Corps and USFWS to sign Conservation Plan

Published Aug. 13, 2013

Vicksburg, Miss., August 13, 2013 - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Valley Division (MVD), will sign a formal Conservation Plan with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to better protect three endangered species native to the lower Mississippi River - the Interior Least Tern, Pallid Sturgeon and Fat Pocketbook Mussel.

The signing ceremony will take place aboard the Motor Vessel MISSISSIPPI V at approximately 4 p.m. August 21, immediately following the Mississippi River Commission’s public meeting at the Vicksburg City Front.

The Lower Mississippi River Conservation Plan, developed under the authorities of the Endangered Species Act, clearly outlines strategies and actions which MVD will use in its channel improvement program to protect the animals and conserve and create habitat for the three endangered species along the lower Mississippi River.

“The strategies and actions identified in this plan have been developed, implemented, tested and proven effective for more than a decade by MVD,” said Maj. Gen. John Peabody, MVD Commander and President of the Mississippi River Commission. “We have also relied on the collaboration and support from the Mississippi Field Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, river state conservation agencies and the Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee to make this plan a reality.  

Dr. David Vigh, lead regional biologist for MVD, said “The conservation plan is a significant step toward a partnered effort to help ensure the survival of these important species.”


Contact
Bob Anderson
601-629-7987
robert.t.anderson@usace.army.mil

Release no. 13-015