The RLIA was nominated for this prestigious award by the Services St. Cloud (Minnesota) Private Lands Office through the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Regional Office in the Twin Cities.
Tom McKenzie, president of the RLIA, will accept the national award, July 1, at a special ceremony during the First Day of Sale Federal duck stamp event at the Smithsonian Institutions National Postal Museum, Washington, D.C.
The First Day of Sale honors Plymouth, Minnesota, wildlife artist Jim Hautman, whose 1999-2000 Federal duck stamp goes on sale the same day. A special event honoring Hautman is scheduled Friday, July 9, at the Minnesota Horse & Hunt Club near Prior Lake, Minnesota.
In addition to the RLIA, other NWCA winners from the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region include:
Northeastern Illinois Wetland Conservation Fund from Grayslake, Illinois, National
Runnerup for Accomplishment by a Group.
Kemper Lease of Evansville, Indiana, National Runnerup for Accomplishment by an Individual.
The Cinergy Corporation of Plainfield, Indiana Regional Group Winner for Outstanding Accomplishment.
Those winners will receive their awards during ceremonies that will be scheduled at a later date.
All winners receive a framed certificate and a framed Federal duck stamp print by Hautman.
"The National Wetlands Conservation Award Program allows the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to acknowledge our partners important wetland conservation achievements and provides us the opportunity to thank them for their foresight and commitment," lauded Bill Hartwig, Regional Director for the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region.
"Degraded habitats for fish and wildlife species are effectively restored through cooperative partnerships. Therefore, the use and enjoyment of these habitats have been conserved for future generations by our award-winning partners. We appreciate the opportunity to recognize our partners and their significant accomplishments through the National Wetlands Conservation Award."
The NWCA program was established by the Service in 1990. The awards are presented annually to honor individuals and groups or corporations for significant contributions to the restoration, enhancement and protection of wetlands in the U.S. These awards are presented on the national level and within the Services geographic regions.
The RLIA is composed of lakeshore and watershed landowners in east-central Minnesota, who have been enhancing and protecting the quality of Rush Lake, and associated water bodies for the past several decades.
Since its formation, the RLIA has played a leadership role in improving the well-being of the 22,000-acre-plus Rush Lake Watershed, a sub-watershed of the Federally designated Wild and Scenic St. Croix River.
The RLIA also has assisted the restoration of 23 wetlands through a $20,000 donation to the Services Partners for Fish and Wildlife program. These on-going wetland restoration efforts restore wetlands, reduce sediment and nutrient runoff from entering Rush Lake, contribute to flood-reduction benefits and provide a variety of important habitats for migratory and breeding waterfowl, and resident fish and wildlife.
The other winners from the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region also made noteworthy wetland conservation contributions:
The Northeastern Illinois Wetland Conservation Program provided funding for 32 projects to restore, enhance and acquire approximately 700 acres of wetlands. During a single project completed in 1998, 55,773 feet (10.6 miles) of drainage tile weighing more than 345,000 tons were removed.
Mr. Lease has served as a co-chairman of the Indiana Steering Committee and was a primary organizer of the Southwest Indiana Four Rivers Project, funded through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. This project has resulted in the acquisition and restoration of more than 3,000 acres of wetland and associated upland habitat in southwest Indiana since 1995.
The Cinergy Corporation has been an active conservation partner in an effort to restore
and enhance wetland habitats throughout Indiana, especially in the southwest portion of
the state. Working with Federal, state and local partners, Cinergy has also developed areas on its property into high-quality waterfowl habitats.
Previous NWCA Winners
The Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region has successfully nominated a number of partners for this prestigious conservation award. Previous winners honored from this Region are:
1991: Ray McCormick, Vincennes, Indiana, Regional Individual Winner; Citizens
Committee to Save the Cache River, Inc., Perks, Illinois, Regional Group Winner.
1992: Waterfowl USA, Northwest Indiana Chapter, Griffith, Indiana, Regional
Group Winner.
1993: Minnesota Waterfowl Association, Minneapolis, National Group Runner-up;
Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, Regional Group Winner.
1994: Pheasants Forever, St. Paul, National Group Winner; Wisconsin Waterfowl Association, Milwaukee, Regional Group Winner.
1995: Wildlife Forever, Minneapolis, National Group Winner; Northern Indiana
Public Service Company Industries (NIPSCO), Hammond, Indiana, Regional Group Winner; Heartland Gobblers Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Regional Group Runner-up.
1996: Red Lake Nation, Red Lake, Minnesota, National Group Runner-up; Chuck
Bauer, Evansville, Indiana, Regional Individual Winner; and Dr. Roger Strand, New London, Minnesota, Regional Individual Runner-up.
1997: Fergus Falls Fish and Game Club, Minnesota, Regional Group Winner;
David M. Jacobson, Sauk Centre, Minnesota, Regional Individual Winner; and Bill Daub, Hudson, Michigan, Regional Individual Runner-up.
1998: Iowa School for the Deaf, Council Bluffs, Iowa, National Group Winner;
Roger and Lois Lanski, Glennie, Michigan, Regional Individual Winners.
Anyone wishing more information on the National Wetlands Conservation Award program or the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program should contact Steve Kufrin, Regional Private Funds Coordinator in the Twin Cities, at 612-713-5447. For the hearing disabled, call the Minnesota Relay Service at 1-800-627-3529.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprising more than 500 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries and 78 ecological services field stations.
The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://www.fws.gov/r3pao/
