Dunklin Represents DU during Meeting with President Bush

Ducks Unlimited President George Dunklin Jr. recently joined other conservation leaders for a meeting with President George H. W. Bush to commemorate his lifelong commitment to conservation. The group – led by Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris – met with President Bush in Kennebunkport, Maine, and enjoyed a day of fishing.

“It was an amazing trip, and not one that I will soon forget,” Dunklin said. “During his time in office President Bush did so much for conservation, and wetlands in particular. To be able to thank him personally as the president of DU and an avid duck hunter was truly an honor.”

While in office, Bush signed the North American Wetlands Conservation Act into law in 1989, established 56 new national wildlife refuges, restored 3 million acres of wetlands, protected 17.8 million acres of public lands and signed the Clean Air Act reauthorization requiring cleaner burning fuels.

During the meeting, Dunklin presented President Bush with a framed print and a letter from DU CEO Dale Hall.

“Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend the meeting, but I certainly wanted President Bush to know how appreciative DU is for the legislation he signed into law 25 years ago,” Hall said. “With one stroke of a pen, President Bush did more for waterfowl and wetlands conservation than his predecessors had in the previous decades. He is a true advocate for conservation, and established the first policy goal of ‘no net loss of wetlands.’ Duck hunters and conservationists across the nation owe President Bush a debt of gratitude, and I was honored to be able to send him a personal letter of thanks.”

Also in attendance during the meeting were Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; Matt Connolly, President of the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust; Michael Nussman CEO of the American Sportfishing Association; Tom Bradbury, executive director of the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust and Ken Raynor, golf professional, avid angler and close friend of President Bush.

Ducks Unlimited

Ducks Unlimited is the world's leader in wetlands and waterfowl conservation. DU got its start in 1937 during the Dust Bowl when North America’s drought-plagued waterfowl populations had plunged to unprecedented lows. Determined not to sit idly by as the continent’s waterfowl dwindled beyond recovery, a small group of sportsmen joined together to form an organization that became known as Ducks Unlimited. Its mission: habitat conservation. Thanks to decades of abiding by that single mission, Ducks Unlimited is now the world’s largest and most effective private waterfowl and wetlands conservation organization. DU is able to multilaterally deliver its work through a series of partnerships with private individuals, landowners, agencies, scientific communities and other entities.