Cornerstone Ducks Unlimited (DU) supporter Phillips 66 renewed its commitment to advancing wetlands conservation efforts with a $650,000 grant to support DU projects in Texas, Louisiana, Colorado and Illinois.
“Our environmental stewardship efforts have a focus on connecting conservation to our business and managing natural capital in the regions where we operate,” said Phillips 66 Social Impact Manager Courtney Meadows. “Our longstanding collaboration with Ducks Unlimited has yielded incredible results in wetlands restoration and protection in our communities. We are eager to see what else we can achieve together to further promote biodiversity.”
Phillips 66 has a long history of supporting the critical conservation work done by Ducks Unlimited and its partners. For over a decade, Phillips 66 has invested over $4.3 million, helping conserve or restore more than 35,000 acres across North America.
“Working with partners like Phillips 66 allows DU to expand and expedite our conservation efforts,” said DU Managing Director of Development Matt Bunn. “We are proud to again partner with Phillips 66 to improve habitat for waterfowl and wetlands for communities where they work and play.”
Projects supported through this generous grant include:
- Texas: San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge Habitat and Shoreline Protection Project – In partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, DU will enhance shallow wetlands for the listed Eastern black rail and protect the refuge’s shoreline along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway from further erosion. DU will enhance 120 acres of black rail habitat on the Eagle Nest Lake Unit of the refuge to facilitate greater reproductive success and habitat use.
- Louisiana: Rockefeller Refuge Tolan Lake Terraces Project – Working with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, DU will construct marsh terraces in Tolan and Teal Lakes to enhance 323 acres of degraded coastal marsh, which will increase habitat for waterfowl, decrease marsh loss, and protect important infrastructure.
- Colorado: Banner Lakes State Wildlife Area Wetlands Enhancement, Phase I – This project, in partnership with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, will improve and add to the Banner Lakes SWA wetland complex by installing water control infrastructure. The work will facilitate the management of invasive plants while promoting beneficial vegetation crucial to fall and spring migrating waterfowl.
- Illinois: Mississippi River State Fish and Wildlife Area: Calhoun Point Restoration and Enhancement Project – Calhoun Point is the last piece of land separating the Illinois and the Mississippi rivers. The US Fish and Wildlife Service and DU are collaborating with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to state-owned acres at Calhoun Point, which adjoins the Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge. This project will add 154 acres of wetlands to the area, providing wildlife habitat and flood resilience to downstream communities like Wood River, where Phillps 66 has a facility.
For more information, visit www.ducks.org.
