ATLANTA, Dec. 13, 2010 -- Southern Company and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation today announced that nine new and two continuing grants have been awarded to conservation and natural resource agencies through the Power of Flight and Longleaf Legacy partnership programs.

Since 2002, Southern Company and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation have provided more than $11.3 million through 96 Power of Flight and Longleaf Legacy grants. In addition, grant recipients have contributed more than $45.8 million in matching funds, resulting in an on-the-ground conservation impact of about $57.2 million since the program’s inception.

Through these two programs, more than 279,367 acres of longleaf pine and other critical habitat on public and private lands will be restored, enhancing bird populations across the Southeast.

“We are proud to support our Power of Flight and Longleaf Legacy partners, who continue to set the standard for innovative, results-oriented environmental stewardship. These programs are an essential part of our commitment to environmental leadership,” said Chris Hobson, Southern Company chief environmental officer.

“Our partnership with Southern Company is generating tangible, on-the-ground results through the restoration of longleaf pine forests in the Southeast,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. “In addition to protecting land and water systems, these projects also provide critical habitat for native bird populations. The benefits to both our natural resources and our wildlife are far-reaching.”

Three new grants were awarded under Power of Flight:

• Avian Research and Conservation Institute - to produce a rangewide strategic plan for recovery of the remnant, steadily-declining population of Southeastern American Kestrel. This project will prioritize specific sites; improve management of habitat and nesting opportunities; perform and evaluate translocations; and select reintroduction sites to establish captive-reared falcons. The project includes activities across the Southeast.
• Alabama Wildlife Federation – to establish a minimum of 100 acres of native warm- season grass habitat on 10 demonstration sites in high-priority areas of National Bird Conservation Initiative regions in Alabama. This project will help break down native warm-season grass establishment barriers and increase the number, availability and knowledge base of resource professionals, land managers and contractors necessary to achieve increases in native warm-season grass habitat.  
• National Wild Turkey Federation - to establish and maintain Golden-winged Warbler habitat in the Chattahoochee Wildlife Management Area and the Chattahoochee National Forest in north Georgia through commercial timber thinning, timber stand improvement, herbicide stump treatment, non-native invasive species eradication, native warm-season grass establishment, road and ditch improvements and prescribed burning.

Continuing support was provided to two grants under Power of Flight:

• Operation Migration USA – to increase by approximately one-third the number of whooping cranes led south each year using an ultralight aircraft. Through this award increase, Operation Migration will assemble six staff member to condition, train and care for whooping cranes over the summer; imprint and condition up to 12 whooping cranes for southward migration in the fall; and conduct actual southward migration from Wisconsin to Florida. The migration route includes three states served by Southern Company subsidiaries – Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
• Milliken Forestry Company - to accelerate translocation efforts for the red-cockaded woodpecker over a five-year period. Funds are supporting a biologist on the Apalachicola National Forest in Florida who monitors potential donor families, with the goal of increasing from 20 to 40 the number of woodpeckers available for translocation each year. This is a continuation of a grant formerly made to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over several years. The project includes activities across the Southeast.

Six new grants were awarded under Longleaf Legacy:

• The Longleaf Alliance – to continue the Gulf Coastal Plain Ecosystem Partnership for restoration of 5,185 acres of longleaf pine by planting 2.4 million seedlings. The Partnership will be used as a model to expand and include the Eglin Air Force Base/Blackwater State Forest/Conecuh National Forest Significant Geographic Area in Florida and Alabama as identified by the Range-Wide Conservation Plan for Longleaf Pine.
• The Florida Division of Forestry – to restore 1,400 acres of clear-cut sand, loblolly and slash-pine plantations to longleaf by planting 1,016,400 seedlings. This project will aid in the connectivity of the Conecuh National Forest/Blackwater State Forest/Eglin Air Force Base Significant Landscape Area in Florida and Alabama as described by America's Longleaf.
• The Nature Conservancy, Florida – to restore 600 acres of longleaf pine through the planting of 90,000 seedlings in Torreya State Park, provide fire assistance on 60,000 acres and plant 6,000 pounds of wiregrass seeds. These activities directly support the Range-Wide Conservation Plan for Longleaf Pine.
• National Wildlife Federation – to restore longleaf pine habitats on private lands in Alabama. This project will restore 15,000 acres through a mix of active longleaf pine re-establishment and landowner outreach, and will have the added benefit of building community leaders and networks to sustain landscape conservation over time.
• Nature Conservancy, Alabama – to restore longleaf pine on approximately 456 acres by planting 126,000 containerized longleaf pine seedlings. Native groundcover will be improved via prescribed burning on an additional 500 acres through a federal-state-Conservancy partnership.
• Alabama Forestry Commission – to restore a total of 667 acres to longleaf pine on four state forests through site preparation, burning and replanting with approximately 363,515 containerized longleaf pine seedlings. This project will help protect and enhance land and water ecosystems through invasive species management in longleaf understory and overstory. Once completed, the project areas will be utilized for public recreation, education, awareness and outreach.

Visit www.southerncompany.com/planetpower to view fact sheets on Power of Flight and Longleaf Legacy or to see a complete listing of awards granted.

With 4.4 million customers and more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast.  A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices below the national average.  Southern Company is consistently listed among the top U.S. electric service providers in customer satisfaction by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).  

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, established by Congress in 1984, is an international leader in developing public and private funding to protect wildlife and natural resources. In 26 years, NFWF has funded 3,700 organizations and leveraged $490 million in federal funds into $1.6 billion for conservation. The achievement of clear, measurable results is central to our work. We bring together diverse stakeholders—from industry to Congress to local leaders—to accomplish positive outcomes. To learn more, visit www.nfwf.org.

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