2001 Governor's Award for Environmental Stewardship

Wildlands Conservancy received the 2001 Governor's Award for Watershed Stewardship for its commitment to watershed restoration and environmental protection. The Conservancy continually demonstrates its dedication to protecting land and water resources within the Lehigh River watershed.

Wildlands Conservancy was one of only 25 organizations across Pennsylvania to receive a 2001 Governor's Award for Watershed Stewardship.

Wildlands Conservancy was chosen for the award for its planning and assessment for watershed protection activities. These activities included the completion of two comprehensive watershed assessments, identifying problem areas on streams and outlining specific recommendations to protect and enhance them. A Lehigh River project analyzed flow and water quality of eight abandoned mine discharges on four tributaries of the Lehigh River and initiated a wetland restoration project to remediate the problem. The Conservancy also removed a 40-foot-wide, low-head dam, created an 11,000 square-foot riparian buffer zone, stabilized more than 500 feet of stream bank and helped preserve more than 3,900 acres of green space in year 2000.

Collectively, the first year winners installed five abandoned mine drainage (AMD) treatment systems, reclaimed eight acres of abandoned mine land, and improved 6.2 miles of impacted streamline. In addition, these winners also removed 1,000 pounds of trash from waterways, created 1,190 acres of wetlands, planted 16,151 trees and shrubs, and restored 43,221 feet of riparian buffer area. The effects of these accomplishments have been immediate, and invaluable.

This year marks the first annual Governor's Award for Watershed Stewardship. In 1999, Governor Tom Ridge signed into law "Growing Greener" - the largest-ever investment of state funds to address Pennsylvania's critical environmental issues. Since then, watershed groups, local governments and conservation districts have utilized these state dollars to implement watershed protection projects. These awards honor the individuals and organizations engaged in safeguarding and enhancing our environment across Pennsylvania.

Projects are evaluated by an independent panel of judges, who select winners based on a variety of criteria, including economic and environmental impact, pollution prevention, teamwork, public service and educational efforts.