ATLANTA, July 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Reflecting its
historical commitment to honor natural resource conservation
projects focused on protecting wetlands and streams in and around
its service territory, Southern Company, in partnership with the
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and other public and
private partners, awarded $2.3
million in grants to 64 organizations nationwide as part of
the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration program.
The 2015 program funding directly supports 12
habitat-restoration projects within the Southern Company system
service territory, helping to restore more than 83 acres and 750
feet of streambank in Alabama,
Florida, Georgia and Mississippi.
"Southern Company has a history of developing innovative
partnerships to make a meaningful difference in the communities we
are privileged to serve," said Southern Company Chief Environmental
Officer Dr. Larry S. Monroe. "This
partnership leverages and expands public and private resources to
deliver the value of a consistent commitment to environmental
stewardship."
Nationally, 64 grants are being awarded through a public-private
partnership that includes NFWF, the National Association of
Counties, the Wildlife Habitat Council, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, FedEx, the U.S. Forest Service, Southern Company
and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Urban Refuges
Program, along with additional support by PG&E and Bank of
America.
The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration program emphasizes
results-based collaboration with diverse partners, including
environmental groups, public agencies, non-governmental
organizations, landowners, schools, businesses and others. The
program also provides financial assistance to diverse local
partnerships for wetland, forest, streamside and coastal habitat
restoration.
Since 2006, Southern Company has contributed more than
$2.2 million to more than 100 Five
Star and Urban Waters Restoration grants, resulting in an
on-the-ground conservation impact of more than $11.1 million. Altogether, these efforts are
restoring nearly 1,200 acres of wetlands and more than 126,000
square feet of riparian buffer in the Southeast.
"Some of our nation's most pressing conservation challenges can
be found in the suburban and urban landscapes where most Americans
live," said NFWF Executive Director and CEO Jeff Trandahl. "The public- and private-sector
partners who support the Five Star and Urban Waters program should take great pride in
the fact that they are helping improve water quality, restore
habitats and protect native species inside some of our nation's
biggest cities. Program partners and grant recipients also play a
leading role in helping children and adults across the country
reconnect with nature and engage in innovative, successful
conservation projects."
Grant recipients were selected based on criteria including
critical habitat restoration, partnerships established with local
government agencies and businesses, and their ability to provide
educational and training opportunities for youth and the community
at large.
The following organizations have been awarded Five Star and
Urban Waters Restoration grants to implement wetland, riparian and
coastal conservation initiatives:
In Alabama:
The Davis Arboretum at Auburn
University (AU) and partners will add three restorative
features and educational signage to the headwaters of a tributary
of Town Creek at the AU Garden of
Memory and the Donald E. Davis Arboretum. The project will restore
a headwater wetland, remove invasive species on a combined 2.25
acres and restore 4.6 acres to improve wetland function at the
headwaters and reduce sediment loading, turbidity and nutrient
enrichment in Town Creek and its
receiving waters. Outreach activities will engage and educate
watershed residents, students and visitors on water quantity, water
quality and related topics. Partners include AU, Alabama Clean
Water Partnership, Alabama Water Watch and the Alabama Cooperative
Extension System.
The Red Mountain Park Fund and partners will restore
riparian habitat on 15 acres at Red Mountain Park, one of the
largest urban green spaces in the state, including two tributary
streams and an ephemeral wetland. The project will restore three
vital habitats on the mountain, establish a long-term volunteer
base and promote a home restoration initiative led by partnering
organizations. Over 2,000 visitors and volunteers will be engaged
through a community-based approach that teaches replicable skills
and promotes awareness of Birmingham's watersheds. Partners include
Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Girl Scout Troop 93, the City of Birmingham, Birmingham Southern College, University of Alabama at Birmingham and
Samford University.
In Florida:
The Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA) will engage 3,000
K-12 students in Okaloosa and
Walton school districts through
its hands-on science education programs, Grasses in Classes and
Dunes in Schools. After receiving educational lessons throughout
the school year, students will replant 1.2 acres of salt marsh
habitat and restore 1.3 acres of dune habitat. Students in both
programs will produce educational tools that will reach at least
310,000 citizens. Partners include Okaloosa County Schools, Walton County Schools, the Dugas Family
Foundation, Northwest Florida Water Management District and Live
Oak Production Company.
In Georgia:
The Atlanta Audubon Society (AAS) and partners will
create two bird-friendly communities along urban tributaries of the
Chattahoochee River watershed at Blue Heron Nature Preserve and the
confluence of the north and south forks of Peachtree Creek. AAS will remove invasive
species and re-plant native species on 5 acres of bird habitat and
conduct a regular inventory of birds to create baseline data to
inform conservation decisions. At least 80 community members will
be involved in volunteer work, and over 500 people will be educated
on topics including migratory birds and their habitats through
guided nature walks, citizen science events and a youth training
program. Partners include Blue Heron Nature Preserve, South Fork
Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National
Audubon Society.
Dunwoody Nature Center and partners will reduce stream
bank erosion along 350 linear feet of Wildcat Creek, restoring 3.9
acres and resulting in a living classroom for park visitors and
program participants that will educate up to 25,000 people
annually. The project will replace a failed weir and restore the
downstream portion of the creek using natural channel design
principles that reduce stress on stream banks. The design will also
include a bankfull bench on both sides of the stream and a series
of flood plain terraces that will serve as an amphitheater for the
living classroom. Partners include the City of Dunwoody, Georgia Environmental
Restoration Association, DeKalb County Master Gardeners and
Spalding Garden Club.
Conservation Legacy and partners will restore 35 acres of
floodplain wetlands to create a conservation and education venue
for residents of western Georgia.
Volunteers will remove invasive species and replant native,
bird-attractant species to improve the sensitive wetland habitat
and increase wildlife viewing opportunities. The project also will
plant two spur trails totaling 1 mile to provide additional access
to the area. Elementary school field trips, interpretive hikes and
educational brochures and signage will provide outreach to park
visitors and students. Partners include Friends of Chattahoochee
Bend State Park, Coweta County
Schools, Atlanta Audubon Society and Georgia Department of Natural
Resources State Parks division.
Trees Atlanta and
partners will restore 2 acres of forest and 750 linear feet of
streambank on South Peachtree Creek within the Hahn Forest at
Emory University. The project will
remove invasive plants, replant native trees and improve the
walking trail. The project also promotes public education through a
school-assisted tree propagation project, volunteerism and a
specialized tree walk. The project site represents a key connection
point within the watershed and will link the efforts of many
organizations and citizens who are heavily invested in improving
this important Atlanta waterway.
Partners include Emory University,
South Fork Conservancy, Cascade Springs Forestry and Beech Hollow
Farm.
Golden Triangle Resource Conservation and Development
Council and partners will restore an acre at Fannie Askew
Williams Park through invasive plant removal and native replantings
to control erosion runoff and provide additional wildlife habitat.
The project aims to re-engage the community about natural resources
and pollution prevention and provide an outlet for self-exploration
of nature. The project will engage 500 or more local citizens
through volunteer workdays, river cleanups and Adopt-A-Stream
trainings, along with self-guided interpretative panels along the
ecological nature trail. Partners include Early County Road
Department, Early County Elementary, Georgia Power and local Boy
Scout troops.
The Chattahoochee Nature Center and partners will restore
4 acres of wetlands along the banks of the Chattahoochee River and
create hands-on educational learning opportunities and programs for
students aged kindergarten through college. In addition, the
program will create testing plots to monitor and demonstrate best
practices for safely and efficiently removing invasive species and
replant over 2,500 native plants in an environmentally sensitive
area. Educational signage will provide self-guided educational
opportunities regarding the importance of proper wetlands
management for water quality. Partners include Kennesaw State University, Chattahoochee River
National Recreation Area, City of
Roswell, Wilderness Inquiry and State Botanical Gardens.
In Mississippi:
The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain and
partners will restore approximately 2.3 acres of land as a
community green space for scientific and educational activities at
Weeks Bayou in Jackson County.
Partners will remove debris and invasive species, construct a small
observation deck for water quality sampling access, and assist with
replanting native trees, shrubs and grasses to create an outdoor
environmental classroom. In addition, volunteers will provide
flyers to 25 local businesses and distribute 500 middle school
educational packets. Partners include Mississippi State Gulf Coast
Community Design Studio, Gulf Coast Research Lab Marine Education
Center, Ocean Springs School System and Chevron Pascagoula
Refinery.
Jackson County Board of
Supervisors and partners will develop and provide first-hand
educational experiences to public and private land managers about
practical tidal wetland mitigation methods and practices. The
project also will provide opportunities to engage and interact with
local, state and federal natural resource agency partners that
together will direct large-scale marsh restoration. Outreach tools
will include a printed manual highlighting the key elements of
tidal marsh restoration and suggested means of monitoring success,
as well as interpretive signage. Partners include Pascagoula River
Audubon Center, City of Moss
Point, The Nature Conservancy and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
The Crosby Arboretum Foundation and partners will
construct a unique 900-square-foot quaking bog wetland exhibit at
The Crosby Arboretum Interpretive Center in Picayune, Mississippi. The project site is
located within a young wet flatwood that previously served as
agricultural and forestry land and has been designated by the
Arboretum's nationally award-winning master plan for pitcher plant
bog restoration. Visitors will experience the feeling of a quaking
bog through an ADA-accessible floating bridge that will be designed
over the exhibit. Partners include Mississippi
State University Extension Service, Mississippi Master
Naturalists, Mississippi Native Plant Society and Mississippi
Master Gardeners.
With more than 4.5 million customers and approximately 46,000
megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is
the premier energy company serving the Southeast through its
subsidiaries. A leading U.S. producer of clean, safe, reliable and
affordable electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in
four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well
as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company
brands are known for energy innovation, excellent customer service,
high reliability and retail electric prices that are below the
national average. Southern Company and its subsidiaries are leading
the nation's nuclear renaissance through the construction of the
first new nuclear units to be built in a generation of Americans
and are demonstrating their commitment to energy innovation through
the development of a state-of-the-art coal gasification plant.
Southern Company has been recognized by the U.S. Department of
Defense and G.I. Jobs magazine as a
top military employer, listed by DiversityInc as a top company for
Blacks and designated a 2013 Top Employer for Hispanics by Hispanic
Network. The company received the Edison Award from the Edison
Electric Institute for its leadership in new nuclear development,
was named Electric Light & Power magazine's Utility of the Year
for 2012 and is continually ranked among the top utilities in
Fortune's annual World's Most Admired Electric and Gas
Utility rankings. Visit our website at
www.southerncompany.com.
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