Comment 1

The Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge carbon project, completed by The Conservation Fund's GoZero program, is an outstanding example of a project that provides benefits far beyond the carbon sequestration that is the primary goal of the program. The project has restored more than 770 acres of bottomland hardwood forest in an area that had been deforested and utilized for row crop production for many years. In addition to the carbon sequestration benefits and positive impacts on global climate change produced by planting trees, the property will be managed to provide habitat for a variety of wildlife species. Restoration of native forest will help improve water quality through improved filtration, reduced runoff and the elimination of pesticide and fertizer use. The restoresd forest will also provide enhanced public recreational opportunities such as hunting, fishing, photography and wildlife observation. Environmental education and interpretation activities can help educate current and future generations about the many benefits of bottomland hardwood forests, as well as the impacts of climate change. While the carbon sequestration benefits that this project will generate over time are substantial, the ancillary benefits that will accrue to the public are no less significant.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

Sue Oliveira, 9 May 09.

Comment 2

Hello,

Gaiam Inc. has worked with The Conservation Fund for years now and I wanted to add this to the public comments for the Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge submittal:

Christopher Fisher, 11 May 09.