The award was given for the Service's work on a 144 acre acquisition at Barn Island in Stonington, Conn. Service staff contributed roughly 25 days of skilled assistance to the project, in which they and staff of the State of Connecticut, The Nature Conservancy and others cooperated to apply for a $1 million Coastal Wetlands Conservation grant. Regional Director Marvin Moriarty accepted the team award on behalf of the Service, and each of the team members received individual plaques and a congratulatory letter from President Bush.

The new acquisition makes the Barn Island Wildlife Management Area, administered by the State of Connecticut, the state's largest coastal landholding at 1,013 acres.

Along this stretch of highly developed coastline, Barn Island provides much-needed tidal wetlands and uplands for wildlife species. It is also the site of over 50 years of nationally-recognized salt marsh restoration and research.