Washington,
DC- The National Wildlife Refuge Association, which works with
tens of thousands of volunteers across the country in support of the
150-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, today launched a Gulf
oil spill relief fund and volunteer registry. With oil expected to
severely impact critical wildlife refuge habitat in Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, funds and volunteers will be vital in
supporting the efforts of local volunteer refuge "Friends"
organizations.
"There are 20 national wildlife refuges in
the immediate path of the oil spill, and they depend on Friends
organization volunteers to provide critical support to U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service professionals," said Evan Hirsche, President of the
National Wildlife Refuge Association. "20% of the work done on our
federal refuges is already being done by volunteers; the disaster in the
Gulf is going to require an even greater volunteer commitment."
While BP must be held accountable for clean
up costs, groups such as
the Friends of Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge on the Alabama coast
are doing whatever they can to help refuge professionals now to prepare
for oil which is expected to reach their refuge by the weekend. Friends
groups and volunteers at refuges in the path of the spill will assist
refuge staff gather as much baseline data as possible before the oil
makes landfall. From water samples to bird, mammal and turtle counts,
Friends will help refuge staff accurately detail what could be lost.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has
identified an additional five national wildlife refuges that are under
most immediate threat by the oil
spill: Delta NWR, LA; Breton NWR, LA; Bayou Sauvage NWR, LA; Grand Bay
NWR, MS and Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR, MS. These refuges are
historically and ecologically significant and the timing of the spill
could not happen at a worse time. Birds that are nesting right now
include wading birds such as egrets and herons, seabirds, and beach
nesters that live in large colonies, such as gulls, terns and skimmers.
Contact with a drop of oil as small a dime can cause fatalities in many
birds.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association
works with more than 220 Refuge Friends Groups throughout the country,
of which 192 are affiliates. These local not-for-profit organizations
along with dedicated volunteers nationwide are crucial to protecting our
national wildlife refuges and Americas wildlife heritage.
To donate to NWRA's fund, register to
volunteer, or learn about how oil will impact Gulf refuges and wildlife,
visit:
http://www.refugeassociation.org/new-issues/delta.html
The mission
of the National Wildlife Refuge Association is to conserve America's
wildlife heritage for future generations through strategic programs that
protect, enhance, and expand the National Wildlife Refuge System and
the landscapes beyond its boundaries that secure its ecological
integrity.
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