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May 12, 2006
Project Coordinator: Jed Wright (jed_wright@fws.gov; 207-781-8364 x12)
Gulf of Maine Coastal Program and Partners Receive Cooperative Conservation Award for Maine Atlantic Salmon Conservation Fund
On May 4, Gulf of Maine Coastal Program and other Maine Atlantic Salmon
Conservation Fund (MASCF) partners from National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission, and the Atlantic Salmon
Federation participated
in an awards ceremony in Washington D.C. to accept the Secretary
of the Interior’s 2005 Cooperative Conservation Award. This honorary award
recognizes outstanding cooperative conservation achievements accomplished
with a diverse range of partners including federal, state, local and tribal
governments, private for-profit and nonprofit institutions, other nongovernmental
entities and individuals.
The Maine Atlantic Salmon Conservation Fund was one of 13 programs nationwide to receive the prestigious award, which recognizes outstanding cooperative conservation achievements accomplished with a diverse array of collaborating partners. Partners accepting the award at the ceremony on behalf of the entire Maine Atlantic Salmon Conservation Fund included:
- Jed Wright, MASCF Program Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Gulf of Maine Coastal Program
- Tom Kelsch, Director of Conservation Programs, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
- Jonathan Mawdsley, MASCF Program Coordinator, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
- Stewart Fefer, Project Leader, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Gulf of Maine Coastal Program
- Pat Keliher, Executive Director, Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission
- Andy Goode, Vice President, U.S. Programs Atlantic Salmon Federation
The Cooperative Conservation Award was presented by Lynn Scarlett, Acting Secretary of Interior Matt Hogan, Acting Assistant Secretary of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Dale Hall, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, at the 63rd Honor Awards Convocation in the Main Interior Building in Washington, D.C.
The Maine Atlantic Salmon Conservation Fund was established in October, 2000 through a special appropriation sponsored by Maine's Congressional delegation. In the five years since its inception, the Fund has supported more than 100 projects that promote the recovery of Atlantic salmon. Access has been restored to many miles of historic salmon habitat, and 54,000 acres of riparian habitat along salmon rivers have been permanently protected. In addition, the Maine Atlantic Salmon Conservation Fund has supported education initiatives, helped local NGO’s build capacity, and supported surveys and applied research needed to implement high priority acquisition and restoration activities. The Fund has also assisted agriculture and aquaculture industries develop practices that minimize impacts to wild Atlantic salmon. Grants have helped stimulate collaboration among state and federal agencies, local industry, community watershed councils, and conservation groups. Since its inception, the Fund has provided $8.7 million in federal funds, and has helped leveraged an additional $13 million for Atlantic salmon conservation.
The National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Gulf of Maine Coastal Program jointly administer
the program in partnership with Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission,
Atlantic Salmon Federation, Maine State Planning Office, Land
for Maine's Future
Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, University
of Maine-Machias, Wild Blueberry Commission, and local conservation
groups.
For more information on the Maine Atlantic Salmon Conservation
Fund, please visit http://www.nfwf.org/programs/mascf/index.cfm.