01-12-2013, 12:10 PM
*PELICAN ISLAND, FL.* - On Friday, January 11, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will travel to Florida to celebrate the establishment of six new national wildlife refuge units across the country during the past year and the renaming of a seventh in honor of a late U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service director by laying commemorative planks on a walkway at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Salazar will also discuss the economic importance of tourism and conservation with the Miami Chamber of Commerce and give the keynote address at the Everglades Coalition annual conference.
The six new refuge units to be honored are: Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge in Albuquerque, NM; Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area near Mora, N.M., Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois; Sangre de Cristo Conservation Area in Colorado; Swan Valley Conservation Area in Montana; and Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.
Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge, located just south of Starkville, Mississippi, was renamed the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee Wildlife Refuge to memorialize the Service's former director.
*EVENT #1: Tourism and Conservation Discussion with the Miami Chamber of Commerce*
*WHO: *
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar<br />
Miami Chamber of Commerce Members
*WHEN:* Friday, January 11, 2013<br />
8:30 a.m. EDT
*WHERE:* Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce<br />
1601 Biscayne Boulevard<br />
Miami, FL 33132
*EVENT #2: Plank Laying Ceremony to Celebrate New National Wildlife Refuge Units*
*WHO:* Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior<br />
Dan Ashe, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service<br />
Charlie Pelizza, Refuge Manager, Pelican Island NWR<br />
New refuge unit representatives and stakeholders
*WHEN:* Friday, January 11, 2013<br />
12:00 p.m. EDT
*WHERE:* Pelican Island NWR<br />
Centennial Trail Boardwalk<br />
Vero Beach, FL
*MEDIA:* In addition to coming to the event on site, Media<br />
are invited to join the ceremony by dialing 1-888-968 4347 and providing<br />
the access code INTERIOR. (listen-only)
*EVENT #3: Keynote Address at the 28th Annual Everglades Coalition Conference*
*WHO:* Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior
*WHEN:* Friday, January 11, 2013<br />
7:30 p.m. EDT (dinner)<br />
8:30 p.m. EDT (keynote address)
*WHERE:*<br />
Biltmore Miami - Coral Gables<br />
1200 Anastasia Avenue<br />
Coral Gables, FL 33134
Media Contact<br />
Blake Androff (202) 208-6416
The six new refuge units to be honored are: Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge in Albuquerque, NM; Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area near Mora, N.M., Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois; Sangre de Cristo Conservation Area in Colorado; Swan Valley Conservation Area in Montana; and Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.
Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge, located just south of Starkville, Mississippi, was renamed the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee Wildlife Refuge to memorialize the Service's former director.
*EVENT #1: Tourism and Conservation Discussion with the Miami Chamber of Commerce*
*WHO: *
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar<br />
Miami Chamber of Commerce Members
*WHEN:* Friday, January 11, 2013<br />
8:30 a.m. EDT
*WHERE:* Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce<br />
1601 Biscayne Boulevard<br />
Miami, FL 33132
*EVENT #2: Plank Laying Ceremony to Celebrate New National Wildlife Refuge Units*
*WHO:* Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior<br />
Dan Ashe, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service<br />
Charlie Pelizza, Refuge Manager, Pelican Island NWR<br />
New refuge unit representatives and stakeholders
*WHEN:* Friday, January 11, 2013<br />
12:00 p.m. EDT
*WHERE:* Pelican Island NWR<br />
Centennial Trail Boardwalk<br />
Vero Beach, FL
*MEDIA:* In addition to coming to the event on site, Media<br />
are invited to join the ceremony by dialing 1-888-968 4347 and providing<br />
the access code INTERIOR. (listen-only)
*EVENT #3: Keynote Address at the 28th Annual Everglades Coalition Conference*
*WHO:* Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior
*WHEN:* Friday, January 11, 2013<br />
7:30 p.m. EDT (dinner)<br />
8:30 p.m. EDT (keynote address)
*WHERE:*<br />
Biltmore Miami - Coral Gables<br />
1200 Anastasia Avenue<br />
Coral Gables, FL 33134
Media Contact<br />
Blake Androff (202) 208-6416