By Mary Velan
Gov1
What Happened?
Springfield, Massachusetts, was recently recognized as an urban wildlife refuge by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
What Does That Mean?
Joining the ranks of 17 other cities such as Chicago, Philadelphia and Baltimore, Springfield has named to an urban wildlife refuge partnership. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded the city $39,000 for participation in the program, which has been matched by other contributions to total $200,000 in all. The program will focus on restoring the Abbey Brook Conservation Area as well as encourage city residents to appreciate and preserve nature and green space in their communities, The Reminder reported.
The funding will be used to clean the area of invasive plants and create space for wildlife and residential activities. Local students will work on the project to learn about environmental issues as well, The Reminder reported.
Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnerships
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership program is designed to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management and restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources. The program encourages cooperation between community partnerships to develop best practices and implement sustainable solutions across the country.
According to the Service, urban areas offer a unique opportunity for educating populations on the importance of green space and how urban conservation can benefit the broader community. The goal of engaging urban communities in wildlife conservation can be achieved through eight standards that serve as a frame work for collaboration among partnerships:
- Know and relate to the community
- Connect urban people with nature via stepping stones of engagement
- Build partnerships
- Be a community asset
- Ensure adequate long-term resources
- Provide equitable access
- Ensure visitors feel safe and welcome
- Model sustainability
Since 1903, the National Wildlife Refuge System has grown to include more than 560 refuges, 38 wetland management districts and other protected areas across 150 million acres of land and water. These refuges provide habitat for more than:
- 700 species of birds
- 220 species of mammals
- 250 species of reptiles and amphibians
- 1,000 species of fish
- 380 threatened or endangered plants or animals
While the refuge system is actively identifying urban and rural regions in need of protection and restoration, the program is also working to meet such conservation challenges as:
- Urban encroachment
- Landscape-level conservation to combat habitat fragmentation
- Degradation of water quality
- Climate change
- Increasing demands for energy development and extraction
Furthermore, refuges generated $2.4 million into the economy, supported more than 35,000 jobs and produced $792.7 million in job income for local economies in 2011. Studies show refuges contributed to an average $4.87 in total economic output for ever $1 appropriated.