Congressman Wayne Gilchrest Receives Award For Wildlife Conservation Efforts
DNR staff member presents award during three-day event to highlight wildlife funding

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ANNAPOLIS— On February 28, 2007, Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) was presented with an award for his leadership in championing federal funding for wildlife in recently introduced climate change legislation. The award recognizes his role in leading an effort on Capitol Hill to request continued support for The State Wildlife Grant Program -- our nation's core program for keeping wildlife from becoming endangered by providing the funding for on-the-ground conservation projects in every state and territory.

Congressman Gilchrest and other members of Congress were honored during the Teaming with Wildlife Fly-In Days, an annual event held by the Teaming with Wildlife Coalition to educate Congress about wildlife funding. Each was honored for his “exceptional leadership in advocating state wildlife conservation funding,” and “commitment to America’s wildlife (that) will leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.”

Congressman Gilchrest and Rep. John Olver (D-MA) included provisions in their Climate Stewardship Act of 2007 (H.R.620) to allocate a portion of the funds from auctioned emissions allowances to fish and wildlife adaptation activities through the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Program (WCRP).

In presenting the award, Glenn Therres of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service, acknowledged Congressman Gilchrest’s support for Maryland’s wildlife and his commitment to the Chesapeake Bay. The congressman has supported federal funding to the State Wildlife Grant Program, which, since its inception in 2001, has designated over $5 million to Maryland and over $474 million nationally for wildlife conservation. The funds are conditioned upon the development of state wildlife action plans by all 50 states; Maryland’s Wildlife Diversity Conservation Plan was completed in September 2006.

State fish and wildlife agencies are concerned that pervasive impacts from climate change will have landscape-level effects on fish and wildlife well into the future. Alteration of habitats, disruption to migratory patterns, changes in predator-prey interactions and the spread of invasive species and wildlife diseases represent a few of the ways in which an altered climate will disrupt fish and wildlife populations.

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March 12, 2007

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 446,000 acres of public lands and 18,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov