The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) recently recognized Freeport-McMoRan at its annual Conservation Conference with top awards for five projects that protect a range of animals, including everything from bats to bighorn sheep. The winning Freeport projects were all in Arizona, with Sierrita and Morenci each receiving two awards, and the United Verde operation in Clarkdale receiving the other.
- Sierrita’s work planting hundreds of native agaves to support nectar-feeding bat species won the Desert Project Award, and its Buffelgrass education and management efforts won the Community Engagement Award.
- Morenci received the Caves and Subterranean Habitats Project Award for its work on bat conservation in Eagle Creek Bat Cave and received the Mammals Project Award for its work to proactively manage the local population of Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep.
- United Verde received the Training Project Award for its work with the Northern Arizona Audubon Society conducting Christmas Bird Counts at Peck’s Lake.
WHC is a nonprofit organization that promotes and certifies conservation, restoration and education efforts on corporate lands. Seventeen of Freeport’s company operations and facilities currently are certified through WHC, 12 of which are Gold Tier-certified, the highest level of recognition. A WHC certification formally recognizes meaningful biodiversity management, environmental education and community outreach programs on corporate landholdings.
Congratulations to Freeport-McMoRan for the recognition of its consistent work in support of wildlife conservation.