The Nature Conservancy Applauds President’s Budget Request for Wildlife Refuge on Eastern Shore of Virginia

Administration seeks $2.27 million for Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge

NASSAWADOX, Va. – The Nature Conservancy today applauded President Bush’s request to fund the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge with $2.27 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund in Fiscal Year 2007.

The Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge and much of the surrounding area in southern Northampton County, are widely recognized as globally important habitat for millions of migratory birds. The Nature Conservancy works with the refuge staff, state agencies and private landowners on the Eastern Shore to protect these vital natural areas for birds and other wildlife.

“This funding would help ensure that Virginia’s critical wildlife habitat and water quality on the Eastern Shore will continue to be protected,” said Michael Lipford, Virginia executive director of The Nature Conservancy. “The more we save these habitats, the better our chances of protecting our coastal communities, tourism industry and productive fisheries – the resources that make the shore and Chesapeake Bay so special.”

Along with applauding the Bush administration for including funding for Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge in its budget, Lipford also commended Sen. John Warner and Sen. George Allen for their longtime support of the refuge. Lipford also thanked Rep. Thelma Drake, the local congresswoman, and Rep. Jim Moran, who sits on the Interior subcommittee of House Appropriations, for supporting the expansion of one of Virginia’s ecological gems. Lipford also praised Northampton’s elected officials for their consistent endorsement of the refuge.

Warner said, “I have been impressed by the efforts of The Nature Conservancy and local officials to expand and preserve the sensitive lands of the Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge. We made an important step in land acquisition with the funding provided this year, and I’m prepared to continue these efforts for the full expansion of the refuge. The Eastern Shore Refuge is a beautiful place and is critical to sustaining migratory birds along the Atlantic Flyway.”

“The preservation of our beautiful Virginia wetlands and the protection of the wildlife that live there is a vital part of our jobs as citizens and stewards of our great Commonwealth,” said Allen. “It is our responsibility to invest properly in these natural resources and to make sure that they are available for future generations to enjoy. I am pleased that President Bush has included funding in the budget for these naturally sensitive and delicate portions of the Eastern Shore.”

“I’m glad to see that funding was provided in the President’s budget for the Eastern Shore Refuge,” said Moran. “We face a battle in the House to appropriate this money, and I look forward to working with The Nature Conservancy on that effort.”

“The President’s budget reflects a commitment to the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge’s mission of providing a critical habitat for migratory birds,” said Drake. “The Refuge embodies Virginia’s unique natural heritage and this funding will ensure that it will continue to be enjoyed by future generations.”

This week, the Conservancy is conducting a habitat restoration project on nearby property it purchased in May 2005 from Eastern Shore farmers Thomas H. Dixon and Russell R. Dixon. This land is particularly significant because it lies less than a quarter of a mile north of the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge. A North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant, awarded to the Conservancy last year, is funding the restoration.

Established by Congress in 1965, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is one of the nation’s most successful conservation programs. It is the principal source of federal funding for additions to national parks, national wildlife refuges, national forests and other public lands.

The LWCF has protected some of America’s greatest natural treasures, including the Everglades, Great Sands Dunes and Hawaii Volcanoes national parks.

The Bush Administration’s LWCF request is part of the President’s budget request for the Department of the Interior and US Forest Service.

The total Fiscal Year 2007 LWCF budget request totals $85 million, the lowest level in many years. As recently as Fiscal Year 2002, Congress appropriated $446 million to acquire important additions to national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges and Bureau of Land Management areas.

“We are hopeful that Congress will restore funds to LWCF, one of the federal government’s most successful land protection programs,” said Jimmie Powell, director of government relations for The Nature Conservancy. “Numerous key additions to our country’s heritage of protected areas will only be protected if Congress increases funding for this program.”

Through its Virginia Coast Reserve program, the Conservancy has protected more than 40,000 acres on the Eastern Shore since 1969.

The Virginia Coast Reserve’s great ecological and cultural significance has been recognized through the following designations: United Nations International Man and the Biosphere Reserve, U.S. Department of the Interior National Natural Landmark, National Science Foundation Long Term Ecological Research Site and Western Hemisphere International Shorebird Reserve Network Site.