Capito, Manchin announce two National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grants

U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., both members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced two grants totaling $932,193 through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for projects in West Virginia.

“West Virginia’s natural habitats allows wildlife of all kinds to flourish, and it is part of what makes our state such a wonderful place to both live and visit.” Capito said.

“The grants announced today further support our efforts to strengthen both the waters and forests across our state, and will help restore and protect critical habitats for years to come,” she said.

“West Virginia is blessed with beautiful public lands and incredible wildlife,” Manchin said. “Like many of my fellow West Virginians, I enjoy hunting, fishing and exploring our great outdoors, and I’ve instilled that love and appreciation in my children and grandchildren.

“I am pleased the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is investing in protecting and preserving the trout population in the Greenbrier River, as well as restoring red spruce forest habitats at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and Monongahela National Forest.

“As chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for funding to ensure West Virginia’s beautiful public lands and waterways are protected for generations to come,” he said.

Individual awards included the following:

• $488,308 to Trout Unlimited Inc. for improving eastern brook trout and eastern hellbender strongholds in the headwaters of the Greenbrier River.

Trout Unlimited will improve eastern brook trout and eastern hellbender populations across public and private lands in the headwaters of the Greenbrier River in West Virginia.

The project will work with state, federal, and non-governmental partners to remove two barriers to fish passage, reconnect 28 miles of aquatic habitat, and enable seven private landowners to protect and restore aquatic habitat by implementing conservation practices on 500 acres.

• $443,885 to Green Forests Work Inc. for restoring the ecology of legacy coal mines on public lands.

Green Forests Work will restore native forest to previously mined sites in the New River Gorge National Park and Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia.

The project will help restore red spruce forest habitat on 274 acres of legacy mine lands, planting approximately 184,000 trees that will provide vital wildlife habitat while also improving air and water quality and creating carbon storage.