Tulsa-based Williams Partners was recently recognized for its commitment to help stabilize the Eastern Hellbender Salamander population.
Williams received the Environmental Partnership Award from The Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC), a multi-state government agency that advocates for environmentally-sound ways to increase the supply of American energy while balancing a multitude of interests through regulatory practices.
The Partnership provided funding for conservation, stream protection and the creation of bio-secure facilities to rear the Hellbenders for release and reintroduction back into the wild. Nearly 250 of the endangered species have been released back into Ohio streams with a future release of an additional 1,100 Hellbenders.
The largest salamander species in North America, the Hellbender is completely aquatic but populations have declined dramatically throughout its range making it a Federal Species of Concern.
