NOAA Awards $600,000 to The Nature Conservancy To Restore Critical Marine Habitat and Protect Aquatic Species

(Note: Ranchers, meet commercial fishermen. What do you have in common? The Nature Conservancy is 'buying back' both grazing and fishing permits, putting you out of business. Voters, these are your taxpayer dollars being handed to a global land acquisition 'non-profit.' Appointed bureaucrats within virtually all Department of Interior agencies, the EPA, etc., are doling out your hard-earned dollars to an organization that is bulldozing homes and businesses in Costa Rica, claiming ownership of an entire peninsula that it does not own. What are U.S. federal agencies doing 'awarding' it with megabucks? Read the real deal here http://www.vtc.net/~tnccon/ and here: http://www.propertyrightsresearch.org/tncframes.htm)

June 27, 2006

Press release from The Nature Conservancy follows:

Erica Rychwalski erychwalski@tnc.org or 703-841-4837

Washington, D.C. - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today awarded The Nature Conservancy a $600,000 Community-based Restoration Program (CRP) grant to implement projects that will restore important marine habitat and protect aquatic species across the country. The announcement comes on the same day as a 10th anniversary celebration of CRP, a financial and technical assistance program that promotes strong partnerships at the national, regional, and local level to restore fisheries habitat.

Across the United States, the loss and degradation of coastal habitats has harmed marine life and the people who depend on oceans and coasts for their livelihoods. But increasing conservation efforts and effective management can result in healthier oceans and coasts for the benefit of people and nature.

"NOAA's goals for habitat restoration are best accomplished through strong community-based stewardship,” said retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA Administrator. "The public’s active commitment to restoring fisheries resources is integral to our success. I commend NOAA
CRP and its partners, like The Nature Conservancy, for their dedication to restore high quality fish habitat throughout our nation’s coastal states and Great Lakes, as well as parts of Canada and the Caribbean.”

Since 2001, the Conservancy has partnered with the NOAA Restoration Center to implement innovative conservation activities that benefit marine, estuarine and riparian habitats on both coasts of the country, as well as in the Gulf of Mexico and Hawaii. The Conservancy works with coastal communities, stakeholders and other partners to carry out conservation strategies that are tailored to local needs. These projects protect coastal and marine habitat, restore species that are important to ecosystem functions, remove invasive species, create shellfish spawning sanctuaries and re-establish water flows to estuaries.

“As the Community-based Restoration Program celebrates 10 successful years, we are proud to continue our partnership with NOAA in restoring our country’s coastal waters,” said Lynne Hale, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Marine Initiative. “These waters are a critical resource for millions of Americans, as well as marine plants and animals, and NOAA’s support is essential to our effective conservation work.”

To date, NOAA grants to The Nature Conservancy have supported 58 on-the-ground restoration projects in 17 coastal states in the U.S. Current projects identified for funding include oyster reef restoration on the Pacific, East and Gulf of Mexico Coasts, salt marsh restoration in Maine, clam and scallop restoration in New York and Florida, and coral reef restoration in Florida and Hawaii. The Conservancy connects people and ideas through the NOAA partnership, helping to build restoration expertise and knowledge around the nation.

NOAA CRP works with organizations and governments to support locally-driven habitat restoration projects in marine, estuarine, and riparian areas. The program funds projects that offer educational and social benefits for people and their communities and provide long-term ecological benefits for fishery resources. Since 1996, more than 1,000 projects in 26 states, Canada and the Caribbean have been implemented using NOAA funding and leveraged funding from national and regional habitat restoration partners. 

Each year, NOAA awards approximately $950 million in grants to members of the academic, scientific, governmental, and business communities to assist the agency in fulfilling its mission to study the Earth’s natural systems to predict environmental change, manage ocean resources, protect life and property and provide decision makers with reliable scientific information.  NOAA goals and programs reflect a commitment to these basic responsibilities of science and service to the nation for the past 36 years.

 

For further information:

 

The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing history of working with NOAA to restore marine habitat. http://www.nature.org/initiatives/marine/strategies/art9023.html

 

The Nature Conservancy also works in other ways to protect marine resources: protecting submerged lands and establishing market-based conservation strategies. http://www.nature.org/initiatives/marine/

 

California's Coastal and Marine Program http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/california/preserves/art16695.html is working all along the coastline: one program is buying back federal fishing permits http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/california/features/art18316.html; one leases kelp beds; and we are monitoring the Channel Islands Marine Protected Area.

 

http://nature.org/initiatives/marine/press/press2507.html