Thought this might be of interest.

Janet Carroll
---------------------------------

Fish and Wildlife Service

August 27, 1997 David Klinger 503-231-6121
Stephanie Hanna 202-208-3171

BABBITT LAUDS ARID LAND ECOLOGY RESERVE MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT

Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt today offered his support for an
agreement between the Department of Energy and the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife
Service, announced by Energy Secretary Federico Pena. The agreement
would
allow the Interior Department agency to assume management of the Arid
Lands Ecology Reserve (ALE) on the Hanford Site in southeastern
Washington State.

The ALE Reserve, a 77,000-acre section located on the west side of the
Hanford Site, includes some of the best shrub-steppe habitat in
Washington. It provides pristine habitat for many rare plant
communities
and many species of wildlife such as the sage thrasher, sage sparrow,
and
loggerhead shrike dependent on the preservation of large areas of
shrub-steppe. Of 27 new species of insects discovered on the Hanford
Site, most have been found in the ALE Reserve.

"Secretary Pena's announcement is good news for people everywhere who
care about wildlife and the outdoors," Secretary Babbitt said. "As we
have witnessed across the country at places such as Rocky Mountain
Arsenal in Colorado and Jefferson Proving Ground in Indiana, lands that
were once vital to national security are still critical to the survival
of our Nation's wildlife heritage. Today's announcement ensures a very
signficant and large ares of important wildlife habitat will continue to
be protected for future generations."

Under the terms of the agreement, the Service will manage the land under
a 25-year permit. During the next few years, the agency will conduct
extensive public involvement to provide guidance for management of the
reserve.

The Secretary also said his department is working toward a partnership
with the Battelle Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Washington
State
University, The Nature Conservancy, and Washington State's Office of the
Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop environmental education
programs for the reserve.

"We intend to be an active partner in this region of Washington State,"
Babbitt said. "I am excited about the potential as we look ahead to
building our management plan for this site. We look forward to working
with the Department of Energy and building upon their efforts to protect
this ecologically significant area."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency with
responsibility for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and
wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American
people. The Service manages 511 national wildlife refuges covering 92
million acres, as well as 72 national fish hatcheries.

The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, manages migratory bird
populations, stocks recreational fisheries, conserves and restores
wildlife habitat such as wetlands, administers the Endangered Species
Act, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It
also oversees the Federal Aid program that funnels Federal excise taxes
on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies. This
program is a cornerstone of the Nation's wildlife management efforts,
funding fish and wildlife restoration, boating access, hunter education,
shooting ranges, and related projects across America.


-FWS-