John Beal, founder and President of the I’M A PAL (International Marine Association Protecting Aquatic Life) Foundation, has won the 2003 National Wetlands Award for Outstanding Wetlands Program Development. He will be honored at a ceremony on May 20th at the Senate Caucus Room in Washington, DC, for over 25 years of habitat, stream, and wetlands restoration efforts in South Seattle, Washington.
“John is not just out there defending something, he’s creating something that hasn’t been there for — in some cases — hundreds of years,” said James Rasmussen, a council member of Washington State’s Duwamish tribe. “John is extremely passionate about what he does. He listens to the land and truly wants to do the right thing.”
Inspired by the idea that people should leave the world a better place than they found it, Beal began restoring an urban tributary to Seattle’s Duwamish River, an industrialized watercourse for which many people in the area had lost hope. Rather than writing off the waterway, he organized a network of hundreds volunteers to clean up trash, replant streams, restock wild salmon, and raise public awareness about the Duwamish River.
Working with schools, environmental organizations, community advocates, tribes, and governmental agencies, Beal has rallied public support and funding for 18 restoration projects involving critical habitat restoration and salmon stream daylighting. The I’M A PAL Foundation supports several outdoor and indoor education programs that work with students and “at risk” youth groups. Mr. Beal is also the founder of the Duwamish River Watch and the Duwamish River Boat Patrol.
Raymond Zombro, a teacher at Evergreen High School, accompanied groups of Evergreen students to restoration sites on Hamm Creek. “The kids had no idea this was going on in their own backyard — it was a real eye opener,” said Zombro. “It was also a great opportunity for the kids to see science in action.”
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.
“We are proud to support the National Wetlands Awards recognizing these individuals for their contributions to society and the aquatic environment,” said Dr. Bill Hogarth, Director for the National Marine Fisheries Service. “Healthy wetlands and ecosystems are vital to our nation’s recreational and commercial fish and shellfish fisheries, and other living marine resources.”
For more information on the National Wetlands Awards winners, or the ceremony, contact Erica Pencak at wetlandsawards@eli.org or 202-939-3822.