Walmart Helps to Conserve Open Spaces in Seven States

BENTONVILLE, Ark., May 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Walmart's Acres for America program, a conservation partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), is protecting priority lands across the country to provide wildlife habitats and recreational opportunities for local residents. Newly-announced projects in Arkansas, New Mexico, Nebraska, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Maine and Oregon are part of an ongoing program to conserve the nation's most precious lands and natural resources to benefit people, wildlife and local economies.

Since 2005, Walmart has worked with NFWF to establish Acres for America, a 10-year, $35 million commitment to purchase and preserve one acre of wildlife habitat in the U.S. for every acre of land developed by the company. The program has protected critical habitats for birds, fish, plants and wildlife and far surpassed its original goals, becoming one of the country's most effective conservation partnerships. To date, Acres for America has invested in projects in 30 states and the District of Columbia.

The new sites bring the total acres protected through the program to more than 800,000.

"These new Acres for America projects build on the conservation successes of our continued partnership with Walmart," said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. "From the Ozarks to Oregon, they protect the open spaces that wildlife need and provide abundant economic and recreational resources for residents."   

"Walmart is proud to work with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation thru the Acres for America program," said Jennifer May-Brust, vice president and general counsel of real estate at Walmart. "Supporting the projects brought to life thru the Acres program reflects our value and commitment to helping our customers live better."

New Acres for America projects include the following:

Devil's Eyebrow Preserve: Benton County, Arkansas
Partners: The Nature Conservancy and Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission
The Devil's Eyebrow Preserve on Beaver Lake, Arkansas, is a 1,950-acre lakefront parcel that harbors a rich diversity of wildlife and plants native to the Ozark region. In addition to 12 different varieties of hardwood trees, it contains several live springs, underground caves and aquifers.

Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Partners: Trust for Public Land
The new Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico is part of Acres for America's urban component. The 390-acre acquisition will protect and restore priority wildlife habitat for sandhill cranes and other wildlife. Just five miles south of Albuquerque, the property along the Rio Grande will form the basis for the new Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge.

Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary: Platte River, Nebraska
Partners: National Audubon Society
In Nebraska, a 577-acre addition to an existing wildlife refuge will support the largest population of sandhill cranes (more than 100,000) and other birds in the Central Platte River Valley during spring migration.

Brule–St. Croix Legacy Forest: Northwestern Wisconsin
Partners: The Conservation Fund and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
A new Acres project in northwestern Wisconsin will protect 1,477 acres of globally significant pine barrens. The parcel is the capstone of the largest conservation project in Wisconsin history. 

White Mountains to Moosehead Lake Initiative: New Hampshire and Western Maine
Partners: The Trust for Public Land
A combination of three transactions in New Hampshire and western Maine will permanently protect 49,227 acres of critical forest, lakes, streams and wetlands habitat.

Headwaters of the John Day: Central Oregon
Partners: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
In Oregon, 13,073 acres of timberland adjacent to the Malheur National Forest will preserve over 35 miles of critical habitat for Chinook salmon and other species and help maintain an important wildlife corridor.

About Walmart

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online and through their mobile devices. Each week, more than 245 million customers and members visit our more than 10,800 stores under 69 banners in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 10 countries. With fiscal year 2013 sales of approximately $466 billion, Walmart employs more than 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com and http://www.walmartgreenroom.com/, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmartgreen. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.  

SOURCE Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.