Madison Audubon (WI) has joined the ranks of Audubon chapters protecting and restoring wetlands. Through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, the chapter received $35,000 for acquisition and restoration projects to protect Schoenberg Marsh. They are using the grant to restore 40 acres of tallgrass prairie and one acre of oak savanna, and to preserve 18 acres of wetlands. Part of a prairie pothole complex, the area includes a 585-acre wetland system owned by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS); the system provides nesting and foraging habitat for many birds, including Red-necked Grebes, Sandhill Cranes, Black Terns, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, many species of waterfowl, and a state-threatened species, the Blandings Turtle.

For More Info on Madison Audubon's project, contact: Karen Etter Hale
ph: 608/255-2473
e-mail: audubon@msnfullseed.com

For More Info on grants available, visit the USFWS Web site at: http://www.fws.gov/; select the "N. American Waterfowl Wetlands Conservation Act" icon. The next cycle for mini-grants will likely be this spring (not decided yet). The larger, standard grant has two application opportunities, with these deadlines: 4/2/99 and 8/6/99.

For Assistance with your application, help from wetlands mentors, or info. on other grants, contact: Lea Mitchell
Audubon Wetlands Campaign
ph: 360/709-9695
e-mail: lmitchell@audubon.org