MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Wolf River Conservancy announced Tuesday it has been awarded a $1 million grant for wetland conservation.
The organization said the grant is part of a larger $95 million effort to conserve and restore more than 300,000 acres of habitats across North America through the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The $1 million will be used to work on conservation in the Wolf River Watershed in Tennessee and Mississippi. The goal is to preserve and restore habitats for waterfowl, songbirds, and other birds in the watershed.
The Wolf River Conservancy does it work in wetlands from near the source of the Wolf River to the area where it meets the Mississippi River just north of downtown Memphis.
“In receiving this NAWCA grant of $1 Million, the significance of this grant cannot be overstated,” said Keith Cole, Executive Director for the Wolf River Conservancy, in a news release. “Not only will it allow us to preserve additional, critically important lands in the Wolf River watershed, ultimately protecting the Memphis Sand Aquifer, but it also recognizes the professionalism of the Conservancy.”
The Conservancy said wetlands provide economic, ecological, and social benefits to species and the surrounding communities. They also offer protection from the effects of climate change.
More information about North American wetlands and migratory bird conservation can be found HERE.
