(New Orleans, LA) – Louisiana-based Abita Brewing Company recently donated $100,000 to Ducks Unlimited, leader in wetlands conservation, for restoration of important wetland habitats along Louisiana’s imperiled coast.
The donation comes from the SOS Charitable Fund, established by the brewing company to assist with restoration and recovery after the disastrous oil spill. Abita created a special beer, SOS (Save Our Shore) – A Charitable Pilsner, and donates 75 cents for every bottle sold to the fund. To date, more than $255,000 has been raised for the cause.
“This leadership gift will help restore more than 3,000 acres of critical wetland habitat,” Chad Manlove, DU director of development, said. “Abita’s gift will be pooled with other public and private entities to create a substantial conservation impact in coastal Louisiana.”
The Louisiana coastal marshes provide critical wintering grounds for millions of waterfowl and other migratory birds. Unfortunately, these marshes are disappearing at an alarming rate. Louisiana has already lost more than one million acres of these continentally significant wetlands and continues to lose 16,000-20,000 acres annually.
“We feel compelled as one of Louisiana’s favorite brands to assist our neighbors and the coastal environment as we continue to recover from this disaster,” stated, David Blossman, president of Abita Brewing Company. “We’re proud to be a part of the efforts to conserve and restore coastal Louisiana.”
The donation from Abita Brewing Company will be combined with a North American Wetland Conservation Act grant and financial support from other partners to restore hydrology to the Grand Bayou Unit on Pointe-aux-Chenes Wildlife Management Area in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes.
“Particularly along the Gulf Coast, it is essential that corporations, individuals, public agencies and private organizations join together and combine resources to accomplish meaningful restoration,” Bob Dew, DU manager of conservation programs for Louisiana, said. “DU is fully committed to this philosophy, and we are very pleased to add Abita Brewing Company to our list of partners supporting a sustainable coast.”
Pointe-aux-Chenes has one of the highest public use rates among all of Louisiana’s wildlife management areas. Hurricane Rita damaged levees there, and in three short years without management capabilities, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries documented significant habitat deterioration and reduced wildlife use. The proposed project will allow managers to manage salinity and water levels and encourage production of submerged aquatic vegetation, an important food source for waterfowl.
The Abita Brewing Company was founded in Abita Springs, LA, in 1986 and is the oldest and largest craft brewer in the southeast. They brew more than 108,000 barrels of full flavored ales and lagers and 6,000 barrels of root beer in their state-of-the-art facility. Their lagers and ales are brewed in small batches, hand-crafted by a team of dedicated workers.
Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 12 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever.