CONTACT: Julia Robey Christian, PIO, 202.741.0842 desk, 202.450.7878 cell, [email protected]
DDOE SEEKS PUBLIC INPUT ON DISTRICT’S WILDLIFE ACTION PLAN
WASHINGTON, DC, July 21, 2015—The District Department of the Environment (DDOE) announced today that it will host two community meetings in August to present updates to the District of Columbia’s Wildlife Action Plan and to solicit comments from the public. In the 2015 update of the plan, DDOE assessed the District’s wildlife and habitats, identified the threats and challenges they face, and described actions needed for conserving them.
Over the last two years, DDOE’s Fisheries and Wildlife Division has worked with natural resource managers, academics, and other stakeholders to develop the 2015 District of Columbia Wildlife Action Plan. This plan is required to safeguard the District’s eligibility for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s State Wildlife Grant Program funding. This federal program provides funding to ensure common wildlife species remain common and that rare species do not become endangered.
These community meetings will provide information to the public about species of conservation need, critical habitats for wildlife, threats to wildlife and habitats, and the conservation actions DDOE and its partners will be implementing. The meetings will also give the public an opportunity to meet, ask questions, and provide feedback to the Wildlife Action Plan development team.
“The District’s wildlife and natural areas are remarkable assets to our residents and visitors but they are impacted by numerous threats, many of which are unique to our urban setting,” said DDOE Director Tommy Wells. “The Wildlife Action Plan introduces creative ways to conserve and interact with the District’s wildlife from innovative citizen science programs, to creating meadow habitats along roadways, to propagating native plants for restoration projects and rain gardens. It provides the vision needed to ensure the District’s natural areas continue to be havens for wildlife and provide value into the future.”
WHAT: DDOE’s Wildlife Action Plan Community Meetings
DATES: August 5 at the National Zoo Visitor Center Auditorium
3001 Connecticut Avenue NW | Metro: Woodley Park - Zoo
August 6 at DDOE’s Aquatic Resources Education Center
1900 Anacostia Drive SE | Far north end of Anacostia Park, next to the skating rink Metro: Minnesota Avenue or Anacostia
TIMES: Open-house style from 6:30 to 8:00pm with a presentation from 6:45 to 7:15pm.
NOTE: Both meetings are designed to be similar in scope. Meetings are open to the public and no RSVP is required.
