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Lowe’s Donates $120,000 to The Nature Conservancy to Protect Threatened Wildlife Habitat in New York

Funds go to forest and water projects in four Northeast states

Rome, NY—December 15, 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 New York, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

“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.

In New York, The Nature Conservancy’s Central and Western New York chapter will receive $120,000 to acquire important conservation lands at the Rome Sand Plains in Oneida County.  Rome Sand Plains is one of only a handful of inland pine barrens in North America.  More than 4,000 acres have already been protected.  The Conservancy plans to transfer that land to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

This grant also funds restoration work on a 400-acre property that The Nature Conservancy acquired in 2004 on behalf of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.  An abandoned sand mine exists on the property and is the centerpiece of The Nature Conservancy’s restoration efforts.  In October 2005, existing vegetation was carefully selected and relocated to bare sand dunes in the abandoned sand mine.  This will encourage the spread of native plants that stabilize the sand dune, preventing erosion of the natural features unique to the area. 

“Restoration of the Sand Plains will provide more opportunities for public recreation – hiking, fishing, and birdwatching,” says Jim Howe, executive director of the Central and Western New York chapter.  “We are currently stabilizing the sand dunes with vegetation and expanding the populations of the state endangered frosted elfin butterfly by increasing the populations of its sole food source, wild blue lupine.”