Partnership will Benefit Habitat in Louisiana, Texas and Washington
HOUSTON, Texas – (April 3, 2018) – Shell Oil Company has awarded a grant of $500,000 to Coastal Conservation Association’s (CCA’s) National Habitat Program, Building Conservation Trust (BCT). The Shell U.S. Grant will fund marine habitat projects in Louisiana, Texas and Washington during 2018.
“Shell Oil Company has demonstrated a strong dedication to conserving our marine resources,” said John Carlson, chairman of Building Conservation Trust. “We are grateful to be the recipient of this award and committed to putting these funds towards impactful, worthy and sustainable habitat projects.”
The marine habitat projects being funded by Shell Oil Company in Louisiana will also partner with CCA Louisiana. The projects will focus on protecting land, as land loss is a critical issue in this area. Shell Oil Company’s funding of marine habitat projects in Texas will support habitat creation, such as artificial reefs, and will include CCA Texas as a partner. Additionally, Shell Oil Company is partnering with BCT and CCA Washington to aid in the recovery of Olympia Oysters in the south-central Puget Sound, improve water quality, restore nearshore habitat for Pacific oysters and a variety of fish species, increase salmonid production, and improve juvenile salmonid survival in marine environments.
The Shell Oil Company/BCT partnership was established several years ago. In 2010, Shell Oil Company announced that it would provide $1.5 million in funding over three years to the Coastal Conservation Association habitat program and paved the way for a series of large-scale, angler-driven marine habitat projects in areas of critical importance. This initial funding set the foundation for the creation of Building Conservation Trust in 2013.
Building Conservation Trust was created to provide vital funding for grassroots-driven projects that achieve one or more of five key objectives: Restore degraded habitats; Create new habitats; Advance the science of coastal habitat and marine fisheries conservation; Foster habitat stewardship; and Educate coastal communities of the value of conservation.
“This partnership is extraordinary in that it promotes and fulfills all of BCT’s core values,” said Sean Stone, executive director of Building Conservation Trust. “We are excited to continue to build upon our valuable relationship with Shell Oil Company in an effort to conserve vital marine resources in Louisiana, Texas and Washington.”