Longleaf conservation grant aids local endangered species
The endangered dusky gopher frog, commonly known as the Mississippi gopher frog, has a new ally thanks to the latest National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant.
The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain and partners received one of 10 grants awarded by Southern Company and others for projects aimed at restoring and re-establishing the vanishing longleaf pine forests across the southeast.
The grants are part of the NFWF Longleaf Stewardship Fund, a public/private partnership that includes the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southern Company and International Paper. Ten of the projects receiving grants are within the Southern Company service area.
The Land Trust and partners will restore and enhance 527 acres of longleaf pine in the DeSoto National Forest and the gopher frog tract to support the endangered frog.
Combined, these areas contain the majority of critical habitat for this frog in Mississippi. Partners will remove invasive species, thin trees, implement a fire regime and plant longleaf pine to promote better survival of endangered and threatened species.
In addition, the Land Trust will work with Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to provide a conservation area for relocated gopher tortoises on the gopher frog tract once conditions are satisfactory for their return.
“These grants are important because they provide financial influence to a variety of projects from different non-governmental organizations and encourage these groups to share a common goal with each other,” said Mark Loughman, Mississippi Power’s environmental affairs director.
“Local grantees then realize their efforts are shared across the Southeast, which reinforces the fact that the longleaf pine ecosystem should not just be confined to the national forests, but that it also should extend across the entire Southeast.”
Loughman also said the grants are important because they build upon the company’s ongoing environmental work.
“We are a part of the communities we serve and it’s our duty to care for the environment today and for future generations,” he said.
Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and environmentally responsible energy for more than 186,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. Mississippi Power earned the 2015 ReliabilityOneTM Award for outstanding midsize utility for excellence in storm restoration and recovery efforts as well as being a leader in reliability, customer service and safety. Visit our websites at www.mississippipower.com and www.mississippipowernews.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube.