(Washington, DC) — The Environmental Law Institute announced today that six citizens from across the country have been recognized for their exceptional and innovative contributions to wetlands conservation. “Once again, ELI is proud to have worked with a team of leading experts to choose the winners of the national wetlands awards,” stated ELI President Leslie Carothers. “With our partners from six federal agencies, we look forward to an awards ceremony that showcases the remarkable contributions the winners have made to a healthy and productive environment.”
These award winners have restored, researched, and protected thousands of acres of wetlands nationwide. Their examples should inspire individual citizens to act and make a difference to protect and improve these vital natural resources.
This year’s Award recipients and their accomplishments appear below:
Jim Wilcox, Senior Project and Program Manager at Plumas Corporation for the Feather River Coordinated Resource Management group, has designed and built more than 40 projects that have restored 48 miles of stream channels and 3,400 acres of meadow floodplains and wetlands.
William Volkert, a wildlife educator with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, has provided more than 3,500 educational programs to 200,000 people, conducted more than 1,700 media interviews and programs, and provided training to 66 delegations of scientists from 41 countries.
The Laszlo Family, owners of Granger Ranches at the O’Dell Creek Headwaters in Montana’s largest watershed, have permanently protected more than half of their 14,000-acre ranch and restored or enhanced 510 acres of wetlands and 35,000 feet of stream channel and riparian habitats.
Rebecca Sharitz, senior research ecologist at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, is the leading expert on the ecology of southeastern floodplain forests and Carolina bays. She has been invited to serve on four National Academy of Science committees and has published more than 160 papers or chapters in the scientific literature.
Michael Cain, a recently retired attorney for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, has authored or co-authored all of Wisconsin’s wetland protection laws during his more than 30 years of service. His leadership has helped slow the state?s wetland loss from 1,400 acres annually in 1991 to an average of 250 acres per year currently.
Jan Vandersloot, who tragically passed away in November 2009, left a tremendous legacy as the co-founder of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust and led a successful 17-year fight to protect southern California’s largest unprotected coastal wetlands, some 1,700 acres.
Collectively, the impact of the 2010 National Wetlands Awards recipients is enormous—their expertise, experience, and examples have profoundly shaped the landscape of wetlands conservation. “We look forward to meeting this year’s award winners and honoring their extraordinary achievements in wetland conservation,” said Eric Schwaab, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA-National Marine Fisheries Service. “We are proud once again to support ELI’s National Wetlands Awards, recognizing these individuals for their contributions to society and the aquatic environment. Wetlands provide essential support for self-sustaining ecosystems, valuable fisheries and protected resources, water quality, and resilient coastal communities.”
“These winners truly embody the spirit of the National Wetland Awards Program as they inspire our collective endeavors to increase the quantity and improve the quality of our nation's aquatic resources,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Peter S. Silva. “Their extraordinary dedication to coastal and inland wetland conservation across the country evokes deep gratitude and merits the highest of praise.”
The Awards program—administered by the Environmental Law Institute and supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, NOAA Fisheries, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Federal Highway Administration, the USDA Forest Service, and the George and Miriam Martin Foundation—highlights individuals who go the extra mile.
“The recipients of the 2010 National Wetland Awards represent an extraordinary level of dedication and personal commitment to