Reducing Fish En~rainman/and Restoring Delta Tidal Perennial Aquatic Habitat at theCosunmes River Preserve

Project ~tle: R~¢elng Fish Entralnmant and Restoring Delta Tidal Perennial Aauatic Habitat at theCosunmes River Preserve

Applicant: Ducl~ Unlimited Inc., Western Regional Office3074 C~old Canal Dr., Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

t~jeet D~scriptlon: Four sloughs on the Cosumnes River Preserve (Preserve) receive dailyfreshwater tides and are important habitat for native Delta fish Most of the agricultural irrigationwater for the Preserve is diverted at 3 unscreened points including Wood Duck Slough which isdammed at its confluence to provide water to approximately one-half of the Preserve’s farmingprogram and two private farms. We are requesting $880,000 from CALFED to: I) conduct a fishscreen feasibility study to better document if and when fish entrainment is a problem at the Preserve’smain agricolture diversion, and design a fish screen for this diversion 2) screen the Preserve’sagriculture diversion 3) restore 1/9 mile~,~ttic ~d duded ri~ liaiSOn WoodDuck slough by relocating the existing pumping station and removing the earthen dam, thuseormolidating the diversions for the Pseserve’s farming program to a single screened loeatinn 4)provide funding for operation and maintenance offish screens 5) monitor lhe biological andmaintananee related results of the project.

ApproactdTask,CSchedule: The project will be managed by Ducks Unlimited Inc (DU), one of theland owning partners in the Preserve. The proposed fish screen feasibility study will sample fish*rttrainment at the Preserve’s Tihuechemne Slough diversion point for one year, and design a fishserenn for this diversion. Funding of this proposal will allow fur construction of a new pump stationat Tihuecherane Slough during the summer of 1998 to replace the one which will be removed fromWood Duck Slough. The Tihaechemne Slough delivery system will be improved including theremoval of an additional diversion point (pump F7). After the results of the feasibility study areavailable in summer 1999 a screen will be designed and installed on the pumps at the agriculturediversion. Funding for screen operation, maintenance~ and raonitoring, will be spanl in the first 3yems post construction. Data collected from monitoring will be available in a final report toCALFED.

J~f!eation for Project and Funding by CALFED: The project will significantly improveconditions for the priority species chinook salmon, splittail, green sturgeon depending and secondmypriorities striped ha~s and migratory birds. This project may he benelicia] to delta smelt poi~ulations.The re,oration of Wood Duck Slough will result in 1/2 mile of’tidal slough and improve fi’eshwatertidal perennial and instrenm aquatic habitats in the northeast Delta.

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Budge~ Cost and thirdparty impacts: The fish screen feasibility study and scroenin8 of thePreserve’s agriculture diversion will cost $ 509,000. The new pumping station on TihuechentneSlough, removal of pump F7, improvements to the farm delive~ system, and restoration of WoodDuck Slough will require $253,000. Operation and maintenance cost along with monitoring andr~:~orting will be $130,000. Total project cost will be $920,000, of that we are requestingfi’om CALFED. This project will po shively impact two privete farms by improving wa*er delivery,and supplying fish friendly water.

Al~plteant Qualification: DU is a nationally recognized authority on the restoration and enhancementofwetlands. Qualified biologists and engineers on staff are skilled in project design, management,contracting and construction.

Monitoring and data Evaluation: The feasibility study will be designed to provide statistically validconfidance intervals around predicted means. The results will be used to design a fish screen for thePreserve’s agriculture diversion. Fish impact and screen maintenance costs will be monitored for 3years post-construction. Results will be made available to CALFED in a final report.

£ocalSupl~Ot~VCoordlnation ~ith other Programs: The proposal is supported by the The NatureConservancy (TNC), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Caii£ Depart. of Fish and Game (CDFG),County of Sacramento, Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB), Cali£ Depart of Water Resources(DWR.), Living Farms and local farmers The project will provide an example to other farms as to theneed and the details of how to implement a fish screening program. The fish screen feasibility studywill build on past studies by Dr. Peter Moyle (University of California, Davis) and ongoing work byDr. David Vanicek (California State University, Sacramento) and students.

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CALFED PROPOSAL - JULY 28, 1997

T’#tle of Project:

Reflucin~ Fish Entrainment and Restorin~ Delta Tidai Perennial A~uatic Habitat at theCosumnes River Preserve

Name of applicant:

Ducks Unlimited, Inc.Western Regional Office

Tel ~,g~g~O Fa~ ~|~ 85:~-2200 e mail::’,vroduek~$te~aet

Type of Organization and Tax Status: Non Profit (501-C3)

Tax Number: 13-5643799

Princlpal?~fl~¢t;~ ~i,Re~aonal Biologist

Participants: The pro~ct w’i!l I~ coordinated with TNC, BLM and CDFG

RFP Project type: Services and Construction

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Project Description

Project Dege~iptio~ and.4pproach: We are requesting CALFI~D fundkng in the amountof $g80,000 to:

is a problem at the Preserve’s agriculture diversion and design a fish screen for thatdiversion

¯ screen the Presarve’s agriculture diversion¯ restore tidal perennial aquatic habitat in Wood Duck slough by removing the existin8

pumping station and ear,hen dam, improving the Preserve’s existing water deliverysystem (engineering, pipes, pump, and dredging) at Tichuechemne Slough to cover thecapacity lost by removing the Wood Duck Slough pump, and consolidating thePreserve’s farm diversions to a single point

* provide funding £or operation and maintenance of the proposed fish screens¯ monitor the biological and maintenance related results of the project.

The project will be implemented in three main steps 1) C~nduct a fish screen feasibilitystudy at the Preserve’s agriculture diversion, and screen this diversion 2) consolidate twopumping stations and enhance existing water delivery system so that water for the entirePreserve farnfmg program and two privately owned farms adjacent to the Preserve will besupplied primarily from one diversion point and restore Wood Duck Slough to its naturaltidal state, and 3) monitor results of completed project and report findings to CALI~ED.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. (’DU) wi(I serve as the grant recipient and construction manger byawarding contracts for completion of the specific tasks associated with this project tocompetent contractors. Implementation of the physical aspects of’the project will becompleted over the next two years, followed by monitoring, evaluation and reporting forthree years.

Location and Geographic boundaries of the Project: The project is located at ~:heCosumnes River Preserve and is entirely within I he jurisdlctional Delta. The studieddiversion point is located on Tihucchemne Slough See attached map.

F.xpectedBan¢fles: The project will significantly improve conditions for at least twoCALFED priority habitats~ 3 priority species and both secondary priorities (striped bassand migratory birds). The restoration of Wood Duck Slough will result in approximately1/2 mile of~dal slough and improve freshwater tidal perennial and instream aquatichabitats in the northeast Delta. The removal of diverslon points at Wood Duck Sloughand pump F7 will eliminate entrainment and improve the habitat of priority species such as

The project will also benefit ~i~h~hrough habitat enhancement Restoration ofWood Duck Slough to a tidal slough, will provide mudflat habitat through normal tidalaction for migratory shorebirds.

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This proj~ will benefit notch DeJta agriculture by: 1) providing fish friendly water to over1,500 acres of north Delta agriculture, 2) improving the reliability of water delivery tolocal farms 3) providing an example and an accounting of the costs required to screen atypical north Delta diversion. It will be especially helpful in establishing fisheries targetsfor restoration of other ~st-side sloughs.

TI~ projent would immedimaly provide significant benefits to native fish. Additionally,wildfire using the Wood Duck Slough and the adjacent Valley Oak riparian forest will notbe exposed to concentrated contaminates associated with agricullural runoff The sloughwill no longer have to be dredged thus reducing disturbance to the forest edge andlowering the invasion of exotic weeds and will provide a protected, undisturbed area forloafing waterfowl, Erosion would be lowered since the earthen dam will not need to bereconstructed nach year. Most important, the restoration of Wood Duck Slough returns anatural process to the landscape (tidal action).

Studying native fish in a typical north Delta slough will be especially helpful in establishingfisheries targets for restoration. For example, Grizzly and Bear Sloughs both have barriersat their mouths A f~turo restoration project cotdd be envisioned which restored tidal flowto the DWR’s Grizzly Slough mitigation site,

Background and Biological/Technical Justification: Historically the Saeramenlo/SanJoaquin Delta was composed of hundreds of miles of backwater sloughs. The sloughsformed as rivers meandered, shifted and formed oxbows as they emceed the tidal zone ofthe Delta, These dead end tidal waterways were intermingled with shallow pere~nialmarshes and gallery riparian forest s. Soma of the best remaining examples oftidal sloughsare now protected on the Preserve in south Sacramento County, California. The Preserveencompasses 4 tidal sloughs as well as reaches oftha Cosumnes and Mokalumne Rivers.

Tidal sloughs are one of the most biologically productive habitats in California. The freshwater habitats support spawning, rearing and adult feeding areas for many native fish ofthe Delta~ A recant survey on the Cosumnes River found 9 species of native fish using thesloughs including rearing salmon and spawning splittail. The high productivity of Daltasloughs is due in part to tidal action which inundates the area with warm, nutrient rich,fresh water. The productivity of sloughs enhances the productivity of associated riparianforests and marshes with many birds feeding on the aquatic fauna. These riparian forestsprovide habitat for over 200 species of birds, many of which are sensitive riparianobligates.

Not only are tidal sloughs ~remely productive biologically, but they are also favoreddiversion points for agricultural irrigation water in the Delta Sloughs offer stablelocations for pumps away from river currents and reliable water due to daily tidal action.However, this is the same habitat that small fish seek during early stages of their lifecycles

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Wood Duck Slough is one oftbe major diversion points for the Preserve The slough islocated entirely on the Preserve about 1 ~A miles upstream from the confluence of theCosumnes and Mokelumne Rivers. Over 3A era mile of the slough is bordered by pristineValley Oak riparian forest, critical habitat for migratory neotropical songbirds. It is alsolocated near other restoration projects such as TNC’s Wetland Reserve Program Projectjust downstream of Twin Cities Road. The completion of TNC’s project resulted in abreech in the "training" levee along the Cosumnes River providing the River access to it’shistorical floodplain, and allowing the River to naturally restore it’s riparian habitat.Wood Duck Slough lies close to the Preserve’s ’~wildlife friendly" farming operation.Each winter the fields are flooded both for agronomic reasons and migratory waterbirds.The restoration of Wood Duck Slough to tidal perennial aquatic habitat, which is in nlo~eproximity to existing seasonal wetlands, would provide a mosaic of habitat types that willbe beaaefleial to many species of wildlife.

Wood Duck Slough is curremly degraded by its use as an agricultural watar deliverysystem. Each spring an earthen dam is constructed at the mouth of the slough, and wateris pumped over the dam providing irrigation water to the Preserve’s Desmond ILaneh andtwo other private farms. Becausa the delivery system is also used as drainage for thefarms, water quality in the slough becomes poor as the irrigation season progressescausing high mortality in fish trapped behind the dam

The project falls within the following CALFED stressor categories and subeategories;Alteration of Flows and Other Effects of Water Management - subcmegories HydrographAlteration, Entrainment, Migration Barrier* and Straying, Floodolain and Mar*holain~- subcategory Elimination of Fine Sediment Replenishment, hnn~h~ - subcategory Loss of Existing Riparian Zone or Lack of Regeneration Potential,~ - subcategory Increased Contaminants and Undesirable Species Interactions- ~tbeategory Introduction of New Exotic Species Our project closdy follows CALFEDguidelines. The example project provided by CALFED in "Summary of Technical TeamReports - Stressor and Example Restoration Actions" June 5, 1997, lists this requestedproject for eastside tributaries; "Establish a cooperative effort to study and implementscreening of diversions, including consolldatinn of diversions where approprlate" Ourproposal is to do just that.

Prolms~l Scope of work:1. Feasibility Study and Diversion ScreeningThe study will examine fish entrainment and screening feesibility of the Presarve’sagriculture diversion. It will be begin in fall of 1997 and will be conducted over an entireyear ~o ~eanonal occurrence offish at the diversion point will be documented. At the endof the study, a import will be generated that docomants the impact of the diversions on thelena/fishery, and discuss operations adjustments that might be made to the farmingdiversion schedule.

I --0070481-007048

~e’s ~l~re diversion ~int. The fish screen ~11 be d~signed in ac~rdance to¯ e s~ ~ spies offish and ~thin the ~idelines of all state ~d federal regulations.

2. Resto~tion of Wood Duck SlouRh and Consolidation of the Fa~ Prese~e Diversio~~ rdo~ion of~e Wood Duck Slough diversion will require the design ~d installationof~ additionM pump at the Tihuechemne Slough diversion point ~ well as the~p~vement of~ delive~ system. The design wilI be comract~ to ~ approp~me~neer. Improv~ems ~11 involve dr~ging the existing i~igation delive~ dilches ~d¯ e instM~ion of a new de~ve~ pipe. The improved system will allow the Prese~e to~o~ ~ additio~ ~v~on, pump F7. T~ result will ~ an i~gation system that iscap~le of se~ng the Prese~e’s entire fa~ing program ~om a singl~ ~nsolidateddiver~on ~im ~at in addition to ~ng the Prese~e will supply water to b~h pfivmelyo~ed f~s that were originally supplied by Wood Duck Slough.

~ application to relocme the poim of diversion ~om Wood Dock Slough toTihueche~e Slough ~ll be made. ~e o~ers of the farms have indieat~ their~in~s to ~ppo~ the restoration proj~ ~lheir water rights are protected and then~ water ~stem ~p#ies their fa~s with water at a quMity and cost similar to theexisting Wood Duck Slough system

~er t~ ~pmved Tihueche~e delive~ system has been tested during the summer of19~, the p~p ~ation ~d ea~hen dam will be removed on Wood Duck Slough Mlo~gthe Slough access to tidM water. Over 1 mile of power poles and ~re also be r~oved.

3. Operation, Maim~nanceWtth the inm~lation of a fish screen at the Prese~e’s agriculture diversio~ there will be a~bs1~tiM ~se in the ~st of operation and mMmenance at the Pre~e. Thet~olo~ ~d maintenan~ techniques ~11 require additional Prese~e stafftime. Werequest ~ding to o~rale and mMntain the screens for a 3 ye~ period after they are

4. Monitofin~ the 9rqiects results~ng ~om mo~tofing is ~ ~po~ant pa~ of this proj~t. Costs for desi~,~nst~ctio~ operation and ~imen~ce will be c~e~lly document~ to help guide othe~who ~ll ~ sereeMng pumps in the ~ture. Fish use of Wood Duck Slough will bed~ment~ be~ ~d ~er the slough is re-open~ to tidM flow. This info~ation, in~dMon to g~ng tM Pre~e ~te specific ~nagement info~ation, ~ll also add tounder~di~ the role of tidal sloughs in the Delta’s ecology ~d should help C~D in~g remo~tion goMs for tidal sloughs. This work will build on past studies by Dr.P~ Moyle ~nlversity of Calif~i~ ~s) and ongoing work by Dr. Da~d V~i~k(CMffo~a Stme UM~si~, Sacmm~to) ~d students. Dr. Moyle has expres~d int~estin ~nducting ~s ~udy. ~l data eoll~ed will be made available to C~FED in a fi~lrepo~ to be ~mpiled ~er completion of this project

I --0070491-007049

Monitoring andData Evaluation: Monitoring and data evaluation will be split into twomain categories; a pre-screenlng fisheries study and pest construction monitoring Datagathered by the feasibility study will be evaluated to adequately screen the Presecve’sagriculture diversion in accordance with all state and federal regn]atlons. Al~erconstruction of the entire project is complete in the summer of 1999 the post constructionmonitoring program will be implemented. This program will monitor all screeneddiversions ~nd provide information on the �ffectiveness of the newly installed fish screens.Additionally, the program will monitor the fish use in Wood Duck Slough, and compare itto fish use prior to restoration. The fish screen feasibility study will build on past studiesby Dr. Peter Moyle (University of California, Davis) and ongoing work by Dr. DavidVanicek (California State University, Sacramento) and students.

Implementabilit~: The application for change of point of diversion for Wood Duck$1ough can be imme~at¢ly implemented as can the feasJbJlity study. A third aspeet oftheproject that will commence is the engineering and design work associated with theconstruction of’the new pump station at Tihuechemne Slough and enhancement of theexisting water delivery system Constreetion of the new pumping station andenhancement of the water delivery system will begin as soon as the design has beenapproved by the Preserve partners and weather conditions allow construction. The ability~o restore tidal action to Wood Duck Slough depends on the successful relocation of theirrigation pump to Tihuechemne Slough and the demonstration to the neighboring farmsthat the new syatem will provide them with an adequate amount of water at a pricecomparable to that of the Wood Duck Slough diversion Once the performance of thenew pump and irrigation system is approved by ~he Preserve and affecled third parties,restoration of Wcod Duck Slough will proceed The two neighboring farms have bothindicated their willingness to work with us to relocale the pump and restore Wood DuckSlough.

I --0070501-007050

Costs and Schedules to Implement Proposed Projec!

Budget costs

1, Fish screen feasibility study and screenin~

2. R~toration of Wood Duc~ Slou~h and Comolidatign of Diversion PointsProject Direct Direct Overhead Service Malerial and Miscellaneous Tom/CostPhase and Labor Salary and Labor Contracts Acquisition and olherTask Hours Benefits (General, Contracts Direc~ Costs

admin andfee)

I --0070511-007051

d ~

Budget Summary1. Fish Entrainmmat Study and Diversion Scrvens2. gestorationofWoodDuckSloughandlmprovements $253,0003. Operation and Maintenance Costs $80,000 --~ ~o ,~ ~’~4. Monitoring, analysis and reports ~ ~’~"

Total $920,000

/n-kind contributions by project participants (DU, BLM~ TNC) ~ $ 40,000Grant requestTotal project cost $920,000

Schedule milestones:March 1998 - Entrainment study begins /July 1998 - Design completed for consolidation of’water systemSeptember 1998 - New pump installed - system dredging completedMarch 1999- Entrainment study finished - Report to CALFED

July 1999 - design offish screens completed - Report to CALFI~DSeptember 1999 - screens installedSeptember 2002 - Final report on screen performance and maintenance requirements

717*ird Pat~y Impacts: The third parties affected by this project are the two privatelyowned farms that currently receive water fi-om the Wood Duck Slough diversion point.Both parties have agreed to allow their point of diversion be relocated to TihuechemnaSlough. Both parties have also indicated their support of’the overall project and theirwillingness to work with the Preserve to facilitate project completion. The completion ofthis project will provide both of these privately owned farms with a more efficientirrigation system and "fish friendly" water.

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Applicant Qualifications: DU is the nationally recognized authority on the restorationand enhancement of wetlands. Since its inception in 1937, DU has raised over $1 billionfor restoration and enhencemcnl of over 1 million acres of wetlands in North America,Qualilled biologists arid engineers on staffat the Weslem Regional O~ce, RanchoCordova, California are skilled in restoration activities like cut and fill excavation,selection and installation of appropriate water control struc’cures and design andconstruction of pump stations DU is skilled in construction management and is able tod~sign the project, provide bid packages to potential contractors and insure the project iscompleted to specifications. DU has recently completed the M&T, Category III, CVPIAproject in the noRh Sacramento Vail%,

~ompllanee with standard te~ns and conditions: DU has administered multiplegovernment contracts with applicable compliance standards (see attachments).

I --0070531-007053

............. "" STOCKTON

.o.."’* Lost Slough East ~ ........... Location Map

DES~XOND ROAD

o Ponds

o~

Slough

................. Preserve Boundary

~Lost Slough

Central Wetlands

COSUMNES RIVER ~ Bottom Lends

"%" \ ’"" " "’m Visitor center

\~ :""’"’ ....X Diversions propose6 for removal

\~. "X- Site of new pump station

Cosumnes River Preserve13501 Franklin Boulevard

Gait, California 95632

~ (916) 684-2816 Fax: (916) 683 1702 crp@ns.net

~Taal~ratars

lmderslalading re, gating the impact of farming on CALFED targel fish species as well

"Preserve and protect California valley oak forests and central valley wetlands."

I --0070551-007055

United States Department of the InteriorBUREAU OF LAND ~,IANAGEMENT "l

FOLSOM RESOURCE AREA 1

FOLSOM, CALIFORNIA 95630 CRP6700CA018.01

.luCy 24, 1997Steve BurtonDucks UnlimitedWestern Regional Office3074 Gold Canal DriveRancho Cordova, California 95670-6116

Steve,

The Bureau of Land Management is a land owning Partner in the Cosumnes RiverPreserve. We would like "to voice our support for your proposal to the Categt~ryIIl program. The proposal titled Reducin_a Fish Entrainment mad restorin_~ IidalPerennial Aquatic Habitat at the Cosumnes River Preserve will fulfill CALFEDobjectives of reducing loss by entrainmenl of nmive Delta fishes, q-he project willalso significantly enhance habitat in the nertheast Delta for CAt.FED targetspecies while furthering the goals of the Preserve. The project has support amongthe Preserve partner agencies as will as local support.

The restoration of wood Duck Slough will increase habitat for nativc fish as wellas riparian songbirds, shorebirds and waterfgwl. The iw~csligaOon offishentrainment at the major farm diversion, consolidation ol the ~arm diversionpoints, and screening for fish will be a positive example te thc farmingcommunity and will increase our understanding of how to implement effectivescreening of diversions from sloughs.

Please seriously consider this proposal.

Sincerely,

Rick ~’ooperPreserve ManagerCosumnes River Preserve

I --0070561-007056

NONCOLLUSION AFFIDAVIT TO BE E~ECUTED BY ,BIDDEIt AND SUBMITTED WITH HID FOR PUBLIC WORKS

Holly Andree¯ being first duly swo.rn, de..po~ and

~ d~e party making the foregoing bid that the bid is not made in the interest of. or on behalf of. anyundisclosed l~rson, parmvrship, company, association, organization, or corporation; that the bid. is genuine

¯ . and not collusive or sham; that the bidder has not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any otherbidder to put in a false sham bid. and has not direcdy or indh’ectly colluded, oonspirnd, connived, oragreed with any bidder or anyoae else to put in a ~ bid, or that anyone shall r~frain from bidding; that

conference: with anyonu to fLX the bid price of the bidder or any other bidder, or to fix any overbead,profit, or cost clement of ~ bid prico, or of that of any other bld~¢r, or to secur~ any advantage againstthe public body awarding ~h¢ contract of Lnyonc interested in the proposed contract; that all atatanentscontained in the bid arc true; a~, ~.rther, that the bidder has not, directly or indirectly, submitted his or

.......... ~ Subscribed and sworn to before me on

(Notadal Seal)

--0070571-007057

County of ,~.-�’a.~�,~

personally appeared ~&~ &.~ ~.L

basis of satisfactory -,~

person(s) whose name(s) ~ ~EN£~L

~~ authorized capacitylies},~ J~NNY C. P~L[EN ~¯ ~ C~m.#,~2i, ~

and that by his/her/their ,~:~,~,L2’,.~’.~=.,~.,~ ~"~ ~

signaturels) on theinstrument the person(s),

~ ~.~ ~ or the entity upon behalfFyyy~ ~ of which the person(s)

I --0070581-007058

I --007059

I~ISCR|MINATION COI~PIJANCE STATEMENT

l, the official named below, hereby swear that I am duly authorized to legally bind the prospectivecontractor to ~he above described certification, l am fully aware that ~his certification, executed on thedate and in the county below, is made under penalty of perjury under the laws of ~he Sta~e of California.

I --0070601-007060

@@@@ --

I --0070611-007061

Certificate of Incorporationof

DUCKS UNLIMITED, INC.

1--0070621-007062

I --0070631-007063

IONDISCRIMINATION COMPLIANCE STATEMENT

Ducks Unlimited, Inc.

The cqmpany named above (hereinafter referred to as "prospective contractor") hereby certifies, unlezsspecifically exempted, compliance with Government Code Section 12990 (a-f) and Cal~ornia Code ofRegulatioms, Ttfle 2, Division 4, Chapter 5 in matte~ relzling to repotting requirements and thedevelopment, implementation and maintenance o f a Nondiscrimination Program. Prospective contractor

agrees not to urdawf-ully diseriminatey harass or allow harassment against any employee or applicant foremployment because of sex, race, color, ancestry, religious creed, national origin, disability (includingH!V andAIDS), medical condition (cancer), age, madtal status, denial of family and medical care leave

and denial of pregnancy disability leave.

CERTIFICATION

k.q, the o.l~cial named below, hereby swear that I am duly authorized to legally bind the prospective

contractor to the above described certification. I am fully aware that this ceraficatior~ executed on thedate and in the county below, is made under penMry of per~ury under ~he lm~s of the State of California.

Ducks Unl~mlted~ Inc.

I --0070641-007064

PERSONNEL POUCIES AND PRACTICES

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Statenlent of Policy

At Ducks Unlimited, Inc. it is our policy to recruit and hire employees without regard to or

discrimination because of age, race, creed, color, national origin, sex, handicap or veteran

status. This policy of nondiscrimination applies to all phases of employee relations -

hiring, compensation, performance rating, promotion, transfer and other personnel matters.

Our employment objective is to select individuals who meet the organization’s high

standards of character, education and occupational qualifications; who can carry out the

o~ganization’s work competently; who have capacity for growth; and, who will become anactive part of our organization.

We know that our strength and future growth depend directly upon the contribution made

by each person within our organization. Productivity and efficiency result from real job

satisfaction and from the opportunity each person has for his or her individual

self-development. Our employment policy is designed to:

¯ Place each employee, insofar as practicable, in a position which best suits the

individual’s natural and acquired aptitudes and skills.

¯ Offer each employee opportunity for self-development and advancement through

training and on-the-job experience.

Accord fair and equitable treatment to every employee at all times.

o Recognize the importance of the work of each employee to the overall success of the

organization.

I --0070651-007065

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Statement of Policy

Ducks Unlimited, Inc. maintains a strict policy against sexual harassment. Simply put,

sexual harassment will not be tolerated on the part of any employee. All employees

are responsible for assuring that the workplace is free from sexual harassment. Sexualharassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and

other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, where:

Submission to the advances is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of

employment.

,, Submission to or rejection of the advances is used as the basis for making employment

decisions.

¯ Such conduct interferes with an individual’s work performance or creates an

intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.

All employees should avoid any action or conduct that might be viewed as sexual

harassment. Approval of, participation in, or acquiescence in conduct constituting sexual

harassment will be considered a violation of this policy. If any employee believes that he or

she has been subject to sexual harassment at work by anyone, including supervisors, co-

workers or visitors, ha or she should report this immediately to his or her immediate

supervisor ar Human Resources. Sexual harassment complaints Will be handled with as

much confidentiality as possible. There will be no retaliation against any employee who

reports a claim of sexual harassment or against any employee who is a witness to the

harassment. /~ immediate investigation will be conducted in an attempt to determine all

the facts concerning the alleged harassment. In making this investigation, every effort will

be made to be fair to all parties involved. If it is determined that sexual harassment has

occurred, corrective action will be taken, up to and including reprimand, discharge, or

ether appropriate action.

I --0070661-007066

If it is determined that no sexual harassment has occurred, or there is not sufficient

evidence to conclude that harassment has occurred, this determination will becommunicated to the employee who filed the co~= plaint.

DRUG FREE WORKPLACE PROGRAM

Statement of Policy

Because substance abuse poses a serious threat to our employees, their families and to

the entire organization, Ducks Unlimited has established this policy in an effort to promote

and maintain a drug-free work environment.

The ultimate goal of this policy, however, is to balance respect for individual privacy with

the organization’s need to maintain a safe, productive, drug-free work environment for all

employees; maintain safety and security at DU’s community-based events, as well as at

the facilities and properties in the communities where we are located; and, provide a

quality of service to the organization’s members, as well as non-members and visitors, in a

fashion consistent with the high standards set by the Board of Directors of Ducks

Unlimited, Inc.

Standard of Conduct

As a Standard of Conduct for employees of Ducks Unlimited, employees will not be

permitted to possess, consume, or distribute drugs, controlled substances or abuse

alcohol in the workplace or report to work or perform their duties under the influence of

alcohol or with drugs present in their system. To allow otherwise jeopardizes the safety of

our fellow employees, our members, our facilities, and the communities which we rely upon

for support. Any employee determined to be in violation of this policy Qr standard will be

subject to disciplinary action, which may include termination, even for the first offense.

I --0070671-007067

Drug and Alcohol Abuse Screening/Testing

Ducks Unlimited recognizes that carefully selected tests and testing procedures have a

proper role in any comprehensive substance abuse program, as do properly conducted

searches of the effects, vehicles and persons of employees, contractors or visitors.¯ Job Applicants

As a condition of regular employment all applicants must complete a drug screen test. If

test results are confirmed positive, the employment offer will be withdrawn.¯ Current Employees

The Company utilizes screening practices to identify employees who use illegal drugs or

abuse alcohol. It is a condition of continued employment for all employees to submit to a

drug screen test when:

a. there.is sufficient cause to believe an employee is under the influence of alcohol or has

drugs present in their system; or.

b. there is any mishap or accident involving an employee during business hours or while

o~ Company business in which injury to individuals or damage to property occurs as a

result of the impaired employee’s involvement.

Failure to submit to required medical or physical examinations/tests is considered

misconduct, and as such, grounds for disciplinary action, including termination.

General Procedures

Any employee reporting for work visibly impaired is unable to properly perform required

duties and will not be allowed to work. If, in the opinion of the employee’s supervisor the

employee is considered impaired, the employee will be transported by taxi or an alternative

safe transportation mode to his/her home or a medical facility. An Impaired employee will

not be allowed to operate or drive any vehicle during business hours or while onofficial Company buslnees, or any vehicle rented, leased, owned or otherwise

intended for Company use or buslness~

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