Regional Conservation Initiatives
Throughout the country, the Izaak Walton League is restoring watersheds, reducing air pollution, protecting wildlife habitat and open spaces, and instilling conservation ethics in outdoor recreationists. Several regions pose special challanges in conserving fish, wildlife, and their habitats.
Boundary
Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
At 1.1 million acres in size,
the Boundary Waters is the largest wilderness
east of the Rockies and north of Florida’s
Everglades. Wildly popular, the BWCAW is the
most heavily visited area in the entire
national wilderness system. Protecting this
area has been a priority for the League since
the 1920s. In fact, the Izaak Walton League is
the only conservation organization that has
fought every battle since the 1920s to protect
this beautiful and popular area.
Chesapeake
Bay
Increasing amounts of
excess nutrients, sediment, and toxic
substances are causing serious ecological
problems in the Chesapeake Bay. Studies show
alarming declines in species of fish and
wildlife and in the habitat available to them.
In spite of cleanup efforts, the health of the
Chesapeake Bay remains very poor. The League is
working to protect and restore this national
treasure through citizen engagement and
advocacy for strong pollution reduction and
restoration strategies
Great
Lakes
The League educates and
advocates for restoration of our beautiful
Great Lakes. Our current focus is stopping
aquatic invasive species. Learn more about how
you can help us protect and restore this
national treasure
Missouri
River
The
League has established an initiative dedicated
to promoting conservation of the Missouri River
resources and watershed within the tri-state
region of Iowa, Nebraska, and South
Dakota.
Upper
Mississipi
River
The Upper
Mississippi River Basin (UMRB) has been a focal
point of League efforts since our founding in
1922. From driving the creation of the Upper
Mississippi River Fish and Wildlife Refuge in
1924 to the establishment in 1984 of a
permanent UMRB office charged with river
protection and agricultural conservation, the
course plotted by the League has followed the
great river.