Interior Secretary Norton Announces Grants to Protect Imperiled Species in the Northeast as Part of National Program

5/28/2003

From: Terri Edwards, 413-253-8303, or Diana Weaver, 413-253-8329, both of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y., May 28 -- Interior Secretary Gale Norton today announced that 13 landowners in Maine, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia will receive a total of $629,812 in federal grant funding to undertake conservation projects to benefit threatened and endangered species on private lands.

The grants are among 113 totaling more than $9.4 million awarded to individuals and groups in 43 states as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's new Private Stewardship Grant Program, according to Norton.

President Bush originally proposed the creation of the Private Stewardship Grant program during a speech in Lake Tahoe, Nevada in June 2000. The grants announced today, the first ever awarded under the program, will benefit species ranging from the whooping crane in Nebraska to the bald eagle in the state of Washington. Each grant must be matched by at least 10 percent of the total project cost either in non-federal dollars or in-kind contributions.

"Conservation, and especially the conservation of imperiled species, must be a partnership between the American people and their government," said Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton. "By making these grants, we are empowering citizens to restore habitat on their land and take other steps to protect and recover endangered, threatened and at-risk species."

"Judging from the number of truly innovative grant proposals we reviewed, landowners across the U.S. are eager to work with us to conserve at-risk species," said Service Director Steve Williams. "We anticipate this public/private partnership will result in significant conservation achievements for wildlife and wildlife habitat."

The Private Stewardship Grants Program provides federal grants on a competitive basis to individuals and groups engaged in voluntary conservation efforts on private lands that benefit federally listed endangered or threatened species, candidate species or other at-risk species. Under this program, private landowners as well as groups working with private landowners are able to submit proposals directly to the Service for funding to support these efforts. President Bush has requested funding of $10 million for this program in 2004.

The following are the Private Stewardship Grants funded today for projects in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Northeast Region:

1. F.E.E.T. On the Ground, Long Island, New York (Application by The Nature Conservancy) - New York - ($82,500) - To improve on the ground management of piping plovers and other beach dependent species such as the common tern and black skimmer on eastern Long Island. This work will focus on nesting areas that are privately owned or are significantly impacted by the activities of adjacent private landowners.

2. Pine Savanna Restoration and Safe Harbor Outreach for Recovery of the Red-cockaded woodpecker in Virginia (Application by The Nature Conservancy of Virginia) - Virginia - ($60,000) - This project will support recovery efforts for the red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW) in Virginia through the implementation of model forest and fire management on private lands, in conjunction with the Virginia RCW Safe Harbor. Restoration of pine savanna habitat will be focused on Piney Grove Preserve, Virginia.

3. Glacial Lake Albany Karner blue butterfly Habitat Restoration, New York (Application by The Nature Conservancy Eastern New York Chapter) - New York - ($126,911) - This project will employ forestry and land clearing practices to facilitate Karner blue butterfly (KBB) habitat restoration of 30 currently forested acres within the Glacial Lake Albany Federal KBB Recovery Unit.

4. Muddy Creek "Friends of the Mussels" Streambank Restoration and Riparian Protection, Pennsylvania (Application by Western Pennsylvania Conservancy) - Pennsylvania - ($75,000) - To improve water quality and habitat for federally endangered freshwater mussels such as the clubshell mussel, and state listed freshwater mussels and fish species that include the creek heelsplitter mussel and the Ohio lamprey. The project will protect state listed riparian and wetland plant species through revegetation of riparian areas with native species; restoration of eroded streambanks using vegetative stabilization techniques; fencing of livestock from streams, riparian, and wetland areas; and wetland restoration.

5. Hydrological and Ecological Restoration of Finzel Swamp in Garrett County, Maryland (Application by The Nature Conservancy Maryland/DC Chapter) - Maryland - ($23,913) - To improve habitat for rare and common native wetland species by restoring the natural hydrological function and integrity of Finzel Swamp; to improve water quality in the swamp; and to improve habitat for upland species by restoring the ecological function and integrity of upland forest natural communities surrounding the swamp. Some of the species likely to benefit from this project include the; Henslow's sparrow, sege wren, Compton's tortoiseshell, wild calla, goldthread, and larch.

6. Conservation of Nickwacket and Mt. Aeolus Caves, Vermont (Application by Anthony Robbins) - Vermont - ($34,085) - This project will restore historic Indiana bat hibernacula and develop conservation plans to manage hibernacula and adjacent lands to conserve Indiana bats and other bat species of state concern including the Eastern small-footed bat and the Northern long-eared bat.

7. Control and Monitoring of the Invasive Plant Species Glossy Buckthorn (Application by Research Foundation on behalf of SUNY Oswego) - New York -($24,625) - The objective of this project is to reduce and control the spread of the invasive plant species glossy buckthorn which threatens the terrestrial fen habitats and species at a hub of regional biodiversity in Oswego County, New York. This unique wetland complex currently provides sanctuary to a diverse assemblage of rare natural communities and state or federally listed species, including the federally threatened bog turtle and the state endangered bog buckmoth.

8. Control of the Invasive Common Reed at a Unique Calcareous Fen (Application by Research Foundation on behalf of SUNY Oswego) - New York - ($49,725) - To reduce and control the spread of the invasive common reed that threatens a unique and rich mixture of rare habitats and species. This project will benefit at least seven state listed rare plants including brown bog sedge, Sartwells's sedge, low nutrush and marsh arrow-grass. In addition, the federally endangered bog turtle and a state species of concern, the spotted turtle, will also benefit from this project.

9. Habitat Management and Restoration for 12 at Risk Species in the Central Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia (Application by The Nature Conservancy) - West Virginia - ($50,000) - To enhance and restore the habitat for 12 at risk species including the federally threatened Cheat Mountain salamander, and the federally endangered northern flying squirrel, in the Central Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. Management and restoration efforts will focus on three strategies: 1) non-native or invasive weed control and removal; 2) livestock browse and off-road vehicle exclosures around rare species and select habitats; and 3) restoration of red spruce forest habitat by planting red spruce tree seedlings.

10. Waterbird Management on Stratton Island, Maine (Application by National Audubon Socitey) - Maine - ($18,200) - To protect nesting waterbirds such as the federally endangered roseate tern and the state threatened arctic tern, from human disturbance and predators during the nesting season and to improve nesting habitat by removing invasive plants from heron colonies, wetlands, and tern nesting habitat.

11. Habitat Improvement for the Delmarva fox squirrel (DFS) in Dorchester County, Maryland (Application by Anne and Robbie Wiley) - Maryland - ($33,322) - This project will improve disturbed woodlands for the benefit of the endangered DFS. The project will include a survey on an existing benchmark site from the DFS recovery plan. An area or previously clearcut and select cut woods in lower Dorchester County will be improved by clearing dead debris and grading the woodland floor. Replanting with trees and seed/fruit bearing shrubs will offer along term food source for the DFS.

12. Downeast Maine Atlantic salmon Watershed Non_Point Source Site Restoration Project (Application by Project SHARE) - Maine - ($33,321) - This project intends to stabilize and restore identified non-point sources of sedimentation in the Dennys, E. Machias, Machias, Pleasant, and Narraguagus River Watersheds. The project will also restore and/or enhance riparian buffer areas adjacent to know Atlantic salmon habitat.

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