HOUSTON, Texas, May 1, 2001 -- The Shell Marine Habitat Program (SMHP), an environmental partnership between the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Shell Oil Company Foundation, was awarded the 2001 Gulf Guardian Award for its significant achievements in helping to protect the ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico.
The national award was presented April 30 by the Gulf of Mexico Program, a coalition of state and federal agencies led by the Environmental Protection Agency, to the SMHP in the business category.
Established in 1998, the SMHP has funded numerous conservation initiatives, resulting in environmental improvements that include:
� Restoration of 40,000 acres of wetlands, riparian and other coastal habitats,
� Permanent protection of some 30,000 acres of coastal land,
� Outreach to at least 3,000 people, including students, educators and farmers, and
� Establishment of more than 70 conservation partnerships throughout the Gulf Coast and other regions of the U.S. that affect the Gulf�s ecosystem.
The SMHP is a five-year, $5 million partnership dedicated to the conservation of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. Program funding is spread out over the multi-year period to provide �challenge grants� for a variety of natural resource conservation projects. These projects include habitat protection and restoration, species conservation, and conservation education.
Now in its third year, the SMHP has seen a growth in partner dollar contributions leveraged at four times the seed money for a total investment, to date, of $12 million in Gulf of Mexico conservation programs.
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation manages the Shell Marine Habitat Program. Created by Congress in 1984, the NFWF is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of native fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats. The Foundation builds partnerships between the public and private sectors and strategically invests in conservation and sustainable use of natural resources to encourage locally supported stewardship on private and public lands.
For more information, visit www.nfwf.org or www.shellmarinehabitat.com
The Shell Oil Company Foundation is a partner in the Shell Marine Habitat Program and provides program funding. The Foundation exists to support efforts to achieve a balance between economic growth, care for the environment and equitable social development. The Foundation does this through planned giving in the areas of education, charities, the arts and public policy.
The majority of contributions are directed to communities in which Shell Oil Company has employees and locations, but a large number of contributions also are made to national organizations. Visit www.shellus.com.
