ATLANTA, Oct. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern
Company, in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation (NFWF) and other public and private partners, has
awarded $2.5 million in grants to 65
community-led projects nationwide as part of the Five Star and
Urban Waters Restoration Program.
Southern Company's funding of the 2017 grants directly supports
nine habitat-restoration projects across three states in the
Southeast, including Alabama,
Florida and Georgia – which are home to Southern Company's
retail electric-utility subsidiaries – helping to restore more than
89 acres and 9,850 feet of streambank.
"Southern Company is proud to continue our long-standing
commitment to natural resource conservation and stewardship through
the Five Star and Urban Waters Program," said Southern Company
Environmental and System Planning Vice President Jeff Burleson. "By preserving and protecting our
wetlands and streams, we are giving back to the customers and
communities we are privileged to serve."
The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program provides
funding to diverse local partnerships for wetland, forest,
streamside and coastal habitat restoration. In addition to Southern
Company and NFWF, other public-private partners include the
Wildlife Habitat Council, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, FedEx,
Bank of America and Alcoa.
Since 2006, Southern Company has contributed $2.78 million to 118 Five Star and Urban Waters
Restoration grants, resulting in an on-the-ground conservation
impact of more than $13.3 million,
which has helped restore or improve nearly 1,300 acres and more
than 137,000 feet of streamside buffer in the Southeast.
"These community-led projects will engage thousands of
volunteers, students and local residents in the restoration of
wetlands, streams and coastal habitats across the nation," said
Jeff Trandahl, executive director
and CEO of NFWF. "The critical work done by our grantees will build
on a long history of conservation success made possible by the
public- and private-sector partners supporting the Five Star and
Urban Waters Restoration Program."
Grant recipients were selected based on criteria that included
critical habitat restoration, partnerships established with local
government agencies and businesses, and their ability to provide
educational and training opportunities for youth and the community
at large, as well as other ecological, cultural and economic
benefits.
The following projects have been awarded 2017 Five Star and
Urban Waters Restoration grants supported by Southern Company:
In Alabama:
Upper Village Creek Tree Canopy Restoration – The Nature
Conservancy and partners will restore 1.7 acres and perform
invasive plant removal along 1,000 linear feet of streambank at
Village Creek. This project will engage the community in restoring
Birmingham, Ala.'s tree canopy,
thereby enhancing local air and water quality. Partners include the
City of Birmingham, Cawaco
RC&D Council Inc., Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve and Village
Creek Human and Environmental Justice Society.
Irondale Riverwalk Restoration – The Freshwater Land
Trust and partners will restore, stabilize and replant a
0.18-acre riparian buffer to enhance water quality and
stabilization of the Cahaba River in eastern Jefferson County, Ala. This project will
remove invasive species, establish native species and enhance
riparian areas to increase local biodiversity and enhance
recreational opportunities for the local community. Partners
include City of Irondale, Cahaba
Blueway Partners, Church of the Highlands, Cahaba River Society and
Grow Irondale.
In Florida:
Citizen Science and Community-based Restoration for the
Coastal Dune Lakes of Walton
County – The Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance and partners
will work to improve 70 acres of aquatic habitat and restore four
acres of dune habitat. Through community-based restoration and
citizen-scientist initiatives, this project will expand the
understanding of the globally rare, critically imperiled Coastal
Dune Lakes of Walton County, Fla.
Partners include Mattie M. Kelly Environmental Institute,
Walton County Board of County
Commissioners, Silver Sands School and local volunteers.
In Georgia:
Creekside Trail Restoration and Education at Stroud
Elementary – Howard B. Stroud Elementary School and partners
will restore a ¾-mile creek-side trail, 4,500 linear feet of
riparian habitat and 48 acres of surrounding forest to directly
improve water quality and aquatic and terrestrial habitat. This
project will provide learning opportunities to Stroud Elementary
students and the local community in water quality monitoring and
protection, plant and animal life, wetland function, and
educational and career opportunities in the environmental
protection field. Partners include Clarke
County District, Watershed UGA, Athens-Clarke County Stormwater, Kiwanis,
Oconee River Land Trust, Chicopee-Dudley Neighborhood Association,
Upper Oconee Watershed Network, EcoReach, USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service, US Geologic Survey and US Environmental
Protection Agency.
Beech Haven Restoration through Athens Youth Conservation
Stewards – The Athens Land Trust and partners will establish a
corps of Athens Youth Conservation Stewards (AYCS) to remove woody
invasive species on 25 acres and improve wildlife habitat and water
quality. This project will provide teens from underserved
communities with employment experience and leadership skills while
improving an important public space in their community. Partners
include Athens-Clarke County
Unified Government, Oconee River Greenway Commission, Great Promise
Partnership, Keep Athens-Clarke
County Beautiful, Oconee Rivers Audubon Society and local
volunteers.
Urban Stewardship and Restoration for Proctor and Utoy
Watersheds – EcoAddendum and partners will restore 6.2 acres of
floodplain, Piedmont mesic
hardwood forest, 4,350 linear feet of streambank and 100 feet of
riparian vegetation in the Proctor Creek watershed in west
Atlanta. This project will
implement restoration planning, on-the-ground community-based
habitat restoration and educational outreach to help manage
stormwater runoff, improve habitat connectivity and promote an
environmentally-aware citizenry. Partners include City of Atlanta
Dept. of Parks and Recreation, Beech Hollow Farms, Park Pride, City of Atlanta Tree Conservation
Commission, Hauser Consulting, Trees Atlanta, Arborguard, Sheer
Ecological and Chattahoochee Riverkeeper.
Urban Gardens and Wetland Restoration at Gwinnett Technical
College – The Gwinnet Tech Foundation and partners will protect
and restore .9 acres of existing wetlands on the campus of Gwinnett
Technical College in Lawrenceville,
Georgia in metro Atlanta.
This project will engage students, staff and the community in
capturing and treating stormwater runoff and protect downstream
waters. Partners include Gwinnett Tech Foundation, Gwinnett County
Department of Water Resources, UGA Extension Gwinnett County Public
Schools and Gwinnett Coalition.
Restoring Bird-friendly Habitat at Blue Heron Nature Preserve
– The Atlanta Audubon Society and partners will replace
invasive species with native, bird-friendly plants on three acres
and conduct avian surveys at the Land
O'Lakes unit of Blue Heron Nature Preserve. Project will
engage 50 volunteers and three-hundred participants in educational
outreach and provide quality foraging, nesting and stopover habitat
for birds in metro Atlanta.
Partners include Blue Heron Nature Preserve, Rock Springs
Restoration, Greening Youth Foundation, Georgia Native Plant
Society, Amphibian Foundation and National Audubon.
Marsh Protection Promenade – The Savannah Tree Foundation
and partners will improve 70 yards of marshline and tidal creek
water quality, filter 1.7 acres surface area of stormwater runoff
and reduce erosion on the campus of Savannah
State University in Chatham
County, Ga. This project will augment both the immediate and
long-term health of coastal marsh habitat and provide educational
and recreational benefits to the local community. Partners include
Savannah State University, One Hundred
Miles, Healthy Savannah and Town of Thunderbolt.
About Southern Company
Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is America's premier energy company,
with 46,000 megawatts of generating capacity and 1,500 billion
cubic feet of combined natural gas consumption and throughput
volume serving 9 million customers through its subsidiaries. The
company provides clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy
through electric operating companies in four states, natural gas
distribution companies in seven states, a competitive generation
company serving wholesale customers across America and a nationally
recognized provider of customized energy solutions, as well as
fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands
are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and
affordable prices that are below the national average. Through an
industry-leading commitment to innovation, Southern Company and its
subsidiaries are inventing America's energy future by developing
the full portfolio of energy resources, including carbon-free
nuclear, 21st century coal, natural gas, renewables and energy
efficiency, and creating new products and services for the benefit
of customers. Southern Company has been named by the U.S.
Department of Defense and G.I. Jobs
magazine as a top military employer, recognized among the Top 50
Companies for Diversity by DiversityInc, listed by Black Enterprise
magazine as one of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity and
designated a Top Employer for Hispanics by Hispanic Network. The
company has earned a National Award of Nuclear Science and History
from the National Atomic Museum Foundation for its leadership and
commitment to nuclear development and is continually ranked among
the top energy companies in Fortune's annual World's Most Admired
Electric and Gas Utility rankings. Visit our website at
www.southerncompany.com.
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