More EuroBirdNet info of interest (?) to Tweeters: Hans Krauss, Spokane, WA
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For release: August 11, 1997
Janet Tennyson 202-219-3861

PRIME WATERFOWL HABITAT ADDED TO THE
NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM;
WETLANDS CONSERVATION PROJECTS LAUNCHED

Nearly 3,000 acres recently were targeted for acquisition for the National
Wildlife Refuge System and 22 North American Wetlands Conservation Fund
projects were launched in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, upon the
approval of a cabinet-congressional commission chaired by Interior Secretary
Bruce Babbitt.

At its summer meeting, the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission
approved $12 million from special funds set up for migratory bird habitat
conservation for efforts affecting a total of 1.3 million acres. This
includes:

 $1.5 million for acquisitions for national wildlife refuges totaling
2,800
acres in seven states: Arkansas, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,
North Carolina, and Utah;

 $2.6 million for wetlands conservation projects in California, Georgia,
Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia, affecting more than 32,000 acres of
wetlands. This money will be matched with $5.5 million from project
partners;

 $7.6 million for 13 projects affecting 188,000 acres in Canada, with

partners contributing another $9.8 million; and

 $276,000 for four projects affecting 890,000 acres in Mexico, with
partners
contributing $330,000.

New National Wildlife Refuge System Acquisitions:

Cache River National Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas will acquire 40 acres
of bottomland hardwoods hosting abundant wintering waterfowl, particularly
mallards and wood ducks. This acquisition adds to the refuge another part of
the largest remaining expanse of forested wetlands on any tributary within
the
Mississippi Alluvial Valley.

At Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Maine, established to
preserve ten important estuaries, 13 acres of tidal saltmeadow grass,
cordgrass, and blackgrass marsh will be acquired. The area provides a
critical
wintering area for black ducks, mallards, and green-winged teal, while
red-breasted and common mergansers and buffleheads use the area during other
seasons. It also supports shore- and waterbirds, including great blue herons
and snowy egrets.

Black ducks, wood ducks, goldeneye, and hooded mergansers are among
the waterfowl to benefit from wetlands purchased for the Lake Umbagog
National
Wildlife Refuge on the Maine-New Hampshire border, comprising
what many consider some of the finest wildlife habitat in the two states.
About 200 acres will be acquired, some along the Dead Cambridge and Swift
Cambridge Rivers, including forested wetlands and backwater areas especially
important to nesting waterfowl.

Cape May National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey, one of the largest
bird hotspots in the United States with literally millions of birds migrating
through the Cape May peninsula each year, will purchase 125 acres of
saltmarsh
and wooded wetlands. These areas will benefit black ducks, wood ducks, and
migrating songbirds.

About 225 acres of previously drained wetlands will be restored for the
Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in New York, which hosts tens of thousands
of geese and ducks year-round, especially Canada geese, mallards,
black ducks, canvasbacks, lesser scaup, and ring-necked ducks. The land will
be managed cooperatively with farmers for the benefit of wildlife.

Currituck National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina will expand by
more than 2,200 acres of marsh and interdunal wetlands on the state's famous
Outer Banks. This land provides breeding, stopover, and wintering habitat
for
waterfowl, especially black ducks, mallards, and wood ducks.

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Utah will acquire a 39-acre tract
containing a mix of grassy uplands and shallow wetlands. The tract makes up
excellent feeding areas for early arriving migrants, especially dabbling
ducks,
and stopover spots for waterfowl on their fall migration. In addition,
white-faced ibis use the area in the spring, while a variety of shorebirds
stay
through spring and summer.

New North American Wetlands Conservation Fund Projects:

Using the $1 million approved by the commission and $1.9 million of their
own contributions, partners will enhance 26,000 acres of Suisun Marsh in
Solano
County, California. This project will benefit 30 species of waterfowl;
fisheries such as salmon, splittail, and smelt; several endangered species,
and
others that would likely reach that status without conservation efforts. In
addition to private landowners, partners include the California Department of
Fish and Game, Suisun Resource Conservation District, and Ducks Unlimited,
Inc.

In Bibb and Twiggs Counties, Georgia, partners will use the $1 million
approved by the commission and another $1.7 million of their monies for the
Ocmulgee Greenway-Rivercare 2000 Project, comprising nearly 1,200 acres and
establishing a continuous greenway along Ocmulgee River through Bond Swamp
National Wildlife Refuge to Warner Robins Air Force Base. The riverine
areas,
swamps, forests, and bottomland hardwoods, interspersed with creeks and oxbow
lakes, support songbirds and waterbirds as well as bald eagles, alligators,
and
prime fisheries. Partners are the Georgia Department of Natural Resources
and
the Trust for Public Land.

Restoration of Grass Lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, is the goal of
the Grass Lake Prairie Wetland Project approved by the commission for
$215,000
and matched by $265,000 from project partners. The Kandiyohi Soil and Water
Conservation District and the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources
will
acquire conservation easements on 466 wetland and upland acres of the Grass
Lake Basin from participating landowners. Grass Lake provides habitat for 24
species of waterfowl, including blue- and green-winged teal, shoveler,
gadwall,
and ruddy ducks, as well as shore- and waterbirds like the Clark's grebe,
black
tern, and American pelican.

Forty counties in Michigan will benefit from restoration of 1,750 acres of
wetlands and uplands approved by the commission. About 225 wetland basins
averaging 1-3 acres will be restored, as will surrounding upland habitat, and
coordinated land management assistance will be provided by various partner
agencies. Restoration will benefit waterfowl, shorebirds, songbirds, and
endangered wildlife. Partners include the Michigan Association of
Conservation
Districts; Ducks Unlimited, Inc.; Pheasants Forever; Wetlands Foundation of
West Michigan; Michigan Department of Agriculture; Michigan United
Conservation
Clubs; and private landowners, who matched a total of $164,000 to the
$105,000
the commission approved for the project. The Michigan Department of Natural
Resources and Natural Resources Conservation Service added non-matching
funds.

The $250,000 the commission approved for the Dutch Gap Conservation
Area Project will acquire 810 acres of wetlands and uplands along the James
River in Chesterfield County, Virginia to be managed by the Virginia
Department
of Game and Inland Fisheries. In addition to waterfowl, the area supports
bald
eagles, shorebirds, songbirds, great blue heron rookeries, and recreational
fisheries. The project area will be open to fishing, hunting, birdwatching,
and environmental education. Nearly $1.4 million will be contributed by
project partners, including Tarmac Industries, Virginia Electric Power
Company,
the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Moncure Duncan Real Estate, and
the
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

-FWS-


The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission

With passage of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act in 1929, the
Migratory Bird Conservation Commission was established to approve land
acquisitions for the National Wildlife Refuge System that are considered
important to waterfowl.

Since its inception, the commission has approved more than 4.5 million-
acres-worth of land acquisitions for the 92-million-acre National Wildlife
Refuge System, the only network of federal lands dedicated to wildlife.

The commission's responsibilities increased significantly upon passage of
the North American Wetlands Conservation Act of 1989, which provides funding
to
encourage partnerships to protect, enhance, and restore wetlands and other
habitats for migratory birds and wildlife in the United States, Canada, and
Mexico.

Since the wetlands conservation program's inception, the commission has
approved more than $205 million toward projects benefitting migratory birds
and
other wildlife, with an additional $420 million provided by project partners,
affecting more than 3.3 million acres in the United States and Canada. These
funds also have been used in Mexico for its community education, management,
and training programs affecting nearly 21 million acres in biosphere
reserves.

The commission meets three times each year to review proposals for refuge
acquisitions and wetlands conservation projects. Refuge acquisitions are
financed by the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, including revenue collected
from Federal Duck Stamp sales to hunters, stamp collectors, and other
conservationists; appropriations; import duties collected on arms and
ammunition; and receipts from national wildlife refuge entrance fees.

Wetlands conservation projects are financed by the North American
Wetlands Conservation Fund, made up of appropriations; fines, penalties, and
forfeitures under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act; and interest accrued on
another fund the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administers.

Members of the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission are the Secretary
of the Interior, who serves as chairman; two members of the U.S. Senate (John
Breaux and Thad Cochran); two members of the U.S. House of Representatives
(John Dingell and Curt Weldon); the Secretary of Agriculture; and the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

The commission was established largely in response to public concern over
plummeting waterfowl populations during the "Dust Bowl" days of the 1920s and
'30s, reflecting the National Wildlife Refuge System's early commitment to
waterfowl protection. Many national wildlife refuges acquired with Migratory
Bird Conservation Fund monies are located along the four major waterfowl
"flyways," serving as vital stepping stones for birds on their long annual
migrations.

While its importance to waterfowl remains, the Refuge System today hosts
a variety of habitats supporting all kinds of wildlife, including many of
the
nation's endangered species, big game animals like buffalo and elk, prairie
wildflowers and cypress forests, trophy trout and tiny butterflies.

Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the 94-year-old National
Wildlife Refuge System is now made up of 511 refuges and 38 wetland
management
districts in all 50 states and U.S. territories. More than 30
million people annually visit refuges for a variety of recreational
activities,
such as birdwatching, fishing, hunting, and nature photography, while
hundreds
of thousands of schoolchildren visit refuges each year to learn about nature
and the environment.
-FWS-



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