WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced that Avangrid Foundation has made a multi-year commitment to support three NFWF grant programs that provide funding for vital on-the-ground conservation projects. This new partnership will support several geographies across the country that provide critical habitat for wildlife and benefit communities within AVANGRID’s operational footprint.

The Avangrid Foundation has committed $1 million over the next three years to support NFWF’s Bats for the Future Fund , New England Forest and Rivers Fund and Northern Great Plains Program . This diverse portfolio encompasses a suite of important and imperiled wildlife populations, including hibernating bats throughout North America, fish and migratory forest birds in the Northeast, and grassland-dependent birds and mammals in the West.

“This new partnership with NFWF exemplifies the mission of the Avangrid Foundation,” said James Torgerson, President of the Avangrid Foundation. “It is only through wide reaching investments like this that we can make a significant contribution to conservation and biodiversity across North America. We promote healthy, thriving ecosystems and are committed to conserving these natural treasures for future generations.”

“Through partnering with the Avangrid Foundation, NFWF will have the ability to expand our efforts across three programs conserving species and habitats unique to their region,” said Lila Helms, executive vice president of external affairs for NFWF. “The partnership will support critical research to better understand and fight white-nose syndrome, a deadly disease affecting bats. In New England, funds will conserve healthy forests and rivers for native bird and freshwater fish populations. And in the West, the partnership will support healthy grasslands and working ranchlands that are an essential part of the culture and livelihood of this iconic landscape.”

The new partnership will invest in projects that will:

  • Fund potential treatments and new approaches to managing white-nose syndrome (WNS), a devastating disease that has killed more than 6 million hibernating bats across the United States and Canada over the past decade.
  • Strengthen the health of forest systems in New England by improving the management of public and private forestlands to create a mosaic of mixed-age forests in the region.
  • Restore aquatic connectivity and instream habitat in New England by removing barriers to fish passage and restoring streamside forest buffers and floodplains, to benefit eastern brook trout, river herring, Atlantic salmon and other fish.
  • Maintain or improve 1 million acres of interconnected, native grasslands in the Northern Great Plains through restoring habitat, improving land management, and working with ranchers to voluntarily conserve working ranchlands and key wildlife areas, ultimately supporting ranching communities and benefitting migratory grassland birds like Sprague’s pipit, chestnut-collared longspur and McCown’s longspur.

Additional information for each program can be found at these links: Bats for the Future Fund , New England Forest and Rivers Fund and Northern Great Plains Program .

About AVANGRID AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) is a leading, sustainable energy company with $32 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states. AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving 3.2 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables owns and operates 7.1 gigawatts of electricity capacity, primarily through wind power, with a presence in 22 states across the United States. AVANGRID employs approximately 6,500 people. AVANGRID supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was awarded Compliance Leader Verification by Ethisphere, a prestigious third party verification of its ethics and compliance program. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com .

About Avangrid Foundation The Avangrid Foundation is an independent organization that funds philanthropic investments primarily in areas where AVANGRID and its subsidiaries operate.  For more information, please visit the Avangrid Foundation section of our website: www.avangrid.com .  

About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Chartered by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Working with federal, corporate and individual partners, NFWF has funded more than 4,500 organizations and generated a conservation impact of more than $4.8 billion. Learn more at  www.nfwf.org .

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Rob Blumenthal National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (202) 857-0166 rob.blumenthal@nfwf.org Juanita Washington AVANGRID (585) 724-8948 Juanita.Washington@avangrid.com