Northeast Region Highlights
Demolition of Pigg River dam completed in Franklin County, VirginiaDams and other structures choked Southwest Virginia’s Pigg River for over 100 years. Now, with the breach of the river’s oldest and last remaining dam, its waters rise freely from Fivemile Mountain and flow a winding 75 miles east to Leesville Reservoir near its confluence with the Roanoke River. As Friends of the Rivers of Virginia and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today highlight the completion of Power Dam demolition, local officials and conservationists look forward to reduced flooding risks, the opportunity to extend the Pigg River blueway for canoeing, kayaking and fishing, and improved river habitat for wildlife including the federally endangered Roanoke logperch and declining Roanoke bass, orangefin madtom and bigeye jumprock populations. |
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New Jersey’s newest rehabilitation center welcomes first sea turtlesThe first injured sea turtles arrived December 21 at New Jersey’s new and only long-term sea turtle rehabilitation center, the Sea Turtle Recovery at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo. The 10 Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were transported from the New England Aquarium in Massachusetts, where the season has already brought nearly 450 cold stunned sea turtles ashore in the state. "Rescue, rehabilitation and release of sea turtles are not only opportunities to help populations, but also opportunities to better understand the challenges to recovering healthy population numbers," says regional recovery permit coordinator Deb Carter of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. |
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Public, environment to benefit from $50 million proposed settlement for natural resources harmed by Virginia Dupont facilityThe Departments of Justice and the Interior and the Commonwealth of Virginia today announced a proposed settlement with DuPont valued at about $50 million resolving claims stemming from the release of mercury from the former E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company facility in Waynesboro. Over 100 miles of river and associated floodplain have been contaminated by mercury in the South River and South Fork Shenandoah River watershed. |
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White River National Fish Hatchery re-opensDecember 6, 2016 - The White River National Fish Hatchery is back in business after being closed for five years due to extensive storm damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene. And it has a new mission - to restore native salmon and trout populations to Lake Champlain, as well as lakes Erie and Ontario.The hatchery is open to the public on a limited basis. An event to celebrate the opening is being planned for spring 2017. |
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