Over $1.8 Million in Conservation Grants Announced by Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program
July 31 2014 - 9:48AM
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), National
Association of Counties (NACo) and the Wildlife Habitat Council
(WHC) today announced that 53 community-led wetland, stream and
coastal restoration projects across the nation have been awarded
over $1.8 million in grants. In addition, the grantees have
committed an additional $6.7 million in local project support,
creating a total investment of over $8.5 million in projects that
will restore wildlife habitat and urban waters and will engage
thousands of volunteers in community-based environmental
stewardship projects. These grants are awarded through the Five
Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program, which began in 1999 as a
partnership among NFWF, NACo, WHC and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). Since its start, the program has supported
over 700 projects with more than $7.5 million in federal funds,
$5.8 million in private and corporate contributions and $56 million
in matching funds at the local level. Major funding for the 2014
Five Star and Urban Waters program is provided by EPA, the U.S.
Forest Service, FedEx, Southern Company, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service Urban Refuges Program with additional support by PG &E,
Alcoa Foundation and Bank of America. "By joining forces in the
Five Star and Urban Waters program, the public and private sectors
have leveraged millions of dollars to support dynamic conservation
work across the country," said Jeff Trandahl, executive director
and CEO of NFWF. "These grants provide a wonderful opportunity for
community involvement by citizens who want to make a difference and
contribute to a better future in their home cities and towns across
America." "Communities across the country are focused on
revitalizing their urban waterways and the neighborhoods around
them. Reconnecting people with urban waterways results in economic,
environmental and social benefits to communities," said EPA Acting
Assistant Administrator for Water Nancy Stoner. "Urban waters have
the potential to be treasured centerpieces of urban revival.
Healthy and accessible waters help grow local businesses and
enhance educational, recreational, and social opportunities in the
communities through which they pass." "With a significant portion
of our operations, people and facilities based in metropolitan
centers, we highly value healthy urban spaces and appreciate the
opportunity to invest in these restoration projects through
financial contributions and team member volunteerism," said Mitch
Jackson, vice president, Environmental Affairs and Sustainability,
FedEx Corp. "Through NFWF and the FedEx EarthSmart Outreach
program, FedEx team members work directly with local nonprofits to
improve the urban spaces where they live and work. We congratulate
the community groups that were selected to receive grants as a part
of the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program." "Everyone
wins when we take care of our urban waters and community
waterways," said USDA Forest Service Assistant Director for Urban
and Community Forestry, Janette Davis. "We rely on our urban
forests to protect clean water for drinking and for recreational
opportunities in our cities." "Water has been important to Southern
Company throughout our century-long history, and actively
supporting habitat and natural resource stewardship efforts in our
communities is one of the tangible ways we demonstrate our
commitment to the environment," said Southern Company Chief
Environmental Officer Dr. Larry S. Monroe. "As a longtime
contributor to this program, we applaud the grant recipients'
efforts to protect, restore and enhance our local waterways through
these grassroots initiatives." The Five Star and Urban Waters 2014
winners were selected from a highly competitive pool of more than
200 applications. Consideration for funding is based upon the
educational and training opportunities for youth and the community
at large, the ecological and other cultural and economic benefits
to the community. These projects must also involve a high degree of
partnership between local government agencies, elected officials,
community groups, businesses, schools and environmental
organizations for improving local water quality and restoring
important fish and wildlife habitats. A complete list of the 2014
grants can be found here.
About The National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation The National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores our nation's wildlife and
habitats. Chartered by Congress in 1984, NFWF directs public
conservation dollars to the most pressing environmental needs and
matches those investments with private contributions. NFWF works
with government, nonprofit and corporate partners to find solutions
for the most intractable conservation challenges. Over the last
three decades, NFWF has funded more than 4,000 organizations and
committed more than $2.3 billion to conservation projects. Learn
more at www.nfwf.org.
About FedEx Corporation
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide
with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business
services. With annual revenues of $45 billion, the company offers
integrated business applications through operating companies
competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the
respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most
admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 300,000
team members to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety,
the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of
their customers and communities. For more information, visit
http://news.fedex.com.
About Southern Company With
4.4 million customers and nearly 46,000 megawatts of generating
capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier
energy company serving the Southeast through its subsidiaries. A
leading U.S. producer of clean, safe, reliable and affordable
electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four
states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as
fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands
are known for energy innovation, excellent customer service, high
reliability and retail electric prices that are below the national
average. Southern Company and its subsidiaries are leading the
nation's nuclear renaissance through the construction of the first
new nuclear units to be built in a generation of Americans and are
demonstrating their commitment to energy innovation through the
development of a state-of-the-art coal gasification plant. Southern
Company has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense and
G.I. Jobs magazine as a top military employer, listed by
DiversityInc as a top company for Blacks and designated a 2013 Top
Employer for Hispanics by Hispanic Network. The company received
the Edison Award from the Edison Electric Institute for its
leadership in new nuclear development, was named Electric Light
& Power magazine's Utility of the Year for 2012 and is
continually ranked among the top utilities in Fortune's annual
World's Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility rankings. Visit our
website at www.southerncompany.com.
About The National
Wildlife Refuge System The National Wildlife Refuge System
protects wildlife and wildlife habitat on more than 150 million
acres of land and water from the Caribbean to the Pacific, Maine to
Alaska. Refuges also improve human health, provide outdoor
recreation and support local economies. Visit our home page at
www.fws.gov/refuges.
About the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with
others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants,
and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American
people. For more information, visit www.fws.gov.
CONTACT: Carrie Clingan
Carrie.Clingan@nfwf.org
202-857-0166
Cheryl Irwin
Cheryl.Irwin@nfwf.org
202-595-2412
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