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Nature Conservancy Applauds $140 Million Administration Commitment to Marine Conservation

Funding will provide critical resources for coastal conservation projects

WASHINGTON, DC — January 26, 2007 — Today the Bush Administration announced a significant budget increase of $140 million for coastal and marine conservation projects for Fiscal Year 2008. This requested increase will help protect sensitive ocean and coastal habitats, which provide important services to people around the country.

“This proposed funding is a critical step in protecting key marine habitats that improve our water quality, supply food and support our economy,” said Steve McCormick, president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy. “We applaud the Administration’s leadership in seeking funding for work that will maintain and restore important marine resources for people and nature.”

Today’s requested increase in funding is an important resource for creating healthier oceans and coasts. The Nature Conservancy works with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and state governments to protect coastal habitats across the country. The NOAA budget request includes a $38 million increase for protecting and restoring coastal and marine areas, including:

• $15 million for the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program, which provides funding for land protection in critical coastal zones; 
• $10 million to restore nearly 1,000 stream miles of habitat for endangered Atlantic salmon and other fish species of the Penobscot River in Maine; and 
• $5 million to support the Gulf of Mexico Governors Alliance regional initiative to restore the health of the Gulf of Mexico.

“We are pleased that the Administration is putting funding behind some of the important recommendations of the U.S. Ocean Commission and the President’s Ocean Action Plan,” said Lynne Hale, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Global Marine Initiative. “Today’s request will ultimately mean more salmon in the rivers of Maine, increased restoration of the Gulf Coast and healthier oceans and coasts across the country.” 

More than half of the U.S. population lives in coastal counties. Coastal habitats filter pollutants, help protect communities from storms, provide recreational opportunities to more than 180 million people each year and support coastal livelihoods.

But across the United States we are losing critical coastal habitats, harming marine life and the people who depend on oceans and coasts.

• Coastal marshes in the United States are vanishing at the rate of 20,000 acres per year as property development encroaches on sensitive environments. 
• Poorly planned coastal development has weakened natural barriers in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in habitat loss and making communities even more susceptible to storm damage.
• Due to habitat destruction, it takes oysters in the Chesapeake Bay more than a year to filter the amount of water that used to take 3-6 days.

With more than 100 marine projects in 22 countries and all coastal U.S. states, The Nature Conservancy focuses on marine conservation that achieves demonstrable results. Working with partners, we create lasting conservation results that benefit marine life, local communities and economies. Our unique approach is to protect and restore the best examples of healthy ocean and coastal habitats through science, market-based strategies, restoration and building resilience against threats.

The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working to protect the most ecologically important lands and waters around the world for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.