Chevron awards Ducks Unlimited $500,000 for Gulf Coast Projects
Eugene L. 12.21.22
Chevron has awarded Ducks Unlimited (DU) with a $500,000 grant toward the Ducks Unlimited Gulf Coast Initiative. This initiative is working to help restore and maintain coastal wetlands on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana. These coastal wetlands act as a buffer between the gulf and the land, protecting everything from the storms that come ashore from the Gulf. This includes infrastructure, commercial fisheries, and the nuseries of fish, shellfish, and birds. The wetlands are also habitat for millions of waterfowl and other migratory birds. The wetlands are a major natural resource as well as a major economic driver for the region.
“Ducks Unlimited wetlands conservation projects across the Gulf Coast provide economic, ecological and societal benefits that ripple across the country,” said Chevron Gulf of Mexico Corporate Affairs Manager Leah Brown. “We are proud to continue our partnership by helping to support these efforts.”
The $500,000 from Chevron will be used in two coastal restoration projects in the Ducks Unlimited Gulf Coast Initiative. The first is the southwest Louisiana Habitat enhancements at Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). The second project is Unit 3 work in the Rockefeller Refuge.
“Working with partners like Chevron helps ensure our conservation work never stops,” said DU Director of Conservation Programs Cassidy Lejeune. “The projects that Chevron supports are critical to Louisiana’s wetlands and wildlife. Without support from them and other GCI partners, we could not accomplish what we do.”
The Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) work entails the replacement of water-control structures and the refitment of the current surface-water pumping system with a new power unit on Unit B. Unit B is an 800-acre unit that is easily accessible by car and is one of the most popular areas of the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge due to the amount of wildlife visitors can observe.
The Rockefeller Refuge Unit 3 is a 3,800-acre marsh unit that is home to tens of thousands of migratory waterfowl each year. The work for Unit 3 will include refitting the surface water pumping system to improve water management.
