Ducks Unlimited (DU) recently announced the recipients of its 2026 Wetland Conservation Achievement Awards, honoring individuals and groups whose work has significantly advanced wetland and waterfowl conservation across North America.
The California Rice Commission (CRC) is a deserving recipient of the 2026 Wetland Conservation Achievement Award in recognition of its extraordinary and enduring contributions to wetland conservation, waterfowl habitat, and the sustainability of working rice landscapes in California. For more than three decades, winterflooded rice fields in the Sacramento Valley have functioned as surrogate wetlands, providing essential habitat for millions of migratory waterfowl along the Pacific Flyway at a time when more than 90 percent of California’s historic wetlands have been lost. Today, California rice supplies roughly half of the state’s waterfowl food resources, making rice conservation a top priority for waterfowl conservation in the West. Ducks Unlimited’s partnership with CRC dates to the late 1990s and stands as one of the most successful working lands conservation collaborations in the country. Through decades of leadership and proactive engagement, CRC has aligned agricultural viability with science based, landscape-scale conservation that delivers measurable benefits for wildlife. In the face of climate change, water scarcity, and landuse pressures, CRC has continued to lead—most notably through the development of A Conservation Footprint for California Rice. This landmark, science driven framework defines how much rice must remain on the landscape, where it matters most, and which practices provide the greatest ecological benefit. Through voluntary conservation easements, partnerships with Ducks Unlimited and UC Davis, and continual refinement of rice management practices, CRC has helped define California rice as an “environmental crop” and positioned rice country as one of the most essential working wetland systems in North America.
The CRC is proud to work alongside DU in conservation efforts in the Sacramento Valley and appreciates the recognition. To read more about the 2026 Wetland Conservation Achievement Awards click here.
For details on the Rice Footprint click here.
For more information, contact the CRC’s Communications Manager Katie Cahill at kcahill@calrice.org.
