Historical Island to Become a Key Stop Along America's First National
Water Trail
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa., and ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 21
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC) and The
Conservation Fund have announced Exelon will donate a 79-acre island on the
Susquehanna River about 3 miles south of the Conowingo Dam to The
Conservation Fund which will donate it to Maryland's Department of Natural
Resources. The donation will help support the Captain John Smith
Four-Hundred Project, an educational initiative retracing Captain John
Smith's historic Chesapeake Bay voyages.
Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich accepted the donation on behalf of the
people of Maryland at a ceremony held today at Sandy Point State Park near
Annapolis, MD.
The land, named Roberts Island, is located in the Susquehanna River
offshore from the area known as "Rock Run" in Susquehanna State Park, near
the junction of Deer Creek. The island, which is approximately 1,100 yards
long and 175 yards across, was among those noted by Captain John Smith on
his original map of the Chesapeake Bay. The donation is part of a
celebration of the 400th anniversary of Captain John Smith's founding of
Jamestown and exploration of the Chesapeake Bay.
Exelon acquired the island in the 1920's as part of then-Philadelphia
Electric Company's Conowingo Project, a project to construct the Conowingo
Dam and Hydroelectric Generating Station. Since then, the island has been
an attractive stop for boaters and historians due to its connection to
Captain John Smith.
"We've seen over the years that Roberts Island has become a popular
recreation spot along the Susquehanna," said Mark Schiavoni, president of
Exelon Power, the company that operates the Conowingo Hydroelectric
Generating Station. "I am proud to be involved in a project that will help
enrich the public on the history of the Chesapeake region."
Exelon owns and manages more than 9,000 acres along the Susquehanna
River. Much of the land is used for fishing, boating, hiking and other
recreational activities. The company has also been working with the
Maryland Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
for more than 35 years to help restore the once-endangered American shad to
the Susquehanna River.
"We are delighted to be able to donate Roberts Island to the State of
Maryland," said Elizabeth Moler, executive vice president of Exelon
Corporation. "The Conservation Fund's work to establish the Captain John
Smith Chesapeake National Historic Water Trail led us to realize the
island's historic significance. Roberts Island has been a part of the
Conowingo Project, so it has been protected from development by the Exelon
Corporation."
Patrick Noonan, chairman emeritus of The Conservation Fund,
congratulated Exelon for its timely gift on the eve of the 400th
anniversary of Smith's exploration of the Chesapeake Bay. "Roberts Island
marks the northernmost extent of Smith's voyages and will be an important
legacy site in the lower Susquehanna for the proposed Captain John Smith
Chesapeake National Historic Water Trail. Thanks to Exelon's generous
donation, its commitment to environmental stewardship and the leadership of
the State of Maryland, we are one step closer to establishing the nation's
first all-water National Historic Trail."
Exelon Corporation is one of the nation's largest electric utilities
with approximately 5.2 million customers and more than $15 billion in
annual revenues. The company has one of the industry's largest portfolios
of electricity generation capacity, with a nationwide reach and strong
positions in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Exelon distributes electricity
to approximately 5.2 million customers in Illinois and Pennsylvania and
natural gas to more than 470,000 customers in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Exelon is headquartered in Chicago and trades on the NYSE under the ticker
EXC.
The Conservation Fund is the nation's foremost environmental nonprofit
dedicated to protecting America's land and water legacy for current and
future generations. Seeking innovative conservation solutions for the 21st
century, the Fund works to integrate economic and environmental goals.
Since its founding in 1985, the Fund has helped its partners safeguard
wildlife habitat, working landscapes, community "greenspace," and historic
sites totaling more than 5.4 million acres nationwide. With 1 percent
fundraising costs and 96 percent program allocation, The Conservation Fund
is recognized as the nation's top rated environmental nonprofit by both the
American Institute of Philanthropy and Charity Navigator.
http://www.conservationfund.org
SOURCE Exelon Corporation
 back to top
Related links:
http://www.exeloncorp.com
http://www.conservationfund.org
CONTACT:
Exelon: Ben Armstrong, +1-610-765-6914; or
The Conservation Fund: Jena Thompson, +1-703-908-5809
|
