Photo by: C. Brame, 10/21/2007, Presquile NWR, Nikki Rovner,State Deputy Director of Natural Resources

Photograph by: C. Brame, 10/21/2006, Presquile NWR, Joseph McCauley, EVRNWRC Project Leader

The National Audubon Society's Virginia Important Bird Areas (IBA) program recently designated their newest IBA along 118,000 acres of the James River. Known as the Lower James River IBA, this area stretches from eastern Richmond to the mouth of the Chickahominy River. The boundaries encompass pristine forested wetlands, river habitat, and rural farmlands, as well as two national wildlife refuges, James River and Presquile National Wildlife Refuge. The refuges make up the two largest tracts of public land within the IBA. Harrison Lake National Fish Hatchery is another U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service property included in the focus area. Other land owners are: National Park Service, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF), Virginia Commonwealth University, Henrico County, Chesterfield County, and numerous private land holders.

The recognition ceremony was held on October 21, 2006 at Presquile National Wildlife Refuge in Chesterfield County. Speakers included Nikki Rovner, Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources; Dickie King, chairman of the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors; David Whitehurst, Director of Wildlife Diversity for the VDGIF; Greg Butcher, Director of Bird Conservation for the National Audubon Society; and Joseph McCauley, Project Leader for the Eastern VA Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

The Virginia IBA Program is part of an international effort to identify and conserve a network of global sites that provide essential habitat for birds. "Since 1995, we have identified more than 2,000 IBAs nationally, encompassing over 200 million acres, and have begun conservation activities on many of these sites," said Greg Butcher, Audubon's Director of Bird Conservation. "We are thrilled with the addition of the Lower James River IBA because the area protects so many at-risk species, like the Bald Eagle and many declining birds dependent on grasslands, such as Grasshopper Sparrows and Meadowlarks. I'm heartened to see how much interest there is here in Virginia to protect this beautiful area."