Clarks River group visits Washington, D.C.

Members of the Friends of Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge in Benton, Kentucky, traveled to Washington, D.C., to join community leaders from 44 other states for the advancement of wildlife conservation both locally and within their respective states.

Doug Galyen, Shelly Morris, Happy Chambers, and Clarks River Refuge Manager Michael Johnson attended the 2005 Refuge Friends Conference to receive information about more effective ways to support the Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge and wildlife conservation. While in the nation’s capital they visited with Sen. Mitch McConnell and Rep. Ed Whitfield’s staff to impress upon both how important the refuge and the National Wildlife Refuge System is to their community for recreation and conservation, and to express their gratitude for the legislators’ past and future support for the local refuge.

Although only in the formative stage, the Friends of Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge plans to provide support to the refuge for the purposes of helping the refuge meet goals regarding conservation and to link the community to the refuge for wildlife-related recreational and educational opportunities.

“Everyone, in some form or fashion, within a community appreciates the outdoors and what it adds,” said Galyen, president of the association. “The knowledge gained from this conference is going to help the Clarks River Friends Association improve their conservation efforts and reach out to other outdoor enthusiasts.”

The Friends of Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1999 to bring area volunteers together in support of wildlife conservation, recreation, and education programs which the refuge offers. The refuge currently encompasses 8,500 acres, with an ultimate goal of 18,000 acres. All refuge property is located in Marshall, McCracken, and Graves counties in Western Kentucky.

Chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System William Hartwig said, “More than 40 million people visit national wildlife refuges each year, and the 40,000 volunteers, most of them Friends group members, help us meet the needs of these visitors to ensure they have the best experience possible.”