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Arlington, VA (December 13, 2006) – A partnership between The Conservation Fund, Anheuser-Busch and its Natural Light and Natural Ice beer brands will help North Carolina and South Carolina shorelines “Keep it Natural” in time for the holidays this year. The public-private initiative helps to conserve coastal shorelines, preserve wildlife habitat and expand recreation opportunities in North Carolina and South Carolina. This year’s program will protect local coasts through on-the-ground conservation and restoration work with North Carolina Coastal Federation and South Carolina Coastal Conservation League.
“Natural Light is proud to partner with The Conservation Fund to enhance the ‘Keep it Natural Carolinas’ program,” said Jim Lukowski, director of Natural Light for Anheuser-Busch. “With the addition of North Carolina Coastal Federation and South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, this program will be able to conserve additional vital habitat and recreation areas for local residents.”
“The ‘Keep it Natural Carolinas’ program exemplifies Anheuser-Busch’s abiding dedication to the protection of our coastal natural resources and the creation of new areas for public recreation,” said The Conservation Fund’s president and CEO, Larry Selzer. “Anheuser-Busch and Natural Light demonstrate how businesses and environmental organizations can work together to produce lasting, mutually beneficial results. We applaud Anheuser-Busch, Natural Light, North Carolina Coastal Federation and South Carolina Coastal Conservation League for contributing to the conservation of our nation’s coastlines. ”
The “Keep it Natural” program will support North Carolina Coastal Federation’s work to safeguard coastal shell fishing and swimming waters and protect and restore oyster habitat and public beaches. This year, the group began one of its largest restoration projects to date at Carteret Community College, where it is working to stabilize shorelines and control stormwater along 1,200 feet of shoreline at Bogue Sound.
"Partnerships like this one are what make our work to restore and protect the coast effective," said Todd Miller, executive director of the North Carolina Coastal Federation. "We're very pleased to work with Anheuser-Busch and The Conservation Fund to help citizens keep our coast natural and productive."
The program will also support South Carolina Coastal Conservation League’s work to protect the coastal plain, including shorebird and sea turtle nesting areas, wetlands and coastal marsh islands. The League will focus on its South Carolina Conservation Bank, which provides funding for the protection of environmentally and historically sensitive lands statewide.
“It is gratifying to have the commitment of companies like Anheuser-Busch in support of conserving our irreplaceable landscape,” said Dana Beach, executive director of the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League. “These types of partnerships are strong testimony to the broad and strong feelings South Carolinians have for the state’s natural environment.”
Since its inception in 2000, the “Keep it Natural” program has supported the protection of more than 110,000 acres of wildlife habitat, working landscapes and recreation areas in North Carolina and South Carolina.
In addition to the “Keep it Natural Carolinas” program, The Conservation Fund, Anheuser-Busch Companies and Natural Light have partnered on a national campaign to preserve a total of one million acres for the National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) System. Thus far, the program has supported, among others, land protection efforts at Pelican Island NWR in Florida, Waccamaw NWR in South Carolina and Trinity River NWR in Texas. Anheuser-Busch, through its Natural Light brand, is providing some of the funding to launch this nationwide effort. Additional details about the Keep it Natural program are available at www.ABenvironment.com.
About Anheuser-Busch
Natural Light and Natural Ice are brewed by Anheuser-Busch, Inc., the leading American brewer holding 50 percent of the U.S. beer market. For more than one hundred years, Anheuser-Busch has made protecting our environment part of its way of doing business, beginning with recycling spent brewers’ grain for cattle feed. Today, the company recycles more than 97 percent of the waste it generates, nearly 5 billion pounds of materials annually. In addition, Anheuser-Busch is one of the world’s largest recycler of aluminum beverage containers. The company’s SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Adventure Parks are leaders in animal rescue and rehabilitation and have supported conservation projects worldwide for more than 30 years. The company also supports leading community and national conservation organizations, such as The Conservation Fund, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Keep America Beautiful. For more information on Anheuser-Busch’s environmental efforts, visit www.ABenvironment.com.
About The Conservation Fund
The Conservation Fund is the nation’s foremost environmental nonprofit dedicated to protecting America’s land and water legacy for current and future generations. Seeking innovative conservation solutions for the 21st century, the Fund works to integrate economic and environmental goals. Since its founding in 1985, the Fund has helped its partners safeguard wildlife habitat, working landscapes, community “greenspace” and historic sites totaling more than 5.5 million acres nationwide. With one percent fundraising costs and 96 percent program allocation, The Conservation Fund is recognized as the nation’s top rated environmental nonprofit by both the American Institute of Philanthropy and Charity Navigator. Visit us online at www.conservationfund.org.
About North Carolina Coastal Federation
For more than 24 years, the North Carolina Coastal Federation has worked with citizens to safeguard the coastal rivers, creeks, sounds and beaches of North Carolina. The Federation has protected or restored about 50,000 acres and consists of more than 8,000 members, 150 group and agency partners, 600 active volunteers and a 16-member professional staff. NCCF has four key program areas: strengthening environmental standards, encouraging enforcement of environmental laws, restoring and protecting habitat and water quality and educating citizens and community leaders.
About South Carolina Coastal Conservation League
Since 1989, the Coastal Conservation League (CCL) has been working with communities, businesses, other conservation and citizen groups, to protect the South Carolina coast. From white sand beaches and pristine marshes to freshwater swamps and pine savannahs, the CCL focuses on the most efficient and effective ways to protect natural habitats, the wildlife that depends on them, and the variety of benefits they bring to the state. CCL also believes that the communities in which it operates are important, and that quality of life deserves the same high level of attention. The CCL vision: beautiful and livable communities surrounded by productive agricultural lands and wild lands rich with biodiversity.
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