A member of one of the partner agencies in the West Eugene Wetlands Partnership recently received the 2005 National Wetlands Award for Conservation and Restoration in late May in Washington, D.C. The prestigious award recognizes Catherine Macdonald, Director of Conservation Programs for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) of Oregon, for her outstanding ability to foster partnerships and facilitate the conservation and restoration of literally tens of thousands of acres of wetlands in Oregon. "Cathy has been a catalyst, facilitator, and partner for many of Oregon's wetland conservation success stories over the past twenty years. She has an uncanny ability to bring diverse people together for a common purpose, and then lead them to achieve a common goal. Because of this, she is not only a great partner, but also a fantastic leader," said Eric Wold, Wetlands Program Supervisor for the City of Eugene. Macdonald has been cultivating partnerships to achieve the conservation and restoration of Oregon's wetlands since 1984 and was instrumental in the development of the West Eugene Wetlands Partnership, a collaboration between the City of Eugene, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Oregon Youth Conservation Corps, The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, McKenzie River Trust, and Willamette Resources & Educational Network. Established in 1995, the program has one of the most successful track records of any similar program in the region and is considered a national model for innovative and collaborative wetlands management. The National Wetlands Awards program has honored exceptional individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary effort, innovation and excellence in wetland conservation, research or education since 1989. The program is co-sponsored by The Environmental Law Institute, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Forest Service, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Federal Highway Administration, and NOAA Fisheries. For more information about the about the wetlands awards, call (202) 939-3860 or visit wetlandsawards@eli.org. For more information about Catherine Macdonald or The Nature Conservancy, call (503) 230-1221 or visit www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/oregon. For more information about the West Eugene Wetlands Partnership, call 682-4888 or visit www.ci.eugene.or/parks/wetlands. # # # |
