The Nature Conservancy Presents 2009 Conservation Awards
Two individuals and one organization are recognized for conservation achievements benefiting local lands and waters.
Dover, Delaware — April, 28 2009 — The Delaware Chapter of The Nature Conservancy presented its 2009 Conservation Awards at a luncheon ceremony in Dover and honored D. Wayne Holden, A. Robert Masten, M.D., and the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation for their achievements in preserving and protecting Delaware’s natural resources for future generations.
D. Wayne Holden of Dover received The Nature Conservancy’s Lifetime Conservation Achievement Award. Wayne was recognized as an ardent advocate and supporter of the Delaware Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. As a Trustee since 1996, he helped to lead, guide and inspire TNC work in Delaware during the Chapter’s formative years.
Recipients of The Nature Conservancy’s 2009 Conservation Awards. From left: chapter director Roger Jones, board chair Mike Parkowski, Lifetime Conservation Achievement Award recipient Wayne Holden, Public Service Award recipients for the Delaware Agriculture Lands Preservation Foundation Mark Davis, Mike McGrath and Bob Garey, and Bob Masten Private Lands Conservation Award recipient. © Steven Billups |
He was instrumental in TNC “raising the bar” in its land preservation work in Delaware and he fostered the partnership between TNC, DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife, and the Conservation Fund. This partnership has resulted in protection of more than 12,000 acres of forestland in Sussex County—the single largest open space protection project in Delaware. Wayne protected and restored 986 acres of wildlife habitat at his ranch near Leipsic and he has permanently protected 894 acres of this property with the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Program. His stewardship efforts included planting more than 12,000 trees, phragmites control on 150 acres of marsh, and working with Delaware Fish and Wildlife Division on the release of wild turkeys to re-establish populations in the Bombay Hook area.
A. Robert Masten, M.D. of Milford received The Nature Conservancy’s Private Lands Conservation Award. Dr. Masten was recognized as a dedicated conservationist who has worked with family members to permanently protect 2,900 acres of land at Milford Neck through easements with Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Program and The Nature Conservancy. Bob and his late father, Raymond Masten, completed dozens of waterfowl habitat projects and were able to provide over 1,000 acres of habitat for migrating waterfowl. His projects include extensive phragmites control efforts on his farm marshes. Bob is a life-long sponsor of Ducks Unlimited and has been recognized by the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife and the National Wild Turkey Federation for his conservation practices.
Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation was recognized with The Nature Conservancy’s Public Service Award for its significant contributions to natural resource conservation and land preservation in the area of public policy and practice. Since its creation in 1991, the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Program has protected almost one-third of Delaware’s available farmland. As a result, more farmland has been preserved per capital in Delaware than in any state in the nation. This is a dramatic accomplishment considering that participation in the program is voluntary and given the tremendous land development pressures in Delaware, which now ranks as the 6th most densely populated state in the U.S. There are now 147,000 acres enrolled in 766 Agricultural Preservation Districts throughout the state and 90,917 of these acres have been permanently protected through the State’s purchase of farmland preservation easements. The program has received critical funding support from the General Assembly, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program administered by the Natural Resource Conservation Service, Kent, New Castle and Sussex Counties, and from participating farmers who have donated more than half of the market value of the development rights. Last month the program celebrated a milestone with the preservation of its 500th farm in Delaware.
The Award Ceremony was held at Fraizer’s On the Water (formerly the Lobby House) in Dover following a buffet luncheon attended by many legislators, public officials, friends of the awardees, and members and trustees of the Delaware Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.
Roger L. Jones, Jr., Delaware State Director of The Nature Conservancy presided over the ceremony, welcoming awardees and guests and presenting the Public Service Award to Mike McGrath, Bob Garey, and Mark Davis, representatives of the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation. Mike McGrath is Chief of Planning in the Delaware Department of Agriculture and Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation administrator. Bob Garey serves as Chairman of the Foundation Bboard and Mark Davis is Deputy Principal Assistant to the Secretary of Agriculture.
Michael Parkowski Esq., Chair, Delaware Chapter Board of Trustees, presented the awards to Wayne Holden and Dr. Masten. Each of the awardees was presented with a framed print depicting the beauty and majesty of a protected “special place” in Delaware to remind them of the value of their conservation contribution.
In closing the program, State Director Jones outlined The Nature Conservancy’s FY 2010 legislative agenda for conservation in Delaware, giving top priority to continued funding for two of Delaware’s land preservation programs – the Agricultural Lands Preservation Program and the Open Space Program. Jones recommend appropriations at $5 million and $3 million respectively for those programs, noting that land preservation programs in Delaware have helped to sustain agriculture, forestry, outdoor recreation, and tourism related industries that generate more than $2 billion annually to our state economy. Jones’ other legislative recommendation was for $100,000 in State funds to match NOAA funding for DNREC’s Coastal Management program to initiate development of a statewide strategy to address sea level rise resulting from global warming.
The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, nonprofit organization that preserves the plants, animals and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. To date, the Conservancy and its one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Pacific. In Delaware, more than 29,500 acres have been protected with the help of more than 3,100 members. Visit us on the web at nature.org/delaware.
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