Federal government spends millions to protect wildlife habitat

The federal government spent more than 19 million dollars in 2011 on projects designed to protect habitat for fish and wildlife.

Money from the 2011 National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program will support 24 conservation projects on more than 5,900 acres of coastal habitats in twelve states.

Matching funds from state and local governments, private landowners and conservation groups will add another 21 million dollars to the effort.

The grants will be used to buy and restore coastal wetlands to provide long-term conservation benefits to fish, wildlife and their habitat.

Two Florida projects were funded including the restoration of Dragline Ditched Coastal Wetlands in Volusia County and a project called the Florida Big Bend Coastal Wetland Acquisition Project.

That project received $1 million to help buy 224 acres of coastal wetlands near the mouth of the Steinhatchee River and the Gulf of Mexico in Dixie County.

The purchase will help protect coastal wetland habitat which provides habitat and nesting areas for numerous Federal and State listed species, including Manatee, Wood stork, Piping plover, and Beaked spikerush.

http://www.oysterradio.com e-mail manager@oysterradio.com with comments