Southern Company, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Award New Conservation Grants

ATLANTA, May 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southern Company and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation today announced that seven additional grants have been awarded to conservation and natural resource agencies through the Power of Flight and Longleaf Legacy partnership programs.

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"The grants will help these respected organizations continue their efforts to restore bird populations and longleaf pine habitats in the Southeast," said Chris Hobson, Southern Company's senior vice president for research and environmental affairs. "Southern Company is pleased to provide these grants through its continued partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation."

Since 2002, Southern Company and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation have contributed more than $5.3 million through 69 grants to the Power of Flight and Longleaf Legacy programs. In addition, grant recipients have contributed more than $7.7 million in matching funds, resulting in an on-the- ground conservation impact of more than $13 million since the program's inception.

"Southern Company is bringing together the conservation community to work cooperatively on bird conservation and longleaf pine restoration in a way that has never been done before," said Jeff Trandahl, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's executive director. "It's a remarkable example of how a corporation can help lead the way on natural resource conservation."

Through these two programs, more than 150,000 acres of longleaf pine and other critical habitat on public and private lands have been restored or enhanced to the benefit of bird populations across the Southeast.

Five grants were awarded under the Power of Flight program: -- Wildlife Foundation of Florida - to promote ecotourism and habitat conservation through birdwatching and use of the Great Florida Birding Trail. This project will facilitate a two-day birding tourism workshop for county officials and private landowners in the Florida panhandle and also fund improvements to the Great Florida Birding Trail such as interpretive signage, benches, trail improvements and educational kiosks. -- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - to restore approximately 200 acres of degraded tidal freshwater wetlands within the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge and provide critical habitat for a variety of plants and animals. This project will aid in cleaning the network of internal canals to improve water level and restore the ability to effectively manage and maintain the wetlands, creating lasting benefits for wildlife and the public. -- Mississippi State University - to provide a baseline of ecological information regarding marshbirds of conservation concern in coastal Mississippi. This is the third year Southern Company has supported this program and continues the effort to develop a coastal marshbird conservation program based on long-term monitoring, research and management. -- Avian Research and Conservation Institute - to apply management and educational measures to increase nest success, productivity, and survival of swallow-tailed kites. The swallow-tailed kite population has seen a marked decline in the past fifty years and is considered a species of critical conservation concern by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This project will focus on lands proven to be habitually used nesting areas and apply management techniques identified as the most cost-effective ways to increase the population. -- National Wild Turkey Federation - to restore 3,000 acres of habitat and support the recovery of red-cockaded woodpecker populations to the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge and the Oconee National Forest. This project will create corridors between occupied and unoccupied woodpecker clusters across the boundaries of the public lands. Two grants were awarded under the Longleaf Legacy Program: -- Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks - to restore 700 acres of longleaf pine over the course of five years at the T.M. Wildlife Reserve. The restored land will be managed for game and non- game wildlife, and will provide an area for landowners to learn of the benefits associated with restoring longleaf pine. -- National Wildlife Federation - to establish 10,000 acres of longleaf pine in three years and initiate private landowner outreach, education, and technical assistance programs in Alabama. The long-term goal is to expand this program across each state within the historic range of the longleaf pine ecosystem.

Visit http://www.southerncompany.com/planetpower to view fact sheets on the Power of Flight and Longleaf Legacy programs or to see a complete listing of awards granted.

With 4.3 million customers and more than 41,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company is the premier energy company serving the Southeast, one of America's fastest-growing regions. A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are significantly below the national average. Southern Company has been listed one of the top ranking U.S. electric service providers in customer satisfaction for eight consecutive years by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Visit our Web site at http://www.southerncompany.com/.

A nonprofit established by Congress in 1984, The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation sustains, restores and enhances the nation's fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Through leadership conservation investments with public and private partners, the Foundation is dedicated to achieving maximum conservation impact by developing and applying best practices and innovative methods for measurable outcomes. Since its establishment, the Foundation has awarded over 8,000 grants to over 3,000 organizations in the United States and abroad and leveraged - with its partners - more than $340 million in federal funds, for a total of over $1 billion in conservation.