Senator Coons celebrates two $1M grants for wetlands conservation

NEAR BOWERS BEACH, Del. – Senator Coons joined federal and state officials and local conservation partners on Wednesday to celebrate the addition of nearly 750 acres of key coastal Bayshore lands to the Ted Harvey Conservation Area. The purchase and protection of the property, known as the Vance Morris Tract, permanently fills the gap in an otherwise contiguous network of more than 4,000 acres of protected wetlands and uplands in the critical St. Jones River watershed. 

Along with Congressman Carney, DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara, Delaware Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Kee, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Deputy Director Steve Guertin, Senator Coons also announced new funding for the preservation of more than 2,000 acres of land across New Castle, Kent, and Sussex counties. Both projects were made possible by two $1 million grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) program and more than $4 million in public and private matching funds.

Senator Coons touted the substantial leveraging power of NAWCA grants and the diverse range of Delaware partners – from Ducks Unlimited to DuPont – providing matching funds. He also recognized the Morris family for their contribution to Bayshore conservation efforts. 

“They are giving up significant potential future value on this land to preserve what is best about this land, which is its enormous value to our community, to the sporting tradition of this state, to the opportunity of future generations to really enjoy and love this land, and for that they are giving us an absolutely inestimable gift,” Chris said.

The North American Wetlands Conservation Act provides matching grants to organizations and individuals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico who have developed partnerships to carry out wetlands conservation projects that benefit migratory birds and other wildlife. Over the last two decades, NAWCA has been highly successful in generating matching funding to protect millions of acres of habitat across North America.

Senator Coons is a cosponsor of the North American Wetlands Conservation Extension Act, which would reauthorize the NAWCA program through FY 2017, and has led a letter to the Appropriations Committee urging robust funding for NAWCA for the past three years.

Since NAWCA's passage in 1989, Delaware has received 13 NAWCA grants totaling $10 million for projects across the state, generating matching funds of more than $21 million. Projects supported by NAWCA will protect more than 10,000 acres of wetlands and other significant migratory bird habitats in Delaware. 

What We’re Reading: In Africa, all conservation is local

The New York Times published an op-ed by Kenyan journalist Murithi Mutiga on Wednesday about the importance of engaging local communities in efforts to combat poaching. Community stakeholders, Murithi argues, could be conservationists’ greatest allies in the fight against wildlife-trafficking syndicates.

Wild animals may hold a special place in our global heritage, but all too often they threaten the livelihood of the farmers and herders who live near nature reserves and game parks. Elephants routinely trample precious crops, and carnivores sometimes ravage whole herds of livestock.

Poachers have astutely tapped into this reserve of local grievances — made worse by high rates of poverty and unemployment — and struck up partnerships with people in communities around game parks.

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Most Kenyans support conservation efforts. But in a country where arable land is exceedingly scarce and about a tenth of the land area is reserved for national parks and reserves, the authorities should take a more sophisticated approach in winning local support for conservation initiatives.

African countries, the author notes, could learn from Nepal, which gives special rights to communities living around major national parks – including royalties of 30 - 50 percent of the proceeds from park entry fees. The result is a local community invested in protecting the park and a massive decline in poaching.

Namibia has also had success with the community-based conservation model. The country's world-renowned conservancy program has empowered communities to create their own conservancies to manage and sustainably benefit from wildlife on communal land, including through tourism. 

Senator Coons, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations African Affairs Subcommittee, has been a leading voice in the Senate for wildlife conservation and efforts to combat poaching in Africa. His third annual Opportunity: Africa conference, held earlier this month in Wilmington, featured a workshop on ending poaching and protecting Africa’s wildlife led by conservation experts from the State Department and World Wildlife Fund, as well as John Kasaona, a Namibian pioneer of community-based conservation. John was also a featured speaker at a Senate briefing on wildlife trafficking hosted by Senator Coons earlier this month.

Click here to read the full article on the New York Times’ website.

Senator Coons gets high marks from League of Conservation Voters

The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) has once again recognized Senator Coons’ strong environmental voting record, awarding him a 92 percent rating for 2013 in their latest National Environmental Scorecard. The scorecard provides objective, factual information about the most important environmental legislation considered by Congress and the corresponding voting records of all members. Senator Coons’ lifetime rating is now 95 percent.

The 2013 LCV scorecard includes 13 Senate votes that demonstrate Chris’ commitment to addressing important environmental issues affecting Delaware and the nation. Chris scored above the Senate average by 35 percent and Delaware was noted as one of 26 states with an average score above 90, thanks to high scores from all three members of the Delaware congressional delegation.

At home in Delaware and in the Senate, Chris has been a strong voice for environmental conservation, clean and renewable energy development, and measures to curb and combat the effects of climate change. Over the last year, Chris voted for disaster relief for victims of Superstorm Sandy and investments to make our communities more resilient against future storms, as well as to preserve investments in advanced next generation biofuels by the Department of Defense, the nation’s single largest energy user. He also opposed efforts to block EPA regulation of greenhouse gases for the purpose of combating climate change.

Chris advocated heavily for the inclusion of strong conservation provisions in the farm bill approved by Congress last week. He has led a letter to the Appropriations Committee for the past three years urging robust funding for farm bill conservation programs.

For over 40 years, the National Environmental Scorecard issued by LCV has been the nationally accepted yardstick used to rate members of Congress on environmental, public health, and energy issues. The Scorecard represents the consensus of experts from 20 respected environmental and conservation organizations who selected the key votes to be scored.

Read Senator Coons’ scorecard here: http://scorecard.lcv.org/moc/chris-coons

Download the full report here: http://scorecard.lcv.org/sites/scorecard.lcv.org/files/LCV_SCORE_FINAL_2.3.14.pdf

Senator Coons welcomes Ducks Unlimited leaders to Delaware

Senator Coons joined members of Delaware’s Ducks Unlimited (DU) Chapter to welcome visiting DU National CEO Dale Hall, Board President George Dunklin, and DU of Mexico Board President John Tomke to Delaware at a barbeque dinner Wednesday night in Dover. Hall, Dunklin, and Tomke were in town to congratulate Delaware DU members for their outstanding fundraising efforts, which bring in nearly $1 million each year for conservation in the state. The daylong visit included meetings with Delaware chapter members and a clay shoot.

“DU and its members in Delaware are among our nation’s best advocates for wetland conservation, farmland preservation, and preserving sporting traditions,” Senator Coons said. “Delaware’s thriving wildlife and pristine landscapes speak to the enormous success of DU’s efforts to conserve our vital natural resources. It was an honor to welcome DU’s national leaders to Delaware to show off the outstanding accomplishments of our state chapter and discuss opportunities for continued collaboration.”

Delaware’s DU chapter has more than 6,300 members and has earned a national reputation for its passionate, active membership and highly successful fundraising. Delaware is also situated along the Atlantic Flyway, a major migration and wintering route for North American waterfowl. Over the past seven years, DU’s staff and volunteers have helped to conserve over 15,000 acres in Delaware and 13 million acres across North America.

During Wednesday’s dinner, Chris spoke with DU leaders about important legislative priorities, including passing a five-year farm bill, preserving funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), increasing the price of the Duck Stamp, and reintroducing a sportsmen’s package of conservation, hunting and fishing bills.

Chris has been a strong advocate for each of these priorities in the Senate, supporting programs that protect wildlife and habitat, water quality, and open space. Earlier this year, he helped to introduce legislation to reauthorize NAWCA and cosponsored a bill to secure permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which protects land and waterways of state and national importance.

More information about Delaware Ducks Unlimited can be found here: http://www.ducks.org/delaware/

The organization’s national website is: www.ducks.org.

Senator Coons urges support for wetland conservation

Senator Coons joined ten of his Senate colleagues Tuesday in introducing bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) through 2017.  Since 1989, NAWCA has provided critical support for partnership efforts to protect habitat for waterfowl, fish, and wildlife.

NAWCA provides matching grants to organizations and individuals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico who have developed partnerships to carry out wetlands conservation projects that benefit migratory birds and other wildlife. Over the last two decades, NAWCA has been highly successful in generating matching funding to protect millions of acres of habitat across North America.

NAWCA currently funds eight projects in Delaware that have conserved a total of 7,528 acres of wildlife habitat. The program has awarded more than $4 million in funds that stimulated partner contributions of more than $7.5 million. Delaware also benefits from three multi-state NAWCA projects that have conserved 45,500 acres of wildlife habitat on the Chesapeake Bay.

As a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Chris has been a strong advocate for environmental conservation. He supports programs that help protect wildlife and habitat, water quality, and open space, including NAWCA, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Forest Legacy Program, the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program, and farm bill conservation programs.  

Ducks Unlimited reaches 13 million acres of habitat conservation

Ducks Unlimited (DU) announced on Thursday it has reached a conservation milestone with more than 13 million acres of habitat conserved in North America. According to the organization, the groundbreaking number is a cumulative accomplishment of the millions of DU members, as well as volunteers and partners, who have been a part of the organization over the past 76 years.

“Coming on the heels of DU’s 75th anniversary year, this milestone is a fitting tribute to the hard work of each and every member, volunteer and staff member who has contributed in any way over the past three-quarters of a century,” said DU CEO Dale Hall. “If not for their dedication and commitment to conservation, this accomplishment would not have been possible.”

The milestone is a perfect example of how much can be achieved when hunters and others with a passion for waterfowl and wetlands conservation work together for a common goal. DU’s mission has always been to conserve, restore and manage wetlands and associated habitat for North America’s waterfowl, and this milestone is a direct reflection of that statement.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 13 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever.

Senator Coons, a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, has been an advocate for environmental conservation. Over the past two years, Chris was the lead sponsor of a bipartisan resolution celebrating the National Wildlife Refuge System and National Wildlife Refuge Week, which officially runs from October 14th to the 20th. The 2012 resolution passed unanimously in September, with 25 bipartisan cosponsors.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work on environmental conservation.

Click here to learn more about Ducks Unlimited.

Senator Coons applauds Senate progress on Sportsmen’s Act

Senator Coons applauded the Senate’s progress in advancing the Sportsmen’s Act, on Tuesday with a 92-5 vote to invoke cloture. The legislation includes 20 conservation, hunting and fishing bills, including the reauthorization of important domestic and international wildlife and habitat conservation programs, changes to conservation programs such as creating a mechanism to update the Duck Stamp and improvements to access for hunters and fisherman.

“Protecting Delaware’s pristine wildlife and natural resources is all of our responsibility,” Chris said. “The Sportsmen’s Act will help preserve these resources for hunting, fishing, camping, cycling and wildlife viewing – outdoor activities that contribute billions of dollars each year to our local economy. We must continue to protect these natural resources so they can be enjoyed by future generations of Delawareans.”

The North American Wetlands Conservation Reauthorization Act (NAWCA), one of two provisions that Chris co-sponsors, currently funds eight projects in Delaware that have conserved a total of 7,528 acres of wildlife habitat. NAWCA has awarded more than $4 million in funds that stimulated partner contributions of more than $7.5 million. Delaware also benefits from three multi-state NAWCA projects that have conserved 45,500 acres of wildlife habitat on the Chesapeake Bay.

“Ducks Unlimited commends Senator Coons for supporting the Sportsmen’s Act of 2012, which will reauthorize critical conservation programs such as the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and allow for an increase in the Federal Duck Stamp,” said Ducks Unlimited Delaware State Chairman Clif Bakhsh of Middletown.  “NAWCA and the federal Duck Stamp provide the financial resources that allow groups like DU to protect and restore waterfowl habitat across the country. DU is hopeful Senator Coons can help push this bipartisan legislation through the Senate so future generations of sportsmen and women can enjoy our wonderful natural resources.”

The Senate is expected to vote on final passage of the Sportsmen’s Act on Thursday.