|
2007 Watershed Stewardship Award
Non-Municipal Recipient: Rich Schiafo Nominator: Friends of a Clean Hudson During his nine-year tenure as Scenic Hudson's Environmental Project Manager, Rich Schiafo played a lead role in the 25-year battle to require General Electric to remove the PCBs from the Hudson River. For several years, Rich chaired the Friends of the Clean Hudson coalition and served on the US EPA's Community Advisory Group (CAG). As a key member of the CAG's technical advisory committee, he championed a thorough remediation that will ensure health and safety and an appropriate habitat restoration plan. Rich's commitment to the Hudson River and its cleanup has been unwavering and his research exhaustive. Rich was recently appointed the Sustainability Coordinator for the NY State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Municipal Recipient: Kevin Sumner Nominator: Orange Co. Land Trust - Wallkill River Task Force Kevin Sumner is the District Manager for the Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District. In his professional capacity, Kevin has implemented best management practices on farms, expanded riparian buffer corridors, stabilized riverbanks, designed stormwater retention ponds, and worked to assess sedimentation sources, control runoff and reduce pollutant influx to the Wallkill River and its tributaries. He recently spearheaded the development of the Wallkill River Watershed Conservation and Management Plan and is working with many stakeholders to implement protection and restoration priorities identified in this plan. Kevin has consciously worked with all parties including government officials, non-governmental organizations, local farmers and the community, to instill the importance of protecting stream systems and a sense of responsibility for natural resource protection. Kevin's ability to build relationships and maintain a strong level of integrity has enabled him to protect resources of the watershed while ensuring economic stability in the community. 
The award plaques feature a print of Piermont Marsh, a black and white
photo of the well-known brackish tidal marsh along the shores of the
Lower Hudson, generously donated by renowned Hudson River photographer
Joseph Squillante.Joseph Squillante has been photographing the Hudson River for more than 30 years, and his mission is to foster an awareness of the river’s visual magnificence through photography. Through the Hudson River School of Photography, Joseph is available for workshops, slide presentations, in-class talks, lessons, and exhibitions. Please visit www.HudsonRiverPhotography.com for more info. The plaques were given at discount by ABC Awards in Wappingers Falls, www.abcawards.org Award Committee: Jan Blaire, Katy Dunlap, Simon Gruber, Roy Lamberton, and Russell Urban-Mead |
|
Home |