Washington, D.C., Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced $3.7 million in conservation grants to help restore and sustain grassland systems that provide important wildlife habitat in the Pecos Watershed and adjacent areas of New Mexico and Texas.

The grants were awarded through the Pecos Watershed Conservation Initiative, an innovative public-private partnership that leverages resources from corporate partners, including Apache Corporation, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Oxy, and XTO Energy, an ExxonMobil subsidiary, as well as from federal agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. 

The 15 grants announced today will be matched by $4.7 million from the organizations receiving funding for a total conservation impact of $8.4 million.

“Our grantees and funding partners continue to promote healthier grasslands, springs and rivers through landscape-scale projects directly benefiting the fish and wildlife that depend on these habitats in the Pecos River Watershed,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “Now in its seventh year, the Pecos Watershed Conservation Initiative continues to strengthen the natural landscape of the Pecos watershed, demonstrating the power of public-private conservation partnerships in action.” 

The projects supported by the 15 grants will address key conservation opportunities, including grassland restoration in the region that will directly benefit species of conservation concern. The grassland projects seek to improve the quality and connectivity of native Chihuahuan Desert grasslands and provide important habitat for pronghorn and migratory grassland bird species. 

In a joint statement, the five corporate members supporting this grant slate said: “We are proud to support our grantee partners in their commitment to improving this watershed and stewarding its natural resources. By combining the grantees’ deep understanding of the landscape with the latest conservation techniques, they are supporting not only fish and wildlife habitat but also their local communities. And by improving the management and function of native grasslands, and protecting some of the last remaining populations of native fish and other aquatic species found only in the Chihuahuan Desert, together, we are achieving long term successes for the Pecos Watershed.”

The program also seeks to improve the quality and connectivity of stream and riparian habitat by restoring aquatic connectivity, naturalizing stream channel configuration, controlling invasive species, and improving in-stream and riparian habitat. These projects will improve habitat for Pecos pupfish, Pecos gambusia and other native aquatic species. 

“Seeing initiatives like this strengthen through the power of partnerships affirms the commitment of the people who use these landscapes and seek to improve its function. This grant will enable us to continue our grassland restoration efforts, specifically for pronghorn antelope. These wildlife friendly fences are allowing pronghorn to move freely, and the ranchers are seeing them in places they've never seen them before,” said Jim Stovall BLM Pecos District Manager.

The 15 projects awarded in these slates fund large-scale, cross-jurisdictional habitat restoration, expansion and improvement projects that will: 

• Restore more than 45,000 acres of grasslands 
• Improve management on more than 18,000 acres of grasslands
• Improve more than 101 miles of pronghorn-friendly fencing
• Restore 100 acres of riparian habitat

The initiative’s long-term goals include:

• Strengthening the health of existing habitats along the Pecos River and its tributaries
• Improving the management and function of native grasslands
• Addressing water quality and scarcity concerns for wildlife and agricultural uses
• Identifying opportunities to re-establish species to areas of their range where they have been lost or to bolster small remnant populations

Since its inception in 2017, the PWCI has invested a total of $12 million into 59 projects. 

A complete list of the 2023-2024 grants made through the initiative is available here. More about the Pecos Watershed Conservation Initiative is available here.

About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Chartered by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Working with federal, corporate, foundation and individual partners, NFWF has funded more than 6,800 organizations and generated a total conservation impact of more than $10 billion. NFWF is an equal opportunity provider. Learn more at nfwf.org.

About Apache Corporation
Apache Corporation is an oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in the United States, Egypt and the United Kingdom. Apache is a wholly-owned subsidiary of APA Corporation. APA posts announcements, operational updates, investor information and press releases on its website, www.apacorp.com.

About the Bureau of Land Management 
The BLM manages approximately 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The agency’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

About Chevron
Chevron and its legacy companies have been a fixture in the Permian Basin for nearly 100 years. Chevron’s large acreage position and talented workforce enable it to be one of the largest producers of oil and natural gas in the basin. The company expects to grow its production in the Permian to one million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2025. Chevron remains committed to responsible practices that conserve fresh water and protect land, air and species unique to the Permian region. More information about Chevron’s Permian operations is available at https://www.chevron.com/what-we-do/energy/oil-and-natural-gas/assets/permian.

About ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips is one of the world’s leading exploration and production companies based on both production and reserves, with a globally diversified asset portfolio. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, ConocoPhillips had operations and activities in 13 countries, $96 billion of total assets, and approximately 10,200 employees at June 30, 2024. Production averaged 1,923 MBOED for the six months ended June 30, 2024, and proved reserves were 6.8 BBOE as of Dec. 31, 2023. For more information, go to www.conocophillips.com.

About USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service
As the USDA’s primary private lands conservation agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helps to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat. Through voluntary conservation programs, NRCS helps producers, soil and water conservation districts, and other partners protect and conserve natural resources on private lands throughout the United States. With approximately 2,300 Service Centers in communities nationwide, NRCS and other USDA employees work side-by-side with producers in every state and territory. Producers can learn more or apply for a program by contacting their local Service Center or using our Conservation Concerns Tool. Necesita información en español? Busque nuestras traducciones.

About Occidental
Occidental is an international energy company with assets primarily in the United States, the Middle East and North Africa. We are one of the largest oil producers in the U.S., including a leading producer in the Permian and DJ basins, and offshore Gulf of Mexico. Our midstream and marketing segment provides flow assurance and maximizes the value of our oil and gas. Our chemical subsidiary OxyChem manufactures the building blocks for life-enhancing products. Our Oxy Low Carbon Ventures subsidiary is advancing leading-edge technologies and business solutions that economically grow our business while reducing emissions. We are committed to using our global leadership in carbon management to advance a lower-carbon world. Visit oxy.com for more information.

About the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit https://www.fws.gov/program/southeast-region. Connect with us on social media: Facebook, X, Flickr, and YouTube.

About XTO Energy
A subsidiary of ExxonMobil, XTO Energy is a leading oil and natural gas producer in North America with expertise in developing tight gas, shale gas, coal-bed methane and unconventional oil resources. XTO Energy or its affiliates operate in all of the major U.S. unconventional producing regions and Western Canada. XTO Energy also provides support and technical services to ExxonMobil’s operations in Argentina. 

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Rob Blumenthal
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
(202) 857-0166
rob.blumenthal@nfwf.org