FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2017
Media contact: Lydia Saldaña
817.851.5729
lsaldana@tpwf.org
Thanks to a $75,000 donation from Phillips 66, efforts to conserve a barrier island off the Texas coast are being enhanced. Follets Island is one of the most pristine, yet accessible, barrier islands on the Texas Gulf Coast. A consortium of partners, including Phillips 66, is working together to ensure that Follets Island will be conserved forever.
“Phillips 66 is committed to environmental stewardship, including programs that preserve and enhance wildlife habitat,’ said Claudia Kreisle, director, Philanthropy, for Phillips 66. “We are a proud supporter of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation because we recognize their important role in environmental conservation through projects like Follets Island.”
Just 60 miles south of Houston, Follets Island harbors some of the best remaining coastal habitat in Texas. Beautiful tall grass prairies, marshes and beaches attract wildlife and outdoor recreationists alike.
Conservation of Follets Island is a priority in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon spill that occurred in 2010 given its direct benefit to natural resources affected by the disaster. The effort will permanently conserve important breeding and nesting habitat for a number of threatened and endangered bird species, and help maintain the exceptional water quality of surrounding Christmas and Drum Bays, which impacts the larger Galveston Bay ecosystem.
The Trust for Public Land is leading the partnership to conserve Follets Island and Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF) is supporting efforts to bring private investment to the table to maximize available dollars. The Follets Island project is an early example of how private dollars will leverage funds from other sources.
“Forging public-private partnerships to conserve these Texas coastal treasures is a priority for Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation,” said Anne Brown, TPWF executive director. “We deeply appreciate the Phillips 66 contribution to this important project and encourage other corporations and citizens interested in coastal conservation to help us in this important effort.”
Along with Phillips 66, several foundations, organizations and individuals have contributed to the effort.
Additional private leverage is needed to help ensure that this unique coastal resource is protected for generations to come. For more information, contact Anne Brown at abrown@tpwf.org or 214.720.1478.
A .pdf version of this press release is available.
All TPWF news releases available online: tpwf.org/media/press-releases
Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF) raises private funds to advance Texas’ proud outdoor traditions and conserve our state’s wildlife, habitat, recreational areas, and natural resources. Since 1991, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation has raised more than $150 million in private philanthropy to ensure that all Texans, today and in the future, can enjoy the wild things and wild places of Texas.
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