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2009 marks the 20th Anniversary of the National Wetlands Awards program. Since 1989, the program has honored 143 champions of wetlands conservation; helped draw local and national media attention to their causes; and played an important role in securing funding for and convincing policy makers to consider seriously the issues they have championed. Please consider nominating someone for the 20th Anniversary National Wetlands Awards.

The 2009 nomination form and nomination guidelines are now available.

The 2008 National Wetlands Awards winners accept their awards. View more photos from the ceremony.

 

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1989 National Wetlands Award Recipients

 

Nonprofit Category

The single awardee in the nonprofit category, Gary Gorman is the founder and Executive Director of the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy, a small, nonprofit land trust dedicated to protecting and enhancing California’s Huntington Beach wetlands. Through the Conservancy, Gary has organized local support for the area’s wetlands, mobilized the city government, obtained funding, acquired property, prepared an enhancement plan, coordinated mitigation activities involving ten different public agencies, and restored the marsh.

The Huntington Beach Wetlands are located in Orange County, California, near the mouth of the Santa Ana River. The wetlands once occupied nearly 3,000 acres, but by 1984, due to channelization of the river, draining of the wetlands, and urban development, they had shrunk to 147 acres. Even in its present state, the area is a prime habitat for the endangered Belding’s Savannah Sparrow and is home to 15 percent of that species’ Orange County breeding population. These remaining wetlands might also have been lost if not for Gary’s efforts.

When Gary moved with his family to Huntington Beach in 1978, he was told by a realtor that the vacant lot between his house and the ocean was a state reserve. It was not. The property was in the hands of several private and public owners. The undeveloped area stretched between the Santa Ana River mouth and Highway 39, bordered by highway, housing developments, and light industry. In the summer, beachgoers parked their cars there, filling the air with dust and leaving behind mounds of trash and litter.

When Gary inquired into the status of the property in 1984, he found that it was not just any vacant lot, it was wetlands, and formerly the Santa Ana River bottom. In an effort to protect the area, he enlisted the aid of another Huntington Beach group—the Amigos de Bolsa Chica—who were working to save a larger wetland area on the other side of town. Too busy with their battle to fight his, they told Gary how to set up his own citizen action group. And he did. That same year, Gary formed the Friends of the Huntington Beach Wetlands, and the fight was on. Membership grew from a few of Gary’s neighbors to a small but vocal army of 150. Their first victory was convincing the city to fence off the area. With the impact of cars removed, the native vegetation, including pickleweed and salt grass, began to return.

In 1985, Gary learned from the California State Coastal Conservancy that a 25-acre parcel of the Huntington Beach wetlands, owned in part by the California Department of Transportation, was available for restoration. The Coastal Conservancy asked Gary if his organization would like to participate in restoring the area. Responding with enthusiasm, Gary and several active members of the Friends formed the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy, a nonprofit land trust with a seven-member board of directors, which he chaired.

The first task of the Conservancy was to obtain funding and prepare an enhancement plan for the area, which they named Talbert Marsh. They decided to contour the 25-acre parcel to provide upland, high salt marsh, low salt marsh, mudflat and open water habitats. Restoration would include removing a dike that separated the Talbert Flood control channel from the degraded wetlands to provide improved flood control for local citizens and an enhanced habitat for endangered species, such as the Belding’s Savannah Sparrow and the California Least Tern.

To acquire the property, restore the marsh, and coordinate mitigation activities, Gary entered into a series of negotiations involving 10 different federal, state, and local agencies. Under the two interagency agreements he coordinated, the restoration of the Talbert Marsh would be counted as mitigation for several separate projects: improvements to the Orange County Flood Control system involving both federal and county agencies; improvements for the county Sanitation District; widening of the Pacific Coast Highway by the state; and widening of the Brookhurst Street Bridge by the city.

The negotiations were highly successful. Three agencies obtained their required mitigation, the county saved $1 million on its flood control project by utilizing the wetlands as a catch basin, and the public saw a coastal salt marsh protected and ready for restoration. As Project Manager, Gary was at the wetland site constantly, overseeing the grading and construction.

On February 17, 1989, the dike separating the wetlands from the flood control channel was breached, and tidal flushing was restored to Talbert Marsh. Extensive monitoring studies are now under way to document the return of vegetation, invertebrates, fish, and birds to the area. Only a year after tidal flushing was restored, a major oil spill hit Huntington Beach after the tanker American Trader dumped 400,000 gallons of Alaskan crude oil offshore. The Santa Ana River mouth and the Talbert Marsh were in a direct line with the slick. Once again, Gary sprang to action to save the wetlands, putting in a month of 18-hour dealing with the bureaucracy that inevitably exists in a major disaster—to protect the wetlands that he had worked so hard to restore.

The political battle over the remainder of the wetlands continues. With Gary’s leadership, lobbying, and testimony, the Friends of the Huntington Beach Wetlands recently succeeded in protecting the entire 147 acres with conservation zoning. Eventually, Gary hopes to see the entire Huntington Beach Wetlands protected by a land trust. Meanwhile, he has the satisfaction of having saved at least a portion of our vanishing wetlands.

-Louann W. Murray, Friends of the Huntington Beach Wetlands, Torrance, California

Local Government Category

An awardee in the local government category, Laura Tessier has shown extraordinary leadership in expanding an assistance program for local governments in matters of soil and water conservation to incorporate the broad-based environmental planning and review services needed to protect wetland resources seriously threatened by development. She is credited with enhancing the content and quality of the district program to ensure municipal access to sound policy guidance and technical assistance in matters of wetland protection. Moreover, Laura has developed innovative and progressive management tools to guide local governments toward better stewardship of this resource.

Laura joined the district in 1982, and became its first director both educated and experienced as an environmental professional. Under her direction, the district staff grew to include two professional hydrologists and the program was expanded and modified to provide in-depth consulting services to municipalities that needed assistance in reviewing development proposals for soils limitations, surface water management, wetlands and watercourse protection, and erosion control. Due to the strength of the program Laura developed, and the spirit of intergovemmental cooperation she engendered, requests for district involvement in development reviews increased from 24 in 1982 to nearly 300 in 1989. Moreover, as a result of the area’s continuing development and increasing scarcity of nonwetland sites, questions concerning wetland delineation and regulation began to accompany the more traditional requests for surface water management review. In 1985, the catalyst for formalizing the district’s wetland assistance program was the town of Harrison’s request for comment on a proposed major development within its jurisdiction.

The original plan was for the construction of 215 residential units on a property presented as including only 2.7 acres of wetland. During the development review phase, however, Laura and her staff noted a significant on-site wetland that later was determined to be greater than 50 acres. Subsequent work on the site resulted in state regulation of a portion of this wetland area under the 1975 Freshwater Wetland Act, and local designation of even more wetland acres. At the request of the Town Planning Board, Laura participated in nearly two years of meeting and discussions with the developer, shaping a plan that obviated unnecessary encroachment on both the wetland and its 100-foot buffer.

The Harrison project pointed to the need for improved local legislation and government access to wetland expertise to adequately protect these wetland systems from development. Moreover, it highlighted deficiencies in the state law, such as the insufficient criteria used to define and classify wetlands and the lack of mechanisms to address cumulative and indirect impacts. Thus, drawing on her professional training and prior experience as a consulting wetland ecologist, Laura led the District Board of Directors to formalize wetlands protection as a component of their program. In 1986, on her initiative, the Board adopted a “Wetlands Protection Policy,” which set the stage for a three-part program designed to standardize and enhance the role of local governments in protecting an estimated 28,000 acres of wetlands remaining in the county.

The wetland policy that she developed committed the district to: (1) prepare, publish, and disseminate to Westchester municipalities a Model Ordinance for Wetlands Protection designed to provide protection beyond the requirements of the state law and to emphasize site-specific evaluation; (2) include in proposed development reviews both comments on potential impacts to wetland areas and recommended measures for their protection; (3) assist municipalities in verifying wetland boundaries according to soils, vegetation, and hydrologic criteria; (4) assist communities in documenting wetlands that may qualify for regulation pursuant to New York State law; and (5) provide educational programming and materials to municipal boards and staffs to, encourage informed decisionmaking in matters of wetland protection. In addition, Laura asked the Board to formally discourage the alteration of wetlands vegetation, habitat, or function for timber management, pond construction, or cultivation, unless district staff determined that the proposed action would not adversely impact wetland functions. And on Laura’s recommendation, the Board determined that the alteration of wetlands to accommodate the stormwater management requirements associated with development should be discouraged unless demonstrated to be necessary and unavoidable.

To date, Laura has delivered the essential elements promised in the 1986 policy. In October 1988, she single-handedly organized and conducted the first annual wetland training seminar designed specifically to educate and inform members of local boards and staffs involved in wetland management. The pilot session, which provided both lecture and field segments, was fully subscribed with 100 people representing four counties, and received overwhelmingly positive reviews.

In December 1988, Laura completed a year of research and writing of the district’s Model Ordinance for Wetlands Protection, which was published in January 1989. The ordinance, reviewed by various wetland professionals and the Board’s environmental attorney prior to publication, is nearing adoption in two Westchester communities and is under review in at least seven others. I am told that it has been adopted by several communities in neighboring counties, and it has been purchased by agencies and organizations in 26 states across the country.

Laura has restructured the district site development review program to address wetland impacts as a separate concern. And in a continuing effort to enhance municipal consideration of wetlands and watercourses, Laura provides routine assistance in verifying wetland boundaries, reviewing permit applications, and advising in matters of wetland policy and management.

As the Director of one municipal planning department in Westchester has stated, “Laura has become the model for provision of cooperative government resources ... the Model Ordinance for Wetlands Protection may be the single most useful planning document to have been produced by Westchester County.” And in the words of another, “Laura’s persistence and dedication are an inspiration to those of us ... battling at the local level for greater wetlands protection.” I wholeheartedly concur.

-Carol Coggeshall, Chairperson, Board of Directors, Westchester County Soil and Water Conservation District, White Plains, New York

Local Government Category

Craig Todd, an awardee in the local government category, has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the enforcement of wetland protection laws in Monroe County. In his present position as a district manager and formerly as an erosion control and sedimentation specialist in the county’s conservation district, Craig has demonstrated great innovation and persistence in his efforts to go beyond the confines of his position to protect the county’s wetlands.

Craig’s interest in wetland protection first began to gain momentum after his involvement in a 1984 Federal Water Pollution Control Act violation in the county. Although conservation districts are not specifically authorized to work on wetland issues, Craig was there because of his sincere concern for almost anything that affected the land and water resources of Monroe County. After settling that first enforcement case, Craig expressed his frustration over the rampant illegal wetland filling and the lack of either state or federal enforcement in his area. At that time, Monroe County was the fastest growing county in Pennsylvania. Craig and I discussed this problem over the next few months and agreed that the only way to solve the problem was for the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to target Monroe county for “special attention.” This special attention included close cooperation between the district and the FWS, the warning of wetland problems early in the planning process, substantially increased federal enforcement, and an extensive public education campaign.

To give the district a reason to be involved in wetland issues, Craig developed a Letter of Agreement (LOA) with the FWS that committed the district to increase its involvement in wetland-related issues and to work directly with the FWS to protect this resource. Under this LOA, the district routinely reviews proposals for subdivisions and other activities requiring an Earth Disturbance permit for wetlands and hydric soils by consulting National Wetland Inventory maps and the Soil Survey. If the site contains wetlands, Craig notifies the permit applicant of the presence of wetlands and the need for a permit, and sends a copy of the district’s letter to the FWS. The FWS then reinforces the district’s letter by notifying the applicant of the need for, and the difficulty in obtaining, permits for work in wetlands. Many substantial wetland fills have been eliminated through his early warning system.

Given the lack of state and federal enforcement in this region, it was clear that we would have to do more than just send warning letters. We would have to show that enforcement against illegal wetland fills was not a hollow threat. With Craig’s assistance, we began an intensive surveillance effort. Periodically, we sent teams of biologists on one-week trips to find and report illegal wetland fills. Our goal was to alert the Army Corps of Engineers to the high numbers of violations in this area and thereby encourage them to increase their enforcement presence in this part of the state. Craig frequently directed us to particular areas of the county and accompanied us on these trips.

The volume of illegal fills we reported eventually convinced the Corps to station an enforcement inspector in Monroe County. Because of our increased emphasis in the county, however, the workload was more than the new Corps biologist could handle. Accordingly, in 1987 Craig hosted a meeting of the FWS, the Corps, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Pike and Monroe County Conservation Districts to discuss methods of enlisting more help on wetland issues in the Poconos. After determining that the only way to devote more staff to this area was to procure funding from outside sources, Craig agreed to contribute $5,000 to help the FWS hire a new person to work at the Monroe County Conservation District office. This contribution was matched by Pike County ($5,000) and EPA ($10,000). Craig also arranged for the FWS employee to receive free office space and support services at the district office. This is the first arrangement of this kind between the FWS and a county conservation district.

With increased staff and enforcement, the requests for assistance on wetlands problems skyrocketed. To respond to the sudden interest in wetlands, Craig began an extensive public education campaign. He arranged numerous public seminars on wetlands that featured presentations by state and federal wetland experts. After spending a considerable amount of his own time learning about wetland identification and regulation, Craig became “the authority” on wetlands in Monroe County. He co-hosted a one-hour radio show that frequently discussed wetland issues and worked with the press to ensure they fully understood all the benefits of a vigorous wetlands protection program. As a result, wetland issues receive more favorable attention from the press in Monroe County than anywhere else in the state. In addition, Craig developed a three-part adult education course on wetlands for Monroe County residents; a three-part program on wetland regulation and identification for local government officials, engineers, surveyors and developers; and a two-day wetland training program for high school students.

Moreover, to guarantee that wetlands are considered as early as possible in the planning process, Craig drafted wetlands protection ordinances for the county’s municipalities. His ordinances not only emphasize wetland protection, but some also provide for a 100-foot buffer zone around the marsh. To date, Craig’s ordinance has been adopted by 6 of 20 municipalities.

In 1984, wetland violators were out of control in Monroe County. I told Craig that it would take at least five years of intensive effort to reach a reasonable degree of wetland protection in his county. Five years later, we both agree that we have reached our goal. Our initial efforts in Monroe County have become a model for dealing with other counties in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, there is no one else quite as enthusiastic as Craig. Our office works with many private citizens, conservation groups, and local, state, and federal officials involved in wetlands protection. Many of these individuals are competent and dedicated to protecting our remaining wetland resource. There is not one, however, that has been as effective as Craig. He is the best example of what an ordinary citizen can do to effectuate wetlands protection.

-Edward W. Perry, Assistant Supervisor U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, State College, Pennsylvania

State Government Category

An awardee in the state government category, Marvin Hubbell has served as the Wetland Program Administrator for the Illinois Department of Conservation since 1984. When he joined the Department, there was no statewide wetland program and virtually no support for the protection of wetlands. In the face of these obstacles, Marvin established a statewide Wetland Advisory Committee, completed the Illinois portion of the National Wetland Inventory (NWI), successfully passed an interagency wetland protection bill, and developed a comprehensive wetland research program.

Wetland protection legislation had been introduced in Illinois on numerous occasions prior to 1984, only to be soundly defeated each time. In recognition of the difficulty of gaining the support of many groups that commonly oppose this type of legislation, Marvin formed a Wetland Advisory Committee composed of representatives of 21 different interests, including farmers, miners, environmentalists, and planners. This Committee’s progress toward opening the lines of communication among these groups with regard to wetlands was a critical first step in resolving the conflicts that long prevented Illinois’ establishment of a wetland protection program.

A second major effort that Marvin championed was the completion of Illinois’ portion of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s NWI maps. Before wetland protection legislation could be proposed to the legislature, it was necessary to document the state’s history of wetland losses. Here again, Marvin made every effort to neutralize public opposition by involving local agencies—such as soil and water conservation districts—prior to completion of the maps, and by holding 37 public meetings statewide. At that time, Illinois was the only state to involve the public in the preparation of these maps.

Although the mere completion in 1988 of Illinois’ NWI maps was a significant achievement, Marvin’s goals extended much further. He believed that two further improvements were critical to the successful use of the map data: broad public access to the maps and computerized map data to allow for greater analysis. To address the first issue, a statewide distribution center was established for the NWI maps. To date, 13,000 maps have been distributed to the public. To address the second issue, the NWI data were digitized and made available through the state’s Geographic Information System. Illinois is now one of the largest states to have its complete wetland inventory available in this format. This digitized wetland mapping system has allowed more comprehensive analysis of wetland sites and produced data that have proven invaluable in documenting the need for wetland protection legislation and estimating the impacts of such legislation on the agricultural sector.

The next step in the process of establishing a state wetland protection program was passage of legislation. Marvin drafted the Interagency Wetland Policy Act of 1989, enacted in August 1989, which established a policy of no net loss of wetlands for all state agency activities. By focusing on the activities of state agencies, Marvin sought to establish a solid framework for wetland protection within the state government before incorporating private-sector activities. And by carefully weaving planning requirements, incentives, and compensation criteria into a single package, he has drafted one of the most creative and potentially effective state wetland protection laws in the country. As one of the first state laws to establish a no net loss policy for wetlands, the Act extends beyond the consideration of wetland acreage by requiring the assessment and replacement of functional values as well.

Not content with these successes, however, Marvin has developed a comprehensive research program that is likely to prove invaluable to future wetland protection efforts. Four examples of these research efforts should be noted. First, Marvin has developed a classification system that simplifies the NWI data to facilitate its use by local planners and developers. While the original inventory contains 639 different wetland classifications, these categories are combined for simplicity to yield 38 ecologically related classifications.

A second project under way involves the creation of a hierarchical classification matrix that links wetland data, such as functions, to other surface water features, including water quality. The virtue of this matrix is its ability to identify quickly the relationships of wetlands to one another and to deepwater habitats. This matrix will serve as the basis for regional analyses that utilize the Geographic Information System.

Third, Marvin is cooperating on an ambitious research project with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to evaluate landscape functions of wetlands as they relate to water quality, biodiversity, and hydrology. This project will facilitate the assessment of the cumulative impacts of land use changes and wetland conversions.

Finally, Marvin has developed an innovative method of calculating compensation rates that is ecologically sound, yet simple to use. It is a three-dimensional matrix, with the degree of impact on the vertical axis, and the community type and location of the compensation site on the horizontal axis. Ratios increase as you move from left to right across the matrix, from open water to forested wetlands. They also increase where the compensation sites are located off-site or out-of-basin. For example, the highest ratios would be assessed for the complete destruction of a bottomland hardwood wetland where compensation is occurring outside of the original watershed; the lowest ratios would be assessed for projects that cause minimal impact to open water systems and designate compensation on-site. In this way, the replacement of the same wetland type as near to the loss as possible is encouraged.

Marvin has continued his efforts at protecting Illinois’ wetlands by drafting wetland protection legislation for possible introduction this session. The Governor has expressed his support by asking the Department of Conservation to draft the bill. The bill is a comprehensive and creative package of provisions that can successfully meet the no net loss goal. All new activities adversely affecting wetlands, including those of the private sector, would require a permit, and compensation would be required for unavoidable losses.

Overall, Marvin has shown tremendous skill in developing the state’s wetland protection program. His ability to communicate with diverse interest groups, his creative approach to drafting legislation, and his comprehensive research efforts are testimony to his generous contribution to wetland protection in Illinois.

-Deanna Glosser, Endangered Species Protection, Illinois Department of Conservation, Springfield, Illinois

State Government Category

Robert B. Tiedemann, an awardee in the state government category, has implemented remarkably innovative wetland protection initiatives during his 12 years with the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD). Most recently, Rob has played the key role in initiating, coordinating, and leading an interagency effort to reach agreement on using wetland banks as a mitigation alternative for the ITD. Several years ago, the ITD recognized that the mitigation of unavoidable wetland losses had become a critical part of highway project designs. In addition, the ITD was aware of numerous opportunities to enhance or develop wetlands during various stages of its highway projects. Thus, in an effort to receive recognition and credit for possible wetland gains, Rob proposed that resource and regulatory agencies investigate the possibility of using mitigation banking within the state.

The interagency team first met in November of 1985. It included representatives of four federal agencies: the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and five state agencies: the Idaho Departments of Fish and Game, Health and Welfare, Lands, Transportation, and Water Resources. At the start, the agencies had differing ideas of what "mitigation banking" was, and how it should, or should not, be used. Under Rob’s guidance and perseverance, however, the team slowly but steadily moved toward an agreement on using wetland banking as a mitigation option within the state of Idaho. The three-year effort culminated in a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed in 1988 by all of the nine federal and state agencies with an interest in wetland protection.

Reaching an agreement on an issue as difficult and controversial as mitigation banking is only the first step. The second step is implementing that agreement. With Rob’s guidance, the ITD has developed two successful wetland banks in eastern Idaho, with approximately 35 and 180 acres of wetlands that either have been created or enhanced by the ITD. A third, 21-acre wetland bank will be constructed this summer, and a fourth site is in the planning stage.

These wetland bank sites are established to mitigate for known and anticipated ITD project-specific impacts to wetlands elsewhere. Credits for wetland functions and values above and beyond that required to mitigate for project-related impacts are available at each of the wetland bank sites to mitigate for future project impacts. Banked wetland credits can only be applied toward the mitigation requirements of another ITD project in accordance with the strict criteria set out in the MOA. These criteria were written in response to an EPA Region X mitigation policy, which has since been reflected in the recent MOA between the Corps and the U.S. EPA. Importantly, the ITD’s wetland bank is viewed as the mitigation measure of last resort. Before using banked wetland credits for the mitigation of wetland losses, the ITD must show that wetland losses are unavoidable and that all on-site mitigation alternatives have been explored.

The environmental benefit of this approach is that these sites are now “living and breathing” wetlands. When these areas, or a portion thereof, are proposed to be used as credits for mitigation, the functions and values of the area can be directly assessed through field measurements, rather than assessing a written mitigation plan using only professional judgment. In addition, this approach takes advantage of natural succession, thereby allowing the sites to increase in quality with little or no human intervention or cost.

Recognition for the establishment of these mitigation banks also must be given to Charles Rountree, the ITD environmental planning supervisor, for “planting the seed” of wetland banking and providing needed support, and to Mary Hoyt, Environmental Planner with the ITD District Office in Rigby, Idaho, for locating and coordinating the development of two of the wetland bank sites.

In addition to the wetland banking initiative, Rob has also been instrumental in many wetland protection efforts at ITD. He has designed, developed, and implemented numerous stream and wetland restoration and creation projects throughout the state. Outside of ITD, he has used his expertise in wetland science by developing management recommendations for the protection of riparian lands and wetlands along the Boise River, and serving as one of the principal authors of the city of Boise’s River Plan. With Rob’s help, the plan has focused public attention on the important functions and values of this riparian resource. Rob is continuing to assist the city by providing ecological expertise as a member of the Boise River Technical Advisory Committee.

Rob’s professional experience also includes work as an ecological consultant in Boise, and previously in New Jersey, where his work focused on wetland delineations, assessments of wetland functions and values, and the design and implementation of wetland and aquatic mitigation and enhancement plans.

An effective instructor, Rob has developed and taught college-level environmental science courses and natural resource workshops. Furthermore, he has been invited by EPA to teach training courses in the federal wetland identification and delineation methodology. In addition to his work in wetland protection, Rob is a member of the board and past president of the East End Neighborhood Association. This group represents one of Boise’s oldest neighborhoods in issues ranging from the impacts of development on environmental quality to planning for future growth.

Through his efforts to facilitate the development and implementation of a wetland banking program, Rob has not only improved the ITD’s interagency relations, but also contributed substantially to natural resource conservation in the state. Moreover, he has set an example of innovation and dedication to wetland protection for departments of transportation and others throughout the Pacific Northwest.

-John Olson, Wetland Ecologist, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10, Boise, Idaho

Private Sector Category

The single winner in the private sector category, John Walter writes a conservation column each month for Successful Farming’s 1.3 million readers. He also championed the magazine’s Farming in the Flyways program, which was designed to encourage wildlife habitat conservation measures on agricultural lands.

When John joined Successful Farming six years ago, he was ideally suited to sound the call to conservation. Prior to joining the magazine, he served for four years as assistant editor of The Journal of Soil and Water Conservation at the Soil and Water Conservation Society. Upon joining Successful Farming, John had hopes of eventually expanding his duties to include some form of conservation reporting. In 1986, the magazine made a major commitment to expand its editorial coverage of conservation topics and made John the first and only full-time conservation editor of any farm publication in the country.

Two years ago, John became acutely aware of the effects agriculture has had historically on wetlands and was determined to encourage farmers to participate in wetland and other wildlife habitat conservation efforts. Because Successful Farming’s readers own much of the farmland in the upper Midwest and the prairie pothole region, John was convinced that the magazine was uniquely positioned to serve as a conduit for information regarding conservation practices. Through his position as conservation editor, John set out to recognize the farm landowners already taking steps to promote wetlands and wildlife habitat conservation and to provide incentive and information to inspire other landowners to join in these efforts.

John also recognized that the North American Waterfowl Management Plan afforded a great opportunity to reach farmers with new information on available wetland conservation programs and techniques. After surveying the 1,200-member Successful Farming reader panel, he was surprised to learn that more than 80 percent of the private landowners who have tried to manage or leave some land on their farms for wildlife have never received any kind of public support for their conservation efforts, such as cost-sharing, tax relief, technical assistance, or other forms of encouragement.

John began contacting state, federal, and private conservation agencies and organizations to gain a better understanding of the programs available to aid farmers in their wildlife conservation efforts. With this knowledge in hand, he consulted with national wildlife conservation leaders and developed the three-part Farming in the Flyways program designed to complement the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. The goals of this new program were to gather examples of wildlife conservation practices that were already working on farms and to report on farmers’ exemplary wildlife conservation efforts to the whole agricultural community. Farming in the Flyways consisted of three parts: a farmer recognition program, a farmer’s guide to conservation incentives, and demonstration projects. Because there had been a great lack of information in the farm press on the issue of wetlands conservation, John saw Farming in the Flyways as a perfect opportunity to highlight the good work farmers are doing on their land and simultaneously encourage other farmers to become involved in wildlife habitat conservation.

To realize his vision, John took his program proposal to the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation and was offered a $10,000 matching grant. In search of additional funding, he approached Ducks Unlimited, Inc. — a major player in wetlands protection — and was awarded a $50,000 grant for the program. American Cyanamid, a research biotechnology and chemical company, also pledged support to the program through advertising dollars.

To solicit exemplary farm-level conservation practices and ideas, John kicked off Farming in the Flyways in the April 1989 issue. That issue announced a reader recognition program that offered cash awards, a limited edition Farming in the Flyways poster, and other incentives to farmers who had implemented wetland and wildlife habitat conservation practices on their lands.

Of the hundreds of applications, 168 farmers from across the nation were selected and formally recognized for their commendable conservation work in the February 1990 issue. The magazine devoted a 16-page cover story to the program, and saluted by name the “Honor Roll” farmers. In addition, it featured 12 of those farmers who were named for special “Stewardship” awards. The restoration of drained wetlands; the practice of rotationally grazing pastures; and the use of cover crops and no-till cultivation on cropland to protect soil, water, and wildlife resources are but a few of the practices farmers are following to save dwindling wildlife habitat.

John’s foresight, planning, and dedication have enabled Farming in the Flyways to extend far beyond the pages of Successful Farming. The widespread publicity and acknowledgment of the program winners through additional media coverage have been instrumental in elevating awareness in the agricultural sector of the international crisis of declining waterfowl numbers and diminishing wetland acreage.

-James Cornick, Publisher, Successful Farming, Des Moines, Iowa

 

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