Cherry Valley Partnership Receives Prestigious National Conservation Award

Stroudsburg, Penn. – The Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge Partnership has received a prestigious U.S. Department of the Interior 2010 Partners in Conservation Award. The Secretary of the Interior presents the award annually to individuals and organizations that achieve exceptional conservation goals through collaboration and building partnerships.
“The awards recognize the dedicated efforts of people from all walks of life and from across our nation,” according to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. “They celebrate partnerships that conserve and restore our nation’s treasured landscapes and watersheds.”

Award recipients include the The Nature Conservancy – Pennsylvania, Friends of Cherry Valley, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, National Park Service, Monroe County Planning Commission, Monroe County Conservation District, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, Northampton Community College, East Stroudsburg University, Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Pocono Avian ResearchCenter.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service late last month announced the establishment of Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge as America’s 553^rd  national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

Learn more about national wildlife refuge . The refuge will conserve nationally significant wildlife areas, including habitat for threatened and endangered species and a major corridor for migratory birds and bats. Located only 75 miles from New York City and 100 miles from Philadelphia, the refuge represents a new opportunity to connect more than three million citizens with the outdoors.

“Cherry Valley is … an example of how private citizens and local communities can safeguard the places they care about,” said Rowan Gould, acting director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which administers the National Wildlife Refuge System. “The Service is pleased to be part of the citizen-led partnership that helped create this refuge.”
To learn more about the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge, visit http://www.fws.gov/cherryvalley/.