The third in a series of wildlife care centers, constructed for the rescue and rehabilitation of California wildlife injured in oil spills, will be opened during a dedication ceremony at SeaWorld San Diego, Monday, July 17, at 10:30 a.m. The event will be hosted by the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine; the Oiled Wildlife Care Network; the State Department of Fish and Game Office of Spill Prevention and Response; and SeaWorld San Diego. These wildlife care facilities, mandated by the Lempert-Keene-Seastrand Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act of 1990, are funded by the interest earned on California's $50 million Oil Spill Response Trust Fund. This money also pays for the operation of the Oiled Wildlife Care Network, which was created jointly by the Office of Spill Prevention and Response and UC Davis and is administered by the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Wildlife Health Center. The first two wildlife care centers, opened in 1997 at Humboldt State University and UC Santa Cruz, have already been used to treat thousands of birds oiled in several spills. The SeaWorld Oiled Wildlife Care Center, on Mission Bay, will provide the best achievable treatment for marine mammals and birds affected by an oil spill in California's southernmost coastal waters. This 8,000-square-foot state-of-the-art complex is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and research of oiled marine wildlife, with emphasis on sea birds. It includes veterinary examination, treatment and food preparation areas, and washing, drying and rehabilitation rooms. Two 380-square-foot outdoor aviaries provide ample space for up to 200 recovering sea birds. A 32,000-gallon rehabilitation pool will accommodate up to 20 sea otters or pinnipeds (seals, sea lions). One of the many lessons learned from past oil spills is that the presence of an appropriately designed and equipped veterinary care facility and well-trained staff gives oiled wildlife their best chance at surviving the experience. The Oiled Wildlife Care Network has trained hundreds of veterinarians, animal health technicians, wildlife rehabilitators and volunteers to collect, transport, examine, feed, clean and rehabilitate wildlife likely to be injured in a California spill. The network includes 23 wildlife care facilities and organizations (including SeaWorld) throughout the state, ready to respond rapidly to spills. When not activated for oil spill response, the new center will be used as an overflow operation to care for ill or injured animals in SeaWorld's rescue and rehabilitation program. It will be staffed by members of the park's aviculture and animal care departments. These wildlife professionals have received state certification and training in rescue and intake, washing, drying, housing, rehabilitation and supportive care for animals injured by oil spills. Officials scheduled to speak at the dedication ceremony include Oiled Wildlife Care Network Director Dr. Jonna Mazet, OSPR Assistant Deputy Administrator Scott Schaefer, Dean of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Dr. Bennie Osburn, SeaWorld General Manager Bill Davis, and Matt Rezvani from BP AMOCO. Attendees will be permitted to tour the new facility after the 10:30 a.m. dedication ceremony.