1,600 acres Added to Trinity River Wildlife Refuge in East Texas

AUSTIN, December 11, 2007 -  The Conservation Fund and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced today the protection of 1,600 acres of bottomland hardwood forest in East Texas, giving birds migrating from Central and South America to Canada more room to rest their wings.  The recently acquired lands will be added to the Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge.  Funds from the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, supported by revenue collected from Federal Duck Stamp sales, import duties collected on arms and ammunition, right-of-way payments to the refuge system and receipts from national wildlife refuge entry fees also helped make this acquisition possible.

Located 45 miles east of Houston along the Trinity River, the 22,500-acre refuge is a broad flat floodplain made up of numerous sloughs, oxbow lakes, artesian wells and tributaries.  It boasts more than 275 species of birds, 640 plant species and more than 400 vertebrate species and provides important breeding, wintering and stopover habitat for a variety of migratory wildlife, including waterfowl and numerous neotropical songbirds.

“Working with USFWS and the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission has made this an excellent partnership,” said Andy Jones, director of The Conservation Fund’s Texas office.  “I am excited about the educational and recreational opportunities for the public.  This is the type of project where everyone wins.”

The new addition contains a 60-year-old hunting lodge, built by Champion Paper Company, the previous landowner, as a hunting retreat for employees.  USFWS plans to restore the lodge and open it to the public as an environmental education center.

Hiking, fishing, canoeing/kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities will also be available on the property.

“This property contains incredible natural resources with high conservation value,” said Stuart Marcus, refuge manager for Trinity River Wildlife Refuge.  “We greatly appreciate all the hard work from The Conservation Fund and have enjoyed partnering with them over the years.”

The Conservation Fund has a strong history of conservation in East Texas.  At Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge, the Fund has helped add 4,700 acres.  Nearby to the east the Fund has been working for the past seven years to protect and expand Big Thicket National Preserve and last month added more than 1,000 acres.  The Fund is working towards completing the acquisitions in the current administrative boundary in the next year.  In addition, the Fund partnered with Fermata Inc. and embarked on an ecotourism and economic development program for the region called the Pineywoods Experience (www.texaspineywoodsexperience.org).

“We are proud to be a part of such a rich conservation legacy in East Texas,” said Jones.  “At Trinity River Wildlife Refuge, we’ve helped the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service expand the refuge significantly in the past several years, and that has been amazing to see.”

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