Date: August 16, 1996
Contact: Julie C. Andrews

Chaney Enterprises Confirms its Commitment To the Environment Through their Support And Promotion of Ducks Unlimited

Waldorf, Maryland— Chaney Enterprises, a family owned and operated Total Quality Leadership business, which was founded in 1962, is the leading supplier of Concrete, Sand, Gravel, and Concrete Block in Southern Maryland. Commensurate with Chaney Enterprises commitment to be the best in their business is their commitment to the communities in which their employees live and work. This commitment is evident in one of their seven corporate goals, which is "To Be Good Neighbors By Demonstrating Community Involvement." Chaney Enterprises strives to be a welcome neighbor in their communities, and this commitment can be found in their efforts to add quality to life in the communities in which they live and work. It is this commitment and dedication that brought Chaney Enterprises and Ducks Unlimited together.

Ducks Unlimited (DU), a non-profit organization, is the leader in wetlands conservation. Ducks Unlimited has contributed to the conservation of over seven million acres of wetlands across the North American continent. The mission of DU is to fulfill the annual life cycle needs of North American waterfowl by protecting, enhancing, restoring and managing important wetlands and associated uplands. Ducks Unlimited truly is a grassroots, volunteer based organization. Its members are conservationists and lovers of the outdoors who live throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

It all started over half a century ago during the Dust Bowl of the 1930's, when a group of sportsmen banded together to form an organization that would become known as Ducks Unlimited. North Americas draught-plagued waterfowl populations had plunged to unprecedented lows, and the founders of DU decided to do something about it. They incorporated the fledgling conservation group in 1937, and within a year, 6,720 supporters had raised $90,000.00.

Ducks Unlimited is recognized as the world’s largest private waterfowl and wetlands conservation organization. DU's membership stands at over half a million people and its conservation projects are found throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico - wherever waterfowl breed, migrate or winter. Dozens of species of ducks, geese and swans rely on this critically needed habitat year round.

Ducks Unlimited has also been instrumental in implementing the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP). The NAWMP is an international agreement among the United States, Canada and Mexico that established goals for rebuilding North Americas waterfowl population to levels of the 1970's - a breeding population of 62 million and a fall flight of 100 million.

Waterfowl are not the only beneficiaries of DU's habitat conservation work. More than 600 species of wildlife live on DU's project sites including several that are endangered - the whooping crane, bald eagle, peregrine falcon, and piping plover. In fact, wetlands are one of natures most valuable and productive ecological systems. They are central to the overall health of our environment by recharging groundwater supplies, purifying polluted water, controlling floods and providing recreational opportunities for all of us.