CNHA Funds $24,000 "Wish List!"

At their first meeting of the new fiscal year, the CNHA Board of Directors approved a record level allocation of $28,000 to fund a number of Chincoteague and Eastern Shore refuge projects. Annually, the CNHA receives and reviews requests (i.e., wish lists) submitted by the management of the Chincoteague and Eastern Shore of Virginia refuges to accomplish various public use activities for which appropriated funds are inadequate or unavailable. In many cases, the funding provided by the CNHA can be leveraged when the refuges use CNHA funding to obtain matching grants from the Fish & Wildlife Pilot Fee Program or other organizations that provide matching grants. The allocation of funds between the two refuges is based on an assessment of their projects and the contribution to CNHA revenue provided by each refuge's sales outlet. The following is a summary of this year's allocation:

Chincoteague NWR
Interns	For environmental education & interpretation programs	$5,000
Special Events	Materials & services for events such as Intl. Migratory Bird - Day, National Wildlife Refuge Week, Waterfowl Week, etc.	$3,000
Volunteer Program	Recruitment, awards, field trips, training, etc.	$2,000
Environmental Ed.	Workshop materials	$2,000
Centennial Outreach	Promotion of the NWR System's 100th anniversary	$2,500
Set-aside	Fund for the educational components of the new CREAC	$2,500
Imprest Fund	Discretionary funds for misc. public use activities	$ 500
TOTAL		$20,000

Eastern Shore NVVR
Interns	$5,200
Special Events	$1,000
Environmental Education	$1,000
Volunteer Program	$ 500
Imprest Fund	$ 300
TOTAL	$8,000

As stated in the CNWR Refuge Manager's wish list transmittal letter, "Since 1987 your association has been instrumental in helping our staff achieve the overall mission of this refuge by assisting us with providing a quality interpretive and educational program. As you are aware, your association has provided the financial assistance necessary to: conduct special events that celebrate wild things and wild places; ... design and construct wetland education kits for teachers; redesign and enhance both the Junior Birder and Junior Refuge Manager programs ....

As a CNHA member, this is YOUR association. Your membership and support made all of these accomplishments possible.