Delta’s Jeff Wardlaw attended a meeting at the Texas Parks and Wildlife hatchery in San Marcos, Texas. The Texas State Committee of Delta Waterfowl, joined by regional directors Ryan Watson and Jacob Smith, met with the department to review projects and the department's funding cycle. Following the discussion, Delta’s State Committee voted to fund three projects: A limb saw for the front-end loader to clear out access points for duck hunters, a gator pump, which is a PTO-driven pump that can be deployed across multiple refuges in Northeast Texas, and a water-control structure for the Anahuac area.
Canada
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Environment and Climate Change Canada recently announced the launch of the 2026 Migratory Game Bird Permit, including the 2026 Canadian Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp.
The MGBH Permit is available in a physical (paper) or electronic format (e-permit). Physical permits may be phased out as early as the 2027–2028 hunting season. Through the new Regulatory Services Platform, electronic permits (with electronic image of the stamp included) will continue to be available for purchase 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from Aug. 1 of each year to June 30 of the following year.
The RSP is a secure online system designed to provide digital services to Canadians. The new platform also introduced new features including the ability to purchase a permit using any major credit card, including Visa Debit and Debit Mastercard, the ability to access your user dashboard to view permit applications, order history, and download your permits, and the ability to save a permit application and continue later.
Migratory Game Bird Technical Committee Meetings
The Fall Migratory Game Bird Technical Committee Meetings have now been scheduled. Delta’s Policy Team will be attending the Ontario Waterfowl Advisory Committee meeting on Sept.10, and traveling to Sackville, New Brunswick, to attend the Atlantic Migratory Game Bird Technical Committee Meetings on Oct. 20.
Now that Environment and Climate Change Canada uses a two-year regulatory cycle for migratory game bird hunting regulations, the first couple of meetings will be used to initiate discussions on our next round of proposals for the 2028/29 and 2029/30 hunting seasons.
Do you want to stay involved with issues that are threatening the future of waterfowl hunting? Make your voice heard by registering for Delta Waterfowl's Duck Hunters Action Alert System. Delta Waterfowl's policy team will send you emails and alerts when issues that impact you arise and provide you with the tools and resources to engage with lawmakers.