U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Provides Grants for Wetlands Conservation  

Date: March 26, 2007                            RO# 07- 021
            Contact:  Amy Gaskill (503) 231-6874

More than 6,500 acres of wetlands will be restored and protected in Idaho,
Montana and Oregon with the help of $16.5 million in Federal funding and
partner contributions.

“These grants are important to successful collaborative conservation
efforts here in the Pacific Northwest ,” said Ren Lohoefener, Pacific Region
Director. “Nearly 30 partners have come together to restore and protect our
wetlands, which will benefit a myriad of migratory birds, fish, aquatic
plants and other wildlife.”

The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission recently approved funding to
purchase waterfowl habitat and fund an array of wetlands, migratory
waterfowl and associated conservation projects in the U.S. and Mexico .

The Commission approves projects for funding under the North American
Wetlands Conservation Act. This Federal funding encourages partnerships to
protect, enhance, restore, and manage wetlands and other habitats for
migratory birds and other wildlife resources in North America . The
Commission also approves the use of Migratory Bird Conservation Funds –
supported in large part by Federal Duck Stamp sales – to purchase lands for
the National Wildlife Refuge System.

More than $22.6 million were approved under the North American Wetlands
Conservation Fund to support 34 conservation projects in 14 states.
Partners in the 21 U.S. projects will add more than $74.1 million to
restore more than 121,156 acres of wetlands and associated uplands.

The Commission also approved the use of more than $13 million under the
Migratory Bird Conservation Fund to acquire 6,566 acres of habitat for the
National Wildlife Refuge System. The Fund receives revenue from Duck Stamp
sales, import duties on firearms and ammunition and right-of-way payments
to the refuge system.

The three North American Wetlands Conservation Act grants approved in the
Pacific Region include the following projects:

A $1,000,000 grant was awarded for the Upper Willamette Wetlands
Conservation Initiative in Oregon and will protect, enhance and restore
2,151 acres of riparian and wetland habitats in the Upper Willamette River
floodplain.  About $3,998,683 was contributed from federal and
non-governmental organizations as this project’s second phase continues to
build on their previous accomplishments.  Several hundred species of fish
and wildlife will benefit from this project including a variety of
waterfowl, shorebirds, migratory songbirds, raptors, etc., as well as 11
different federally listed species. The partners in this project include
McKenzie River Trust, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bella Vista
Foundation, McKenzie Watershed Council, East Lane Soil and Water
Conservation District, Art Johnson, Dale Bergey, Larry Bangs, MDAC Farms
LLC , U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Mid-Willamette National Wildlife
Refuge Complex and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

An $880,500 grant was awarded for the Willamette River Restoration project,
which will help partners acquire and restore the 369-acre Joint Water
Commission Springhill Road Tract, and will restore another 348 acres on
private tracts and Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. Contributed
funds to the project exceed $2 million and will affect 1,237 acres
throughout the project area. Shallow excavation, berm construction,
water-control structure installation will be carried out on six private
tracts, enhancing a total of 520 acres. Partners in this project include
Ducks Unlimited, Joint Water Commission, Wally Remmers, Oregon Watershed
Enhancement Board, Clean Water Services, USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“This grant shows a diverse partnership coming together to restore and
protect crucial waterfowl habitat in the Willamette River Delta, says
Manager of Conservation Programs Chuck Lobdell. “These NAWCA grants are
absolutely critical to DU’s ability to restore and protect wetlands.
Partners from both the public and private sector are stepping up and
helping DU to leverage our conservation dollars, and the support of our
members to conserve even more habitat”

The Lower Clark Fork River/Lake Pend Oreille Watershed Project in Idaho and
Montana will receive $1,000,000 to protect, restore and enhance 3,174 acres
of public and private lands in the watershed—on more than 20 parcels in
total.  More than $7 million has been contributed to the project by federal
and non-federal organizations thus far.  This grant will help protect the
41-acre Wild Horse Trail Tract through fee-title donation and conservation
easement acquisition; purchase a perpetual conservation easement on the
133-acre Ruen Tract; protect the 67-acre Dunnagan Tract along Pack River
through a donated conservation easement; restore 3 acres of Granite Creek;
and enhance 574 acres of Pack River Delta wetlands in Idaho. The grant will
also be used to acquire fee title on the 2-acre Graves Creek Tract and on
1,281 acres in the State’s Bull River Wildlife Management Area; purchase
conservation easements on two parcels totaling 189 acres along Bull River;
permanently protect another 824 acres along Bull River through donated
conservation easements on three parcels; and restore 17 acres of riparian
and wetland habitats on six tracts, and enhance 43 acres on another four
tracts, along tributaries of the Lower Clark River in Montana. Partners in
this project include the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Avista
Corporation, Robert Dunnagan, Judy Hutchins, Wild Horse Trail, The
Conservation Fund, Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Trout Unlimited,
Clark Fork-Pend Oreille Conservancy, U.S. Forest Service, Green Mountain
Conservation District, Sanders County Resource Advisory Committee and U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service.

Additional information can be found on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Website.

U.S. project descriptions:
http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NAWCA/Standard/US/ApprovProj.shtm

Summary Table Fact Sheet:
http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NAWCA/Standard/files/2007_March_

StandardGrantSummaryTable.pdf

      The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency
responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and
plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American
people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge
System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small
wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national
fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services
field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the
Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores
nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat
such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments
with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance
program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes
on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.