Lowe’s Donates $1 Million to The Nature Conservancy to Protect Threatened Wildlife Habitat Across Northeast U.S.

Funds go to forest and water projects in New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut

Arlington, VA—December 14, 2005—The Nature Conservancy today announced a $1 million donation from Lowe’s Companies, Inc., that will help protect critical habitat and public recreational areas across four Northeast states.

The project areas – located in the Great Bay Area of New Hampshire, the Rome Sands Plains of New York, old growth forest areas of Massachusetts and along waterways across Vermont – provide numerous outdoor activities to local residents while also serving as the home for threatened and endangered species, including the Blanding’s turtle and the Karner Blue butterfly.

“This generous donation from Lowe’s will allow us to plant trees and seedlings to reforest threatened areas, to remove destructive invasive species from waterways and to acquire nearly 500 acres of critical wildlife habitat that will be preserved for generations to come,” said Steve McCormick, president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy.

Fields and saltmarsh of Great Bay Estuary in Newmarket, New Hampshire
© Megan Lepage/TNC
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Salt marsh and field near New Hampshire property purchased in part with a grant from Lowe's
© Eric Aldrich/TNC
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Along with direct, on-the-ground conservation work, the funding will go towards educating the public about the importance of protecting natural landscapes and resources. In New Hampshire, for example, the donation will help fund the creation of a bird viewing area. In all, the New Hampshire Conservancy chapter will receive $200,000 to protect critical waterfront property.

“With the support and generosity of our vendors, Lowe’s is proud to support efforts aligned with our mission of improving the places where our customers, employees and families live, work and play,” said Larry D. Stone, chairman of the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation. “Focusing on priority projects of The Nature Conservancy enables us to make dramatic and long-lasting improvements to these communities.”

The Conservancy’s Massachusetts chapter will receive $460,000 for forest and river restoration and to purchase 270 acres of land that will be included in newly expanded state park reserves.

In New York, The Nature Conservancy will receive $120,000 to, among other things, acquire 100 acres of land that lies in the heart of the Sand Plains and has been targeted for development. The Conservancy plans to transfer that land to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

And in Vermont, Lowe’s is donating $205,000 to the Conservancy that will be used to reforest areas, work with farmers to prevent soil erosion, organize volunteers to clean up waterways, and to remove invasive plant species from lakes, streams and floodplains.

About The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, nonprofit organization that preserves plants, animals and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. 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 us on the Web at nature.org.

About Lowe's

Lowe’s is a proud supporter of Habitat for Humanity International, American Red Cross, United Way of America, and the Home Safety Council, in addition to numerous non-profit organizations and programs that help communities across the country. Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation awards more than $3 million annually to diverse organizations across the United States. Lowe’s also encourages volunteerism through the Lowe’s Heroes program, a company-wide employee volunteer initiative. Lowe’s is a FORTUNE® 50 company with fiscal year 2004 sales of $36.5 billion and has more than 1,175 stores in 49 states. The Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy have named Lowe’s ENERGY STAR Retail Partner of the Year for three consecutive years. For more information, visit Lowes.com/community.

For more information:

Where We Work: The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire , New York, Massachusetts, and Vermont
Working with partners, local communities, and people like you, The Nature Conservancy has protected hundreds of thousands of acres of critical natural area in these states.
How We Work: Corporate Partners
The Nature Conservancy helps corporate leaders contribute to biodiversity conservation by seeking new ways to meet current needs without compromising the quality of life for future generations.
How We Work: Invasive Species Initiative
The Nature Conservancy's Invasive Species Initiative works with a network of private and public partners worldwide to prevent new invasions and managing invaded systems effectively.
Feature: Saving the Karner Blue Butterfly
The distinctive silvery-gray and blue wings of the Karner Blue once flitted amid wildflowers from New England to Minnesota. Its numbers have plummeted 99 percent in the last 100 years due to habitat destruction. U.S. Fish and Wildlife says the greatest drop — 90 percent — occurred in the last 15 years.