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The Nature Conservancy Congratulates the House and Senate for Passing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

ARLINGTON, VA — February 13, 2009 —The Nature Conservancy congratulates the House and Senate for passing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

“The bill passed today will stimulate green jobs, promote energy efficiency and provide funding for restoring fish and wildlife habitat important to local communities,” said Mark Tercek, President and CEO of The Nature Conservancy.

Among its many provisions, the Act addresses national, regional and local needs by creating jobs though environmental restoration. Many of these restoration projects are in rural areas, where there are acute unemployment problems. The Nature Conservancy applauds the Congress for creating job opportunities in these rural areas and providing funds for restoring natural resources.

“The natural resource restoration projects included in this bill can be a foundation for creating and maintaining healthy communities for people and nature,” said Robert Bendick, Director of Government Relations for The Nature Conservancy. “The inclusion of green infrastructure in the stimulus bill recognizes the value of natural systems and natural habitat to the long term economic health of our society.”

Among the environmental restoration investments included in the bill are restoration of coastal and freshwater wetlands, forest restoration, improving the water quality of rivers and streams, and repairing damage to Federal lands and waters. The bill also provides significant funding for energy efficiency and new energy technology that are so essential to slowing climate change and reducing its impacts on fish and wildlife habitat.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.