HOUSTON, Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and ConocoPhillips, today announced more than $1.2 million in grants that will identify and improve key bird habitats across four states. The grants will leverage $560,000 in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $1.8 million.

The six projects announced today will conserve habitat in Louisiana, North Dakota, Texas and Wyoming, covering a large area of the Central Flyway in the United States. The Central Flyway includes parts of Canada, the United States, Central America and South America. It serves as a corridor for birds traveling from their breeding grounds to areas where they spend the winter. 

“The projects we announce today will provide valuable population information that will help guide future conservation investments, in addition to securing and enhancing vital habitat for many important bird species,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “With the strong support of ConocoPhillips and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, we are excited to fund these exceptional projects that will deliver significant conservation benefits not just for birds, but for many other species as well.”

The grants were awarded through the ConocoPhillips SPIRIT of Conservation Program, a partnership between NFWF and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and ConocoPhillips. With a goal of conserving and recovering populations of imperiled birds, the partnership supports work to improve the quality and connectivity of important bird habitats and accelerate innovations for understanding bird conservation needs across their ranges.

“For the past two decades, the ConocoPhillips SPIRIT of Conservation program has supported significant improvements to habitat quality and quantity for both migratory and non-migratory bird populations and accelerated innovations for bird conservation,” said Natalie Riley, ConocoPhillips’ director of Community Relations. “We are proud of these achievements and pleased to support this year’s program winners and their efforts to further this mission.”

The projects supported by the six grants announced today will:

• Improve 11,000 acres at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas to conserve habitat for migratory birds
• Remove invasive brush to improve 1,400 acres of habitat for northern aplomado falcon and grassland birds at Palo Alto National Historic Park and Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in Texas
• Collaborate with private landowners through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program to restore 500 acres and improve 2,500 acres for whooping crane, piping plover and grassland birds across North Dakota
• Create shallow wetlands on private working lands to improve 2,200 acres for mottled duck and other migratory birds in southwest Louisiana
• Improve water conveyance infrastructure to enhance wetland habitat and improve 3,300 acres for migratory birds and Wyoming toad at Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Wyoming Toad Conservation Area and Toad Ranch in Wyoming
• Sustain the South Texas Grassland Restoration Incentive Program to improve 400 acres on private working lands to support migratory birds in the Tamaulipan Brushland ecoregion of southern Texas

“Private landowners are critical to conserving the nation’s grasslands and wetlands, which are vital to migratory birds and wildlife, as well as the communities that depend upon them,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams. “I am pleased to continue our partnership with the SPIRIT of Conservation Program, which supports increasing landscape connectivity and habitat quality for birds across their ranges.”

Since 2005, the ConocoPhillips SPIRIT of Conservation Program has awarded more than $17 million to 140 projects. Grantees have provided an additional $49 million in matching contributions, for a total conservation impact of $66 million. This investment has supported the protection, restoration and enhancement of more than 560,000 acres of habitat for birds and other wildlife.

A complete list of the 2024 grants made through the ConocoPhillips SPIRIT of Conservation Program 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 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, visit www.fws.gov, or connect with us through any of these social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, YouTube and Flickr.

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, $97 billion of total assets, and approximately 10,300 employees at Sept. 30, 2024. Production averaged 1,921 MBOED for the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2024, and proved reserves were 6.8 BBOE as of Dec. 31, 2023. For more information, go to www.conocophillips.com.

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