Recipients of 2005 National Wetlands Awards Announced

Seven wetlands educators, scientists, and conservationists were selected as recipients of the 2005 National Wetlands Awards for exemplary contributions in conserving or restoring the Nation’s wetlands. They will be honored at a Capitol Hill presentation on May 18th in Room B339 of the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC.
This year’s awardees are: Barbara Bedford (New York), Neil Bien (South Dakota), Barth Crouch (Kansas), Tom Foti (Arkansas), Catherine MacDonald (Oregon), Martin Main (Florida), and Hazel Sinclair (Louisiana).
The National Wetlands Awards Program celebrates individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication, innovation or excellence in wetlands conservation. Awardees hail from all regions of the country, and their work accomplishes wetland protection at the regional, state and local levels. “The National Wetlands Awards show that the spirit of stewardship is alive and well,” said Bruce Knight, Chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. “Efforts like this on scores of watersheds around the country will help achieve the President’s objective of restoring, improving, and protecting three million acres of wetlands over the next 5 years.”
“This year's awardees, who are at the forefront of efforts to protect America's valuable aquatic resources, provide a sense of confidence that we have the leadership, talent, and commitment to realize the challenging goal that we have established of moving beyond ‘no net loss’ to achieving an overall increase in the Nation's wetlands,” said U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin H. Grumbles.
Program co-sponsors—the Environmental Law Institute, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Forest Service, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Federal Highway Administration, and NOAA Fisheries—believe that recognizing these individuals for their efforts will help ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy high quality wetlands, biological diversity and clean water. “When wetlands disappear, essential habitats for hundreds of species of wildlife and plants also disappear,” said Steve Williams, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “For people, wetland losses mean declines in water quality and increased flood risk.”
“We look forward to meeting the winners of this year's awards and honoring them for their extraordinary achievements in wetland conservation,” said Dr. Bill Hogarth, Assistant Administrator, NOAA Fisheries. “We are proud to support ELI's National Wetland Awards recognizing these individuals for their contributions to society and the aquatic environment. Healthy wetlands and ecosystems are vital to our nation's recreational and commercial fish and shellfish fisheries, and other living marine resources.”
"Our commitment to the environment includes achieving a net gain in wetlands," said Federal Highway Administrator Mary E. Peters. "The extraordinary contributions made by these individuals embody FHWA's goals of preserving critical natural resources and serving as effective stewards of our environment."
The 2005 Award recipients were chosen by a diverse selection committee comprised of national leaders in wetlands conservation, including Judy Bailey (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), Charles Cole (Pennsylvania State University), Arthur Feinstein (Golden Gate Audubon Society), George Getsinger (NOAA Fisheries), Chris Hamilton (USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service), Michael Jewell (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), Alex Levy (Federal Highway Administration), Sky Lewey (Nueces River Authority), Moira McDonald (National Fish and Wildlife Foundation), Leopoldo Miranda (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), Chandler Morse (National Association of Home Builders), Elizabeth Murray (Arkansas Multi-Agency Wetland Planning Team), Daniel Rosenberg (Natural Resources Defense Council), Karen Solari (USDA Forest Service), Gene Whitaker (National Association of Conservation Districts), and Eric Wold (City of Eugene).
“Effective conservation and stewardship of our natural resources is vital. The involvement of private individuals, such as these extraordinary people, is critical to assure that clean water and quality wetlands are available for future generations,” stated Dale N. Bosworth, Chief of the USDA Forest Service.
For more information on the National Wetlands Awards Program, the 2005 awardees, or for information on the awards presentation, please contact Maria Placht at the Environmental Law Institute at (202) 939-3860 or wetlandsawards@eli.org. You can visit the NWA website at http://www2.eli.org/nwa/nwaprogram.htm.

2005 National Wetlands Awards Winners

Education & Outreach
Martin Main, Florida
Dr. Main of the University of Florida has developed and implemented the Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP), a highly successful, statewide environmental education program designed to teach adult audiences about Florida’s wetlands and prepare them to teach others. Dr. Main established and trained a statewide network of FMNP instructors that currently includes about 150 environmental educators from 90 organizations in 47 counties throughout Florida.

Science Research
Barbara Bedford, New York
A faculty member in the Department of Natural Resources at Cornell University, Dr. Bedford’s scientific research and ideas have been cutting-edge for over thirty years. She leads a major research program on wetland conservation and management and teaches courses in landscape impact analysis and wetland ecology and management. Her recent projects focus on maintaining wetland biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, landscape control of wetland plant diversity, and conservation and management of fens in New York State.

Conservation & Restoration
Catherine Macdonald, Oregon
Ms. Macdonald of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Oregon has mobilized the financial resources of TNC and partnership organizations to acquire tens of thousands of wetlands throughout the state. She has fostered relationships among agencies, non-profit organizations, Indian tribes, and private citizens to build broad-based support for wetlands conservation and restoration projects. Ms. Macdonald provides the initiative, vision, and leadership to successfully implement these wetland projects.

Landowner Stewardship
Neil Bien, South Dakota
Neil Bien, a South Dakota rancher and conservationist for more than two decades, exemplifies the values of enduring stewardship and land ethic on the 2,300-acre Bien Ranch. The Bien Ranch has restored 15 wetlands, includes significant prairie restoration, and contains 1,150 acres in the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Conservation Reserve Program, wildlife food plots, rotational grazing, wetland preservation, and permanent easements.

State, Tribal, & Local Program Development
Tom Foti, Arkansas
Mr. Foti conducted the first inventory of natural areas in Arkansas, resulting in the Natural Area Plan, his publication on the Natural Divisions of Arkansas, and the creation of the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, where he currently works. He has helped save the Cache River from channelization, coauthored the hydrogeomorphic classification of Arkansas wetlands and the regional guidebooks for HGM assessment, and refined Arkansas’ ecoregions and National Vegetation Classes to better reflect wetlands diversity in the state.

Wetland Community Leader
Barth Crouch, Kansas
As secretary/treasurer and co-founder of the Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams (KAWS) and board member and Vice-Chairman for Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV), Mr. Crouch has been intricately involved in promoting wetlands in Kansas. He has continuously challenged the PLJV and KAWS Boards and staff to expand the scope of their mission and impact on playas, and recently spearheaded a successful effort to get a new federal program practice approved that will have long-term benefits for playa lakes and other non-floodplain wetlands.

Hazel Sinclair, Louisiana
Ms. Sinclair began her community activism when surrounding property owners in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, increasingly filled in wetlands for residential development. In 1999, she launched a campaign to ensure the sustainable development of a planned 191-acre residential subdivision in a high-quality wetland. Her activism and galvanization of the community ultimately led her to win suits that overturned the state and federal decisions that would have allowed the wetlands to be filled.

ELI is an independent, non-profit research and educational organization based in Washington, DC. The Institute serves the environmental profession in business, government, the private bar, public interest organizations, academia, and the press.

Environmental Law Institute <wetlandsawards@eli.org>
Wednesday, March 30, 2005 at 09:59:00