Comment 1

The Mingo National Wildlife Refuge restoration project includes restoring approximately 358 acres of bottomland hardwood forest in several areas that had previously been cleared and utilized for agriculture production and cattle grazing. This restoration project will meet the carbon sequestration goals of the GoZERO program while also assisting the Refuge in achieving objectives outlined in the Comprehensive Conservation Plan.

This project is an excellent example of the benefits of working with our conservation partners to achieve management goals. The Mingo project will have positive impacts on carbon sequestration and climate change and will restore native habitat that will provide habitat for a wide variety of species for the next 50 – 60 years. In addition to providing wildlife habitat, the project will enhance recreational activities such as hunting, wildlife observation, and photography. Also, increased environmental education and interpretation activities will incorporate the benefits of bottomland hardwood forests and the positive impacts to climate change.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service supports this project and looks forward to enhancing this beneficial partnership with The Conservation Fund in the future. Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

Matt Sprenger
Refuge Supervisor
USFWS, Region 3
612-713-5327
February 26, 2010