Heart of the Flyway
This is California Waterfowl’s most ambitious campaign to protect waterfowl hunting and conservation in California.
For generations, California’s wetlands have been the heart of the Pacific Flyway—sustaining millions of migratory birds, supporting hunting traditions, and connecting people to the outdoors.
Today, that heart needs your help.Wetland Habitat
Restore and protect 130,000 acres of wetland habitat.
Duck Production
Produce 230,000 ducks through nesting and egg salvage programs.
Restore Klamath
Create dependable habitat for waterfowl in Klamath.
Waterfowl Science
Advance science that improves conservation and policy.
Pacific Flyway Center
Open the Center to the public to inspire future conservationists.
Conservation Advocacy
Secure greater investment in wetlands, science, and public lands.
Hunting Advocacy
Defend the right to hunt at all levels of government.
Hunting & Education
Create 24,000 hunting opportunities through education and access.
Expand CWA Lands
Increase landholdings to 6,500 acres for habitat and access.
conservation mission. hunting tradition.™
California has always been the heart of the Pacific Flyway. Every year, millions of waterfowl depend on the state’s wetlands, working lands, and wildlife areas as they migrate along one of North America’s most important flyways.
But the future of waterfowl and hunting in California is not guaranteed. Habitat loss, water uncertainty, and increasing pressure on public lands threaten the landscapes and traditions that generations of hunters have worked to conserve.
Heart of the Flyway is California Waterfowl’s most ambitious campaign ever—a bold investment in wetlands, waterfowl, and hunting opportunity. Through nine strategic initiatives, we will strengthen the ecological foundation of the Pacific Flyway while creating more opportunities for current and future generations of hunters.
California Waterfowl will achieve the following by 2030:
Conservation Mission
- Restore, enhance, protect and manage 130,000 wetland acres, including brood rearing and nesting habitat, plus acres enrolled in waterfowl-friendly agriculture programs.
- Produce 230,000 local ducks via wood duck boxes and egg salvage programs.
- Restore the Klamath Refuges as the heart of the Pacific Flyway with a long-term solution for consistently flooded habitat.
- Establish an endowed waterfowl science program partnering with educational institutions on research, extension, and education.
- Open and endow the Pacific Flyway Center "Walk in the Marsh" to engage the public and inspire the next generation of conservationists.
- Through advocacy, push for higher investment in waterfowl science, wetland habitat, and public lands including state wildlife areas and national wildlife refuges.
Hunting Tradition
- Through advocacy, protect the right to hunt in California.
- Expand the First Flight youth education programs and grow the hunt program to provide 24,000 hunting opportunities.
- Invest in existing CWA properties and expand landholdings to 6,500 acres — enabling more hunts, education, research, and high-quality waterfowl habitat.
For generations, hunters have helped make California one of the most important places for waterfowl in North America. Now it is our turn to build on that legacy.
The challenges facing the Pacific Flyway are significant, but so is the opportunity. By investing in habitat, science, education, advocacy, and access, we can shape the future of conservation and hunting for decades to come.
Together, we can ensure that California remains not only the heart of the Pacific Flyway — but a model for how conservation and hunting can succeed together.
