NFWF grants provided to South Mississippi stewardship groups
Southern Company has awarded more than $295,000 in grants in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and other public and private funders as part of the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program. Additionally, grantees have committed over $378,000 in local project support, generating a total conservation impact of more than $674,000.
Southern Company’s sponsorship of the 2018 grants directly supports 10 habitat-restoration projects across five states – including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois and Mississippi – helping to restore more than 51 acres and 500 feet of streambank this year.
“These grants will further assist local public-private partnerships as they work to restore and conserve vital habitats in South Mississippi,” Mississippi Power Environmental Affairs Director Mark Loughman said.
Two projects in the Mississippi Power service territory were announced as grant winners:
Oyster Restoration in the Lower Wolf River Watershed – The Nature Conservancy and partners will restore 5 acres of sub-tidal oyster reef habitat in the lower Wolf River watershed within the Bay of St. Louis, to benefit oysters and associated species. The project will use traditional cultch-deployment and monitor impacts on local water quality, oyster reef development and associated finfish utilization of historically lost oyster reef. Project partners include the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, Mississippi Power, The Chemours Company, The Pascagoula River Audubon Center, St. Stanislaus College and Our Lady Academy high schools in Bay St. Louis.
Educational Awareness and Trail Construction at Bayou Auguste – The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain will restore Bayou Auguste in Biloxi by removing trash and invasive species on 10 acres and installing a trail that will provide opportunities to improve the community’s understanding and stewardship of the bayou. The project will use strategic partnerships to design and implement the trail plan while engaging over 100 community volunteers in Biloxi, with an emphasis on engaging neighborhood children and surrounding schools. Project partners include Mississippi State University Gulf Coast Community Design Studio, Biloxi Housing Authority, East Biloxi Community Collaborative and Women In Construction.
“The Wolf River Watershed is one Mississippi’s most scenic and biologically important estuaries,” Marine Program Manager for The Nature Conservancy in Mississippi Thomas Mohrman said. “Support from NFWF, Southern Company and partners of the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program will help to ensure that oyster habitats expand and flourish supporting clean water, finfish and overall health of oyster resources in Bay St. Louis.”
“The Land Trust is grateful to Southern Company to again have the opportunity, through the Five Star grant, to involve the community and educate youth on the importance of environmental stewardship,” LTMCP Executive Director Judy Steckler said. “We are developing a sense of pride in the community and creating a beautiful outdoor recreational and educational site.”
Since 2006, Southern Company has contributed more than $3 million to 128 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grants, resulting in an on-the-ground conservation impact of more than $14 million, which has helped restore or improve over 1,300 acres and nearly 138,000 feet of streamside buffer.
The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program provides funding for wetland, forest, streamside and coastal habitat restoration. In addition to Southern Company and NFWF, major funding partners include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and FedEx.
Grant recipients were selected based on criteria including critical habitat restoration, partnerships established with local government agencies and businesses, ability to provide educational and training opportunities for youth and the community at large as well as other ecological, cultural and economic benefits.
Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and environmentally responsible energy for more than 187,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. With nearly 160 megawatts of approved solar energy capacity, Mississippi Power is the largest partner in providing renewable energy in the state of Mississippi. Visit our website at mississippipower.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
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