Seven individuals from across the U.S. will be honored at the 2005 National Wetlands Awards on May 18 in Washington, DC. The Awards will be presented in an evening ceremony beginning at 6 p.m. in the United States Rayburn Building (Room B339). Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) will deliver the keynote address.
The 2005 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. Their work covers programs or projects on 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 five 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 Mathew Hogan, Acting 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 nat