THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LITTLE ROCK -- A wildlife refuge in Arkansas will spend $2.4 million in grant funds to buy nearly 980 acres of land to enhance fish and wildlife habitat.
The U.S. Department of Interior's Migratory Bird Conservation Commission gave the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge the grant funds last week, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports.
The department says the project will help five "priority" species, including the wood duck and redhead duck. Refuge manager Keith Weaver says refuge staff will use existing funds in the budget to help the species once the land is acquired.
"These monies certainly help us in fulfilling our strategic conservation goals in order to fulfill the purposes of the refuge," Weaver said.
Because the grant required a nonfederal funding match, five partner organizations are spending an additional $2 million on improvements to the Lower White and Cache Rivers Basin in the Lower Mississippi Valley in eastern Arkansas. Those partners are Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, the Canale family, Darby's Warrior Support, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Weaver said.
Spokesman Keith Stephens said the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission contributed $500,000.
The grant funds were part of $48.8 million to the United States, Mexico and Canada. They were matched by $86 million in nonfederal investments.
The Cache River National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1986 and is currently made up of more than 56,000 acres.
State Desk on 04/26/2016