For Immediate Release: May 4, 2009

20th Anniversary National Wetlands Awards to be Presented on May 12

(Washington, DC) — The seven winners of the 2009 National Wetlands Awards will be recognized at an evening ceremony on May 12, 2009, at the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, DC. The ceremony will be open to the press and public, and marks the 20th anniversary of the Awards program. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) will deliver the keynote address.

The winners of the National Wetlands Awards demonstrate how citizens and communities can—and do—make a difference. “Congratulations to these individuals, who exemplify the finest in wetland stewardship across the country,” said Michael Shapiro, Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Their tireless efforts to restore and protect these increasingly vital and threatened resources qualify them as true heroes. As we work together to reverse dramatic losses and advance the quantity and quality of our nation's wetlands, these winners inspire and sustain us.”

The National Wetlands Awards are given to individuals and families who make significant contributions to protecting and enhancing these essential natural resources. Awardees are selected by a diverse group of wetland professionals from around the country. he Awards program is administered by the Environmental Law Institute and is supported by a consortium of government agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Forest Service, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Federal Highway Administration, and NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service.

The Honorary Congressional Co-Sponsors of the ceremony are Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI); Representative Jay Inslee (D-WA); and Representative Fred Upton (R-MI).

The ceremony will take place at 6 pm on May 12 in the Caucus Room of the Cannon House Office Building. Photographs will be available for free download from www.nationalwetlandsawards.org on May 15. For more information about the ceremony or the National Wetlands Awards, contact Brett Kitchen at kitchen@eli.org or 202.939.3833 or visit our Web site.

2009 National Wetlands Awards Winners

AWARD FOR EDUCATION & OUTREACH

Susan Vincent, New York, New York
Ms. Susan Vincent is a high school science teacher at The Young Women’s Leadership School of East Harlem in New York City. In addition to integrating the study of wetlands, both in theory and practice, into her senior marine science course, Ms. Vincent has also taught her students to write grants and conduct research in the field in collaboration with university scientists. She has taken her students to local marshes and to the Mississippi River Delta in southern Louisiana to teach experimental design, data collection, statistical analysis, and written communication skills. Vincent and her students have an ongoing research project at Piermont Marsh north of New York City, the results of which are being provided to several National Science Foundation projects.

AWARD FOR SCIENCE RESEARCH

Carol Johnston, Brookings, South Dakota
Dr. Carol Johnston, who has worked in the field of wetland science for over 35 years, recently led the Wetland Vegetation group for the EPA-funded “Great Lakes Environmental Indicators” project. By identifying vegetative indicators of conditions of Great Lakes coastal wetlands and developing relationships between environmental stressors and these indicators, Johnston provided managers with much needed information. She has also developed an index embraced by the Wisconsin Coastal Zone Management Program. The first female President of the Society of Wetland Scientists and a former Director of the Ecosystem Studies Program at the National Science Foundation, Johnston is currently examining the effects of climate change on how wetlands supply dissolved organic carbon, which protects aquatic organisms from damaging UV radiation.

AWARD FOR CONSERVATION & RESTORATION

Peter Bahls, Port Townsend, Washington
Aquatic ecologist, Mr. Peter Bahls, established the Northwest Watershed Institute (NWI) in 2001 to restore aquatic habitats in the Pacific Northwest. With Mr. Bahls at the helm, NWI has successfully protected and restored 500 acres of floodplain wetlands, riparian areas, and estuarine habitats in the Tarboo Creek Watershed. In 2008, Mr. Bahls received a National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant allowing him to preserve and restore an additional 170 acres of estuarine shoreline and floodplain in the Tarboo Creek area. His work has helped provide improved habitats for the watershed’s five species of salmon, as well as for bear, elk, waterfowl, and array of other species.

AWARD FOR LANDOWNER STEWARDSHIP

Richard Thieriot, Chico, California
Mr. Richard Thieriot, owner of the Llano Seco Ranch in California, has worked tirelessly to protect 18,000 acres of contiguous wetlands, riparian forests, native uplands and wildlife-friendly agricultural lands in the Sacramento Valley. Through partnerships with governmental and non-governmental organizations, Mr. Thieriot has created a land protection plan for his Ranch that includes 13,679 acres of land protected by conservation easements, 2,634 acres of land owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and another 1,633 acres of land owned by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Thieriot has implemented and funded restoration programs on the Ranch, including a recent project to restore 170 acres of wetlands for migratory birds and other wetland species, and began a successful organic cattle and farming operation on the Ranch.

AWARD FOR STATE, TRIBAL, & LOCAL PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

Rick Gitar, Cloquet, Minnesota
Mr. Rick Gitar, the Water Regulatory Specialist for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in northeast Minnesota, has worked tirelessly to build a successful tribal wetlands program that provides analysis of wetland resources and identifies management and regulatory actions across 44,000 acres of wetlands. He developed a Wetlands Protection and Management Ordinance that requires a tribal wetlands permit be issued before any proposed project affecting the reservation’s wetlands can be completed. In addition to managing a complete update of the National Wetlands Inventory on the reservation, Gitar has also served on the Board of Directors of the Association of State Wetland Managers for the past four years.

AWARD FOR WETLAND COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

Melissa Samet, San Anselmo, California
As Senior Director of Water Resources at American Rivers, Ms. Samet works to better the way that rivers and wetlands are managed. She has been instrumental in the passage of legislative language directing the Corps to develop a plan for de-authorizing the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, which exacerbated Hurricane Katrina’s impact on the greater New Orleans area, and in restoring the wetlands and storm buffering capacity lost to the outlet. She has also successfully led nation-wide efforts opposing the Yazoo River Basin Corps of Engineers Pump Project, effectively preventing the loss of 200,000 acres of ecologically significant wetlands.

*And in recognition of his ongoing efforts and of the 20th Anniversary of the Awards program:

AWARD FOR SUSTAINED CONTRIBUTIONS

Ken Brunswick, Geneva, Indiana
Mr. Ken Brunswick, regional ecologist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Nature Preseves and manager of the Limberlost Swamp Remembered Project, is working to restore a 13,000-acre wetland that was converted to cropland. Since he began work on the project in 1993, Mr. Brunswick has acquired 1,500 acres of land, 1,200 of which he has restored. Mr. Brunswick has been involved in every aspect of the conservation efforts: writing grants, leading hikes, and organizing project volunteers. A past Wetlands Award recipient, he has raised $2 million for restoration purposes and continues to inspire community members through his dedication and hard work.

The Environmental Law Institute® 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. For further information from the Environmental Law Institute, please contact Brett Kitchen at 202-939-3833 or pressrequest@eli.org.
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