DOI awards UA, MMS for conservation

At a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on April 24 Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne presented a Cooperative Conservation Award for Earth Day to a partnership between the University of Alaska Coastal Marine Institute and the U.S. Minerals Management Service for “outstanding contributions to collecting and disseminating environmental information for use in key decisions in oil and gas exploration and development within the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf.”

The award came as one of 21 recognizing collaborative conservation work performed by more than 700 groups and individuals.

“These outstanding partnerships and cooperative efforts represent a fundamental way in which our department provides stewardship for America with integrity and excellence,” Kempthorne said. “They embody a broad spectrum of conservation work from restoring wetlands, rangelands and mine lands to protecting wildlife, conserving water and fighting invasive species, to teaching conservation values to the next generation.”

The award ceremony marked a “fitting start” to a week of Earth Day activities, Kempthorne said.

—Alan Bailey