Indiana Wildlife Refuge Gets $1.15 Million To Expand

OAKLAND CITY, Ind. (AP) - Environmentalists are celebrating President Obama's signature on a bill that includes $1.15 million to expand a southwestern Indiana wildlife refuge.

An appropriations bill signed by Obama last week provides land acquisition funding that will expand the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge by about 1,150 acres. Activists say the land had been in danger of being sold to developers.

Sue Vernier of the Evansville Audubon Society says that land about 30 miles north of Evansville includes wetlands and other habitats that sustain rare plants and animals.

Hoosier Environmental Council executive director Jesse Kharbanda says many environmental and conservation groups worked hard to ensure passage of the bill, which also includes $825,000 to expand the Hoosier National Forest.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Stay up to date, subscribe to the Local & Regional RSS Feed. Click to find out about RSS. What are your thoughts on this story? CLICK HERE to leave us "Your 2 Cents."

MORE FROM NBC 33 NEWS

NBC 33 News Section Front

Crash Sends Five To Hospital In Your Corner: Be Careful of Online Tricks Travel Weather Black Friday Traffic Alert Underwater Camera Used in Search for Woman's Body NBC 33 News Section Front   Add NBC 33 News headlines to your news reader: