OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 27, 1997

Stephanie Hanna (O) 202/208-6416

David Klinger (O) 503/231-6121

Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt today offered his support for an agreement between the Department of Energy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announced by Energy Secretary Federico Pena. The agreement would allow the Interior Department agency to assume management of the Arid Lands Ecology Reserve (ALE) on the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State.

The ALE Reserve, a 77,000-acre section located on the west side of the Hanford Site, includes some of the best shrub-steppe habitat in Washington. It provides pristine habitat for many rare plant communities and many species of wildlife such as the sage thrasher, sage sparrow, and loggerhead shrike dependent on the preservation of large areas of shrub-steppe. Of 27 new species of insects discovered on the Hanford Site, most have been found in the ALE Reserve.

"Secretary Pena's announcement is good news for people everywhere who care about wildlife and the outdoors," Secretary Babbitt said. "As we have witnessed across the country at places such as Rocky Mountain Arsenal in Colorado and Jefferson Proving Ground in Indiana, lands that were once vital to national security are still critical to the survival of our Nation's wildlife heritage. Today's announcement ensures a very signficant and large ares of important wildlife habitat will continue to be protected for future generations."

Under the terms of the agreement, the Service will manage the land under a 25-year permit. During the next few years, the agency will conduct extensive public involvement to provide guidance for management of the reserve.

The Secretary also said his department is working toward a partnership with the Battelle Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Washington State University, The Nature Conservancy, and Washington State's Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop environmental education programs for the reserve.

"We intend to be an active partner in this region of Washington State," Babbitt said. "I am excited about the potential as we look ahead to building our management plan for this site. We look forward to working with the Department of Energy and building upon their efforts to protect this ecologically significant area."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency with responsibility for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages 511 national wildlife refuges covering 92 million acres, as well as 72 national fish hatcheries.

The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, manages migratory bird populations, stocks recreational fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, administers the Endangered Species Act, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that funnels Federal excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies. This program is a cornerstone of the Nation's wildlife management efforts, funding fish and wildlife restoration, boating access, hunter education, shooting ranges, and related projects across America.

-FWS-