Entergy Corporation is helping community partners protect and enhance critical habitats through their Environmental Initiatives Fund, committing $95,000 to Ducks Unlimited's (DU) White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area Refuge Unit project in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana.

"We are proud to partner with the world leader in wetlands conservation," said Kelli Dowell, director of environmental policy at Entergy who also manages the company's Environmental Initiatives Fund. "Their commitment to restoring wetlands, which provide critical habitat and protect natural resources, is in line with Entergy's long-standing commitment to adding sustainable value for all our stakeholders, including our communities. Protecting the environment is a key action toward that commitment."

Entergy's Environmental Initiatives Fund identifies environmentally beneficial projects or programs that help better the environment by reducing emissions, protecting natural resources and restoring wetlands and forests. The fund also focuses on educating Entergy customers, employees, communities and owners on the value of natural resources and other environmental improvements.

White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area is a nearly 71,000-acre area located in western Vermillion Parish. Owned and managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), the area is a popular public hunting and recreational area. It is also excellent habitat for the endangered Whooping Crane and the base for Louisiana's effort to reintroduce the bird to its historic range.

"DU's conservation efforts at White Lake and in southwest Louisiana provide quality Whooping Crane habitat," said Cassidy Lejeune, DU Director of Conservation Programs. "Having conservation partners like Entergy helps ensure that important wetlands enhancement and restoration projects happen in places where they are needed."

Since the program's inception, the 4,805-acre Refuge Unit at White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area has played a key role in the reintroduction of Whooping Cranes. For many years, it has served as location for the soft release of Whooping Cranes because of desirable habitat conditions and LDWF's ability to adequately manage water levels. Currently, the Refuge Unit's infrastructure is in need of maintenance to ensure that it continues to provide adequate habitat for Whooping Cranes and other bird species. Thanks to the support of Entergy and other partners, DU will assist LDWF with needed repairs to a stretch of levee on the southwest corner of the Unit that is vulnerable to wave erosion. The repairs will include the relifting of 450' of levee and installation of rock rip rap to armor the levee. This work will be accomplished in 2023.

In addition to supporting endangered species such as the Whooping Crane, White Lake is home to more than 170 species of birds, blue catfish, largemouth bass, crappie and a variety of plants, mammals and reptiles.

For more information, visit www.ducks.org, and be sure to follow DU's Twitter feed - @DucksUnlimited and @DUConserve - to get the most up-to-date news from Ducks Unlimited.

About Ducks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 15 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow, and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.

About Entergy

Entergy, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans, powers life for 3 million customers through its operating companies across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy is creating a cleaner, more resilient energy future for everyone with our diverse power generation portfolio, including increasingly carbon-free energy sources. With roots in the Gulf South region for more than a century, Entergy is a recognized leader in corporate citizenship, delivering more than $100 million in economic benefits to local communities through philanthropy and advocacy efforts annually over the last several years. Our approximately 12,000 employees are dedicated to powering life today and for future generations. Learn more at entergy.com and follow @Entergy on social media. #WePowerLife

 

Media Contact:

Emily Austin

601-206-5438

eaustin@ducks.org