Six citizens have been recognized nationally for their on-the-ground wetland conservation efforts and decades-long dedication to protecting these important natural resources. A diverse panel of wetland experts assembled at the Environmental Law Institute® (ELI) earlier this month and selected winners of the 2006 National Wetlands Awards.
The winners hail from all regions of the country and, in a year when the importance of wetland protection has never been clearer, exemplify the extraordinary commitment and innovation that is so instrumental to conserving wetlands in the Nation’s communities.
“These wetland champions are restoring and protecting one of America’s greatest natural assets through education, conservation, and dedication,” said Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Water. “These profiles in courage and stewardship show us all how to meet the President’s national goal of increasing, not simply maintaining, the quantity and quality of our wetlands.”
The 2006 awardees are:
Francisco Abarca, an Arizona Game & Fish coordinator who has led tri-national wetland outreach and conservation efforts;
Alan Ammann, a wetland conservationist from New Hampshire who has spearheaded the restoration of hundreds of acres of wetlands;
Royal Gardner, an attorney and professor at Stetson University in Tampa Bay, Florida who has lectured and published widely on wetland issues;
The Higel Family, a Colorado ranching family that has protected 2,000 acres of prime wildlife and waterfowl habitat;
Chester McConnell, a southern wetland advocate based in Mobile, Alabama;
Curtis Richardson, a professor and wetland researcher at Duke University in North Carolina.
Collectively, the award winners have conserved thousands of wetland acres and have mobilized hundreds of other individuals to contribute to wetland conservation. On May 10th, they will take a well-deserved break from their efforts to receive their awards at a ceremony on Capitol Hill. “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.”
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—hope that recognizing wetland leaders for their efforts will inspire others to follow their example. Given the national importance of wetlands, the federal agencies that sponsor the awards welcome the opportunity to recognize and encourage voluntary wetland conservation efforts.
“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,” commented Dale N. Bosworth, Chief of the USDA Forest Service.
Bruce Knight, Chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, stated, “Since the President announced the National Wetlands Initiative in April 2004, NRCS has helped restore, improve, or protect nearly 592,000 wetland acres. Thanks to cooperative conservation efforts such as The National Wetlands Awards, we’re well on our way of achieving the President’s goal of three million acres of the nation’s wetlands restored, improved, and protected by 2009.”
The National Wetlands Awards have special significance this year, given the heightened attention to wetland conservation issues in the wake of the Gulf Coast hurricanes.
“Wetlands provide optimum mig