Contact: Ernie Blazar 202.224.7627 Shana Stribling 202.224.0309
Wednesday, July 31, 2002

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Kit Bond today announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has approved $1.7 million in wildlife grants for Missouri.

“These dollars will help ensure Missouri’s fish and wildlife communities stay healthy,” said Bond. “I continue to assert that we can protect both people and the environment simultaneously, these funds will help us in that goal.”

The $1.7 million in Fish and Wildlife Service funds will support the following:

* $800,747 for the restoration of the Osage River Basin - The project will address habitat restoration by improving understanding of river flow needs and the role of hydrological changes that impact floodplains and riparian habitats and species. These efforts will benefit 14 rare or listed species of fish and mussels. Also, restoration of paddlefish stocks and other recovery action for listed fish will be accomplished; * $882,241 for a comprehensive State Wildlife Conservation Plan - The project will fund a new State Wildlife Conservation Plan that will include updating geographic and informational databases needed for comprehensive planning, integration of a plan for the Missouri Natural Area System with the State Wildlife Conservation Plan, and establishing procedures for monitoring plan implementation. This plan will benefit more than 5,000 species of plants and at least 20,000 animal species.

Bond served Missouri twice as Governor and now continues his service to Missourians in the United States Senate.