[OKC] Nearly 500, 000 Acres Enrolled in Cooperative Federal Effort to Protect Birds in Spill Zone

[Miles, Karen]

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	Release No. 0571.10
Contact:
Brad Fisher 202-720-4024 (NRCS) 
Craig Rieben 571-319-6338 (FWS)
 
Nearly 500,000 Acres Enrolled in Cooperative Federal Effort to Protect
Birds in Spill Zone
Support from Public and Private Partners Exceeds Expectations
 WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2010-Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today announced that a coordinated effort
with landowners across eight states to protect and feed birds migrating
toward the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill zone in the Gulf of Mexico had
more than tripled expectations, enrolling more than 470,000 acres.
Wildlife experts estimate more than 50 million birds migrate through the
Mississippi, Central, and Eastern Flyways each fall and spring. 
"Private landowners play a critically important role in protecting
wildlife every single day, and I am proud that so many landowners in
these eight states stepped up to be a part of this unprecedented effort
to increase migratory bird habitat and protect wildlife from any
lingering effects from the oil spill," Vilsack said. "The outpouring of
support for this effort far exceeded our expectations, and it will have
an impact on countless migratory bird populations for years to come." 
The Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative is an unprecedented effort created
by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service that began on June 28,
2010, when oil was still spilling from the Deepwater Horizon well. The
initiative mobilized private landowners to help create alternative and
additional habitats to provide healthy food and resting areas for
shorebirds, waterfowl and other birds headed for the Gulf. The initial
goal was to enroll 150,000 acres. After landowners expressed extremely
strong interest in the program, funding was doubled to $40 million
enabling enrollment to reach a total over three times the initial goal. 
The Interior Department's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has been
conducting similar work primarily on Federal lands adjacent to the spill
impact zone in order to minimize potential bird contact with
contaminated areas and help address long term objectives for habitat
conservation along the entire Gulf Coast. Much of the work has been
funded through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Recovered Oil
Fund, as well as other privately donated funds. 
"Providing additional food and nesting opportunities for migrating
waterfowl and songbirds heading south during the fall migration is an
important part of our collective effort to minimize injury to migrating
birds by creating alternative habitats north of the impacted wintering
and stopover habitats along the coast," said Salazar. "Indeed, the
Natural Resources Conservation Service's work is an important complement
to the work the Fish and Wildlife Service is doing to provide
alternative habitats for food and nesting on national wildlife refuges
in the middle and lower Mississippi Valley." 
The 470,000 acres under contract with this initiative are within the
three flyways that pass through the Gulf of Mexico. These lands in
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, 
Mississippi, Missouri and Texas are being flooded carefully with varying
water levels and planted with a variety of vegetation to provide food
and habitat for the wide range of bird species that might stop to
refuel. Early feedback from participants indicates that a variety of
birds are using the enhanced habitat, including sandpipers, blue-winged
teal, mottled ducks and many others. 
Although the MBHI initiative was initially created in response to the
oil spill, landowners are providing food at a critical time. Current
drought conditions in the Gulf region combined with decades of wetland
losses are resulting in fewer food resources and habitat compared with
previous years. In Louisiana, where the bulk of oil landfall occurred,
water levels in marshes are significantly below average. 
Currently, the FWS is calculating the number of oiled acres impacting
available food and habitat for migratory birds as part of the Natural
Resources Damage Assessment process. This is an action taken after every
spill to quantify the environmental damages and the cost to restore
natural resources to pre-spill conditions. 
NRCS has started working on a three-year effort with other entities,
including Mississippi State University, to determine the initiative's
effectiveness through monitoring the number and species of birds which
utilize the habitat created. The first progress report will be available
in spring 2011. 
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. Both a
leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, the Fish
and Wildlife Service is known for its 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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This year represents the 75th year of NRCS helping people help the land.
Since its inception in 1935, the NRCS conservation delivery system has
advanced a unique partnership with state and local governments and
private landowners delivering conservation based on specific, local
conservation needs, while accommodating state and national interests. 
________________________________


USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a
complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil
Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call
(800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).
	
 
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