Federal grant to help protect endangered species in NRV

Congressman Rick Boucher (D-VA) announced today that the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife, through its Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) Land Acquisition Program is providing a federal grant in the amount of $150,000 to the Virginia Department of Department of Conservation and Recreation to help protect endangered species in Montgomery County. With the benefit of the federal funds announced today 86 acres of land will be added to the Pedlar Hills Natural Area Preserve located 13 miles east of Christiansburg, bringing the total acreage of the preserve to 608. The purchase and management of this property by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation will bring the entire watershed of an ecologically significant tributary to South Fork Roanoke River under conservation ownership The South Fork Roanoke River is home to two rare fish species, the federally and state endangered Roanoke logperch and the state threatened orangefin madtom.

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