Washington, DC - 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 migrating, wintering, and breeding habitat for waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds and other wetland dependent wildlife species, as well as essential habitat for many neotropical birds. What we do for conservation today is important. What we do for conservation tomorrow is vital," said H. Dale Hall, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The awardees demonstrate how citizens and communities can-and do-make a difference. ***** For more information on the National Wetlands Awards Program, the 2006 awardees, or the May 10th awards ceremony, please contact Jared Thompson at the Environmental Law Institute at (202) 939-3247 or <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [EMAIL PROTECTED] Information is also available online at <http://www2.eli.org/nwa/nwaprogram.htm> http://www2.eli.org/nwa/nwaprogram.htm. 2006 National Wetlands Awards Winners AWARD FOR EDUCATION & OUTREACH Royal Gardner, Gulfport, Florida Professor Gardner, of Stetson University in Tampa Bay, developed an interdisciplinary wetland seminar to introduce law students to wetland policy and science and helped establish Stetson's International Environmental Moot Court Competition. Since 1990, he has published and lectured widely on issues of wetland policy and mitigation, targeting both legal and general audiences. He served on the National Research Council's Committee on Mitigating Wetland Losses and is currently the chair of the U.S. National Ramsar Committee. AWARD FOR SCIENCE RESEARCH Curtis J. Richardson, Durham, North Carolina Dr. Richardson is the founding director of the Duke University Wetland Center and Professor of Resource Ecology at Duke's Nicholas School for the Environmental and Earth Sciences. In his 30 years at Duke, he has trained hundreds of graduate students and published over 100 research papers on wetlands. He has conducted extensive research in the Everglades, led an international team to study and help restore Iraqi marshes, and is currently working to develop a wetland complex for the purposes of research and teaching at Duke. AWARD FOR CONSERVATION & RESTORATION Alan Ammann, Lee, New Hampshire Dr. Ammann's pioneering work preparing a new method for the evaluation of nontidal wetlands in New Hampshire, indicative of his rational, science-based approach to wetland issues, has helped provide a planning tool for communities to conserve key wetland areas. Dr. Ammann has also helped jumpstart the current initiative to restore thousands of acres of salt marsh in the Gulf of Maine by conducting the first inventory of tidally-restricted salt marshes. AWARD FOR LANDOWNER STEWARDSHIP The Higel Family, Alamosa, Colorado The Higel Family sold 1,010 acres of their ranch along the Rio Grande River to the Colorado Division of Wildlife, creating the Higel State Wildlife Area, a riparian corridor that provides habitat for a wide range of wildlife. They are also in the process of protecting an additional 990 acres with conservation easements through the Ducks Unlimited Wetlands America Trust and managing this land as optimal wildlife habitat. By taking these proactive measures, the Higels have served as an example and an inspiration to other landowners in the region. AWARD FOR STATE, TRIBAL, & LOCAL PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT Francisco Abarca, Phoenix, Arizona Mr. Abarca, of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, has developed and managed a tri-national wetland conservation program that aims strengthen partnerships among scientists and managers from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Mr. Abarca has led the production of numerous television and radio programs and newspaper articles, co-edited the first wetlands training manual in Spanish, and organized World Wetlands Day ceremonies. AWARD FOR WETLAND COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP Chester McConnell, Mobile, Alabama Mr. McConnell has been involved in tributary management issues throughout the South for several decades. Recently, he fought for the protection of Black Swamp, an 845-acre high quality wetland in West Tennessee. Although permitting was well underway, Mr. McConnell launched a lengthy administrative battle and successfully saved the wetland resource. ELI 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.
