More Waterfowl Habitat in Mississippi
October 6, 2008
Jackson – The Foundation for Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (Foundation) was awarded a North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant for almost $1 million. The grant entitled, “Mississippi Delta WMA Wetland Habitat Enhancements,” is the first NAWCA grant awarded to the Foundation. The project will protect, restore, and enhance 3,270 acres of waterfowl habitat on three Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks’ (MDWFP) Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in the Mississippi Delta. Habitat restoration and enhancement efforts will begin in summer 2009 at Howard Miller WMA in Issaquena County, O’Keefe WMA in Quitman County, and Charlie Capps WMA in Bolivar County.
The 2,430-acre Howard Miller WMA was acquired by the MDWFP in January 2006 and July 2007. Grant funds will renovate ditches, replace water control structures, and replace damaged pump motors on Howard Miller WMA so that it can continue to provide valuable habitat for both waterfowl and waterfowl hunters. Work activities on O’Keefe WMA will improve water management on a 20-acre agricultural field. Once restored, this field will be managed for a variety of natural and planted waterfowl foods and provide additional hunting opportunities.
Charlie Capps WMA was once a 451-acre state fishing lake, but became a WMA because frequent flooding made management of the sport fishery extremely difficult. As a result, approximately 400 acres of the former lake bed will be restored to shallow, intensively managed wetlands that provide quality waterfowl habitat and public waterfowl hunting opportunities. Another 50 acres of the lake bed will be re-planted to restore historical cypress and tupelo wetlands. MDWFP will also maintain a 40-acre fishing lake to retain fishing opportunity in the area. “The restoration of Charlie Capps WMA will give hunters a quality waterfowl hunting opportunity in an area of the Delta that has not had such opportunities provided on state-owned lands,” said Stephen Chandler, WMA supervisor for Charlie CappsWMA.
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Grants Totaling $ 1.509 Million to Fund Improvements to Wildlife Habitat in California’s Central Valley
September 23, 2008
Two grants totaling more than $1.5 million will help fund two wildlife habitat restoration and conservation projects in California, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced Monday (Sept. 15). Funded under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), these two projects will help protect, restore and enhance more than 8,600 acres of wetlands, riparian and associated habitat in the Central Valley. Partners in these projects will contribute an additional $2.895 million in non-federal matching funds to help support these conservation effects.
A grant of $1,000,000 to Ducks Unlimited will support Phase 2 of a multi-phase initiative to conserve wetlands and associated habitats in the northern Tulare and San Joaquin basins of California?s Central Valley in Fresno and Merced Counties. Partners will protect, restore and enhance 5,210 of wetlands, 205 acres of riparian and 1,334 acres of associated wildlife habitats consisting of native grasslands, scrublands and managed upland habitats. Habitat conserved through this grant will benefit waterfowl, shorebirds and other wetland-dependent birds throughout the year.
A second grant of $509,039 to the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service will support the seventh phase of a multi-phase initiative to protect, restore and enhance wetlands and associated uplands within the Grasslands Wildlife Management Area and the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge acquisition boundary. The work will restore and enhance 1,854 acres of wetlands, riparian and wetland associated habitat, which will provide resting and foraging habitat for wintering migratory waterfowl and year-round habitat for other riparian and wetlands dependent birds and wildlife. These lands will provide long-term benefits to wetlands conservation and migratory birds because the lands are protected under U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service perpetual conservation easements. The northern San Joaquin Valley–especially the wetlands in Merced and Stanislaus counties–is a critically important wintering area for Pacific Flyway migratory birds, with peak annual numbers of ducks and geese ranging from 800,000 to 1,000,000.
The two grants were awarded under NAWCA?s U.S. Standard Grants Program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the Central Valley Joint Venture ( http://www.centralvalleyjointventure.org
). The grants are funded by annual Congressional appropriations; fines, penalties and forfeitures levied under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act; interest accrued on funds under the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and excise taxes paid on small engine fuels through the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Fund.
The commission includes Senators Thad Cochran of Mississippi and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, Representatives John Dingell of Michigan and Wayne Gilchrest of Maryland, Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen L. Johnson, as well as state representatives serving as ex officio members who vote on projects located within their respective states.
More information about NAWCA grant programs and summaries of the projects is available at: http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NAWCA/index.shtm.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.
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