Report touts economic value of National Wildlife Refuge System

(Above) Senator Coons joins National Wildlife Refuge System Chief Jim Kurth at a Congressional briefing on the findings of a new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service study.

Every year, millions of bird watchers, hikers, hunters, fishermen, and outdoor enthusiasts visit the National Wildlife Refuge System, our nation’s extensive network of preserved lands and waters dedicated to conserving wildlife.  President Theodore Roosevelt created the first wildlife refuge in Florida in 1903 and since then, the system has grown to a network of over 560 refuges encompassing more than 150 million acres.  In Delaware alone, every year more than 200,000 people visit Prime Hook and Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuges, which represent some of the best examples of pristine tidal saltmarsh and wetlands on the East Coast.

This week, Senator Coons joined National Wildlife Refuge System Chief Jim Kurth at a Congressional briefing to share the findings of a new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service study of the economic benefits of the refuge system.  The report entitled, “Banking on Nature” quantifies the revenue generated for local and regional economies by refuges across the country, including Delaware’s very own Bombay Hook and Prime Hook.  From 2006-2011, over 46 million people visited the National Wildlife Refuge System generating a total of $2.4 billion in economic output. Considering that every $1 of investment in the refuge system yields around $5 for the economy, national wildlife refuges are among our most productive national investments.

Wildlife refuges fuel the economic growth of surrounding communities by attracting visitors that support local economies when they pay for travel arrangements and buy food, supplies, accommodations, and other products and services. Refuges also give visitors and nearby residents access to the sights of waterfowl migration and gorgeous views of the landscape, which are free for all to enjoy. Additional ecosystem services provided by our coastal refuges include water filtration, flood mitigation, and healthy fish populations, solidifying their place as valuable natural assets.

In October, Chris led a resolution with Senators Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) recognizing the importance of the National Wildlife Refuge System.  The bi-partisan resolution, S. Res. 296, to designate the week of October 13^th, 2013 as National Wildlife Refuge Week was adopted November 14 by unanimous consent.  Chris led similar resolutions designating National Wildlife Refuge Week in 2011 and 2012.

Senator Coons recognizes work of UD’s Engineers Without Borders

Senator Coons was pleased to join the Caesar Rodney Rotary Club Friday to congratulate the University of Delaware’s Dr. Steve Dentel and his Engineers Without Borders students on the completion of successful projects in Cameroon and Guatemala, and hear about the group’s future plans to bring clean water to communities in Malawi.

“Clean water and sustainable infrastructure are basic human necessities that we often take for granted here in the United States,” said Senator Coons. “Under the leadership of Dr. Dentel, the Engineers Without Borders chapter of the University of Delaware has done inspiring work to expand access to clean drinking water in Cameroon and construct a bridge uniting a community in Guatemala. I look forward to hearing about the life-changing impacts they will make as they embark on their next project in Malawi. In each community they touch, these student leaders serve as remarkable ambassadors for both Delaware and the United States, and I thank them for their hard work and dedication to serving communities around the world.”

During Friday’s Rotary Club meeting, EWB students Jon Perna, Caroline Bibb, Erica Addonzinio, and Sam Meahan discussed in detail their successful Cameroon Water Distribution System project, which expanded access to quality clean drinking water in the villages of Bakang and Balatsit in Bamendjou. Students then announced their five-year commitment to projects in the areas of Blantyre and Zomba in Malawi.

The students were also on hand to accept financial support from the Rotarians. A special auction of 15 uniquely painted rain-barrels by local artists raised $6,000 for the EWB club. 

University of Delaware EWB’s mission is to design and implement sustainable solutions to problems in international developing communities and bridge cultural, economical, and political divides.

Senator Coons congratulates Delaware EPSCoR on launch of climate change project

Senator Coons congratulated Delaware’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Thursday on the launch of its third grant project, and commended the program’s accomplishments over its ten-year history in the state. The National Science Foundation awarded a five-year, $20-million Research Infrastructure Improvement grant to Delaware EPSCoR in June for research focused on sea level rise and renewable energy.

“For ten years, the EPSCoR program has brought Delaware’s best and brightest scientists and educators together to pioneer innovative technologies and train the next generation of experts in rapidly growing fields,” Senator Coons said. “Each successive grant project has expanded our universities’ capacity to produce cutting-edge research, and helped Delaware become a leading hub for science and technology education. This grant will allow Delaware EPSCoR to continue supporting its successful programs and address the critical effects of climate change on our coastal areas.”

Delaware’s project will focus on water quality and renewable-energy use in vulnerable coastal areas subject to pressures from land use and climate changes. The research employs natural, physical, and social science approaches to examine the effects of rising sea levels on the cycling of soil-bound contaminants. The project will also investigate coupled land use and climate change impacts on water and natural systems ranging from tidal wetlands to agricultural land, to densely populated and polluted urban areas. Novel sensors will be developed for environmental monitoring. The project will also address renewable energy, including offshore wind.

The University of Delaware, Delaware State University, Wesley College, and Delaware Technical Community College will collaboratively address these themes using innovative research approaches and educational programs. The project includes public outreach activities and partnerships with private industry and government.

EPSCoR is designed to fulfill the National Science Foundation's (NSF) mandate to promote scientific progress nationwide. Twenty-eight states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam are currently eligible to participate. Through the program, NSF establishes regional partnerships with governments, higher education, and industry that strengthen states’ research and development capacities and boost academic competitiveness. Delaware was designated an EPSCoR state in January 2003, and program grants awarded in 2005 and 2008 have supported two previous projects focused on enhancing environmental science, complex environmental systems, and ecosystem health research.

Delaware was one of only five states awarded an NSF grant for science and engineering academic research.

Senator Coons’ bill to protect White Clay Creek passes committee

On Thursday, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved legislation Senator Coons authored to add approximately nine miles of White Clay Creek and its tributaries to the existing Wild and Scenic Rivers designation for the waterway.

The White Clay Creek Wild and Scenic River Expansion Act of 2013 now awaits consideration by the full Senate, which passed this legislation with bipartisan support during the last Congress.

 “Growing up, I spent considerable time in the White Clay Creek watershed and know that it is an important resource for Delaware and the region,” Chris said.  “Years ago, my grandmother donated some of her land along the banks of White Clay Creek to help protect it. It is up to all of us to fight to protect our natural resources.”

The 69,000-acre White Clay Creek watershed is home to 33 species of mammals, 21 species of fish, 27 species of reptiles and amphibians, and over 90 species of birds. White Clay Creek is also stocked with brown and rainbow trout, and is an important resource for fishermen. Protected land in the watershed also provides recreational opportunities for hikers, bikers, birders, hunters, and others. White Clay Creek and the Cockeysville aquifer that lies beneath portions of the watershed are important sources of drinking water for over 128,000 citizens in Pennsylvania and Delaware.

The Energy and Natural Resources also voted to pass the First State National Historical Park Act on Thursday. This bill, authored by Senator Tom Carper and strongly supported by Chris, will bring Delaware one step closer to its first national park.

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.

Senator Coons visits Baltimore Aircoil's Milford plant

MILFORD — Senator Coons toured Baltimore Aircoil Company in Milford on Tuesday. Chris, a member of the Senate Energy Committee and a member of the Senate Manufacturing Caucus, learned how this 70-plus year old company makes large commercial-size heating and cooling units like cooling towers, closed circuit cooling towers, evaporative cooling or ice thermal storage for commercial and industrial buildings.  

Chris was also very interested in a new product the company has developed that is extremely water efficient and perfect for arid climates like in Africa and the American Southwest.

“I was impressed to get a first-hand look at how Baltimore Aircoil Milford is working hard to make a quality product while keeping an eye toward energy conservation,” Chris said. “Baltimore Aircoil’s Milford plant has grown significantly since it was first built in 1974 — this is a testament to its quality workforce and product and to its investment in the surrounding community.”

In the past decade, domestic export sales for Baltimore Aircoil Milford have quadrupled. The facility spans 180,000 square feet and currently employs just over 400 people. Manufacturing capabilities include sheet metal fabrication, coil fabrication, thermoforming, powder coating and assembly. 

Baltimore Aircoil has offices and facilities around the world, and the Milford facility is one of their largest production centers.

You can read more about the visit here in the Milford Beacon.

What We’re Reading: Goal to improve access to safe drinking water reached

The Associated Press reported Tuesday on the achievement of a U.N. goal of cutting in half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water five years ahead of the 2015 target.

A report issued by the U.N. children’s agency and the World Health Organization said over 2 billion people gained access to safe drinking water between 1990 and 2010.

That means 89 percent of the world’s population, or 6.1 billion people, had access to safe water sources at the end of 2010 — one percent more than the goal of 88 percent set by world leaders at the U.N. Millennium Summit in 2000, the report said.

But UNICEF and WHO said victory can’t be declared because 783 million people — 11 percent of the global population — still have no ready access to safe drinking water

Senator Chris Coons, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, praised the milestone but remains vigilant about expanding access to safe drinking water in Africa, which has some of the lowest levels of access anywhere in the world.

Only 61 percent of people in sub-Saharan Africa have access to safe drinking water sources compared with 90 percent or more in Latin America and the Caribbean, northern Africa, and large parts of Asia, the report said.

Click here to read the full article on The Washington Post’s website.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work on foreign policy.

Senator Coons sees job opportunities in Delaware River dredging

It has been a big week for the Delaware River, and for the new jobs that will come to the region when the river is deepened to accommodate larger ships and more trade.

On Wednesday, Senator Coons announced that the Army Corps of Engineers designated nearly $17 million for the dredging project in their 2012 work plan. Today, the release of President Obama’s budget plan for Fiscal Year 2013 included another $31 million for the dredging project.

“Deepening the Delaware River is really about keeping our region and our nation competitive in the global economy,” Chris told the News Journal. “Deeper waters mean bigger ships can come in and out of the Port of Wilmington. That means new opportunities for businesses in the region and more jobs here in Delaware. I'm glad it's part of the President's budget proposal and will work to protect it in Congress."

This project deepens the Delaware River channel from 40 to 45 feet in order to accommodate larger vessels. This will reduce shipping costs and make maritime transportation more efficient, bringing more trade and making our region more attractive to private investment.  The project is expected to create an estimated 75,000 direct and indirect jobs throughout the Delaware Valley. This includes permanent, high-paying jobs as well as short-term construction jobs that will aid an industry hit hard by the economic downturn. 

After listening carefully to Delawareans and determining the dredging delivers on their desire to create jobs while also protecting our environment, Chris has been fighting hard to ensure the project has the resources necessary to proceed. Working with Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.), and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), he filed a bipartisan amendment to the FY 2012 appropriations bill that sought to increase federal funding for ongoing navigation projects. The final FY 2012 appropriations bill included $74 million for the account, which was used to fund the Delaware River deepening as well as other projects across the country.

Additionally, Senators Carper, Coons, and Casey sent letters to Assistant Secretary of the Army-Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy and the Office of Management and Budget Director Jacob Lew in December asking for additional funding for the dredging project.

Commemorating 100 years of fish and wildlife conservation

WILMINGTON — Senator Coons, Governor Jack Markell, DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara and former Congressman Mike Castle celebrated 100 years of fish and wildlife conservation in Delaware on Monday. The milestone was marked at a ceremony at the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge in Wilmington along side staff of the Division of Fish and Wildlife, and representatives of various conservation groups.

“For the past 100 years, the Division of Fish and Wildlife has protected a wealth of natural resources in our great state,” said Chris.  “Delaware’s natural resources support countless recreational activities that draw hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, which helps support local businesses and our regional economy.  I congratulate the Division of Fish and Wildlife for 100 years of building a true conservation success story.”

DNREC highlighted several of its conservation success stories in the First State, including:

• Restoration of many species of fish and wildlife including deer, turkey, bald eagle, striped bass and summer flounder populations;
• Acquisition of thousands of acres of land and waterways for habitat conservation, management, restoration and public use;
• Habitat management and restoration on thousands of acres of private lands and waterways;
• Statewide quality outdoor recreation and access for resident and visiting anglers, hunters, nature enthusiasts and the general public;
• Environmentally compatible mosquito control;
• A modern and professional enforcement section that protects our resources and improves boating safety.

The celebration also included the planting of a native Delaware sycamore tree in an area on the refuge that was recently cleared of invasive plant species.  A total of 100 special trees were planted on the Peterson Refuge to mark the anniversary.  

Chris praises Dover Downs' progress in going green

DOVER — Senator Coons visited Dover Downs Hotel & Casino today to tout the progress of its “Green Initiatives” program. Dover Downs President and CEO Ed Sutor energized the crowd of about 40 when he revealed the company’s total utility savings through conservation:

• 5,404,019 kWh – electric over four years
• 256,045 CCF – natural gas over four years
• Over 13.4 Million gallons of water over four years

It all adds up to a reduction of 5,507 metric tons of carbon dioxide.

To do it, Dover Downs installed more than 26,000 energy-saving light bulbs, weather sensors for its irrigation system, and three new compactors that separate organic kitchen waste, recyclable waste, and landfill.  It also has begun using ‘green’ chemicals and initiated a voluntary linen-reuse program.

“The steps Dover Downs has taken toward becoming a ‘Green Hotel’ has significantly reduced its environmental impact, and has saved the company a tremendous amount of money,” Senator Coons said.  “Dover Downs has been successful in its green efforts because it has created a partnership with public and private entities, and has made it a part of the culture here — even designating a ‘Green Team’ within the staff.  As a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, I commend Dover Downs for its dedication to conservation.”

Dover Downs began its “Green Initiatives” program in 2006, and has continued to be aggressive in looking for additional conservation savings and sustainability practices.