Congressman John W. Olver Named Conservationist of the Year
By Massachusetts Chapter of The Nature Conservancy
December 20, 2006 (Fitchburg, Mass.) – The Massachusetts Chapter of The Nature Conservancy presented its 2006 Conservationist of the Year award to Congressman John W. Olver.
Congressman Olver represents the 1st District of Massachusetts, which includes a substantial portion of western Massachusetts. He serves on the House Appropriations Committee, and the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee.
“Congressman Olver is a stalwart leader, reliable partner, and committed conservationist,” said Wayne Klockner, Massachusetts state director of The Nature Conservancy, who presented the award to Olver at his Fitchburg office today. “We deeply appreciate our partnership with the Congressman and with his exceptional and professional staff.”
"I am proud to receive this award from The Nature Conservancy," Congressman John Olver said. "I applaud the work of The Nature Conservancy to restore critical ecosystems, preserve rare species and protect the integrity of our farmland. For my part, I will continue to fight for legislation to safeguard wildlife and habitat and against efforts to undermine conservation laws."
“John Olver is the kind of government representative that many states can only dream about,” said Mount Washington resident Bobbie Hallig. “We in Massachusetts are extraordinarily fortunate to have him on our side of the map.”
Western Massachusetts is home to vast, intact forests and healthy watersheds. The area provides clean drinking to thousands of people, harbors a wealth of rare animals and plants and is an important link between habitat in the mid-Atlantic and the Northern Appalachians. Maintaining the ecological health of this region is a priority for The Nature Conservancy.
The Conservancy selected Congressman Olver to receive the award for his consistent and active support for land and water conservation, including:
§ $1,100,000 in USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service funds for The Nature Conservancy’s Weed It Now program. Spanning 10,000 acres in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York, Weed It Now is the largest invasive plant removal project ever undertaken in the Northeast and serves as a national model for large-scale restoration.
§ $1.3 million in Forest Legacy funding for land acquisition projects in the Berkshires, resulting in the protection of over 1,000 acres.
§ Land and Water Conservation Funds to acquire lands in the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge.
§ $75,000 for the Westfield Wild & Scenic Committee in National Park Service funding to conduct education and outreach throughout the watershed.
§ Official designation of the Westfield as a Wild and Scenic River. The designation helps ensure that the River’s will be preserved in free-flowing condition and managed for its scenic, recreational and ecological values.
“As a former science professor, the Congressman understands that natural systems function across political boundaries and are increasingly impacted by regional and even global events,” continued Klockner. “His efforts to protect natural places across the Commonwealth and beyond are nothing short of extraordinary.”
The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working to protect the most ecologically important lands and waters around the world for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than 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, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.
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