Maggy Hurchalla, a leading wetlands conservationist from Stuart, Florida, has won the 2003 National Wetlands Award for Volunteer Leadership. She will be honored at a ceremony on May 20th at the Senate Caucus Room in Washington, DC for her service as a volunteer member of the Working Team for the Indian River Lagoon Feasibility Study.
“I cannot think of a better candidate from Florida to be considered for such recognition,” said John Hall, Regulatory Division Chief of the Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “Maggy exemplifies the commitment to environmental principles that is so essential in our politicians and everyday citizens.”
The Indian River Lagoon restoration is the first critical component of Florida’s Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), and will serve as an example for future projects throughout the Everglades. Hurchalla was instrumental in securing support for the use of natural storage areas in the restoration. Due in large part to her efforts, the Working Team’s proposal, which recommended the restoration of approximately 90,000 acres of upland and wetland mosaic in Martin and St. Lucie counties, included a significant natural storage areas element.
“Maggy understands complex environmental subjects and is able to share her knowledge in simple language,” said Sally Swartz, of the Palm Beach Post’s Editorial Staff. “Her teaching ability is a rare gift, most appreciated by the dozens of newspaper reporters and thousands of ordinary citizens she has educated over the years.”
Hurchalla also served as County Commissioner for Martin County Florida from 1974 to 1994. During her 20-year term as commissioner, she helped establish some of the strongest wetlands protections in the nation. As commissioner, she was the primary author of Martin County’s Comprehensive Growth Management Plan, adopted in 1990, which contained the policy that, “All wetlands in Martin County shall be protected. No negative impacts shall be allowed in wetlands, within the wetland buffer, nor within the upland transition area surrounding the wetland.”
Since 1989, the National Wetlands Awards program has honored exceptional individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary effort, innovation, and excellence in wetland conservation, research, or education through programs or projects at the regional, state, or local level. The program is co-sponsored by the Environmental Law Institute, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Forest Service, and NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service.
“Wetlands are complex and extraordinary ecosystems that perform vital environmental functions,” said Dale N. Bosworth, Chief of the USDA Forest Service. “The work of these award recipients to protect and restore our critical wetland resources is truly commendable.”
For more information on the National Wetlands Awards winners, or the ceremony, contact Erica Pencak at wetlandsawards@eli.org or 202-939-3822.