Cowles, Wall receive awards

Petroleum News Alaska Staff

Cleveland J. Cowles, Ph.D., and Rance R. Wall have received the Interior Department’s Meritorious Service Award for outstanding performance and contributions to the Minerals Management Service Outer Continental Shelf program. MMS Alaska Regional Director John Goll presented the awards March 13.

MMS said Cowles was recognized for “superior leadership of the MMS Alaska Region Environmental Studies Program and his commitment to making the information available to all interested parties.” Cowles is chief of the Alaska Region’s Environmental Studies Section. The agency said Cowles has increased communication with the region’s many stakeholders, established the Alaska Coastal Marine Institute with the University of Alaska and the state of Alaska and edited the Bowhead Whale Book, “the first book every written exclusively on the bowhead whale and based predominantly on MMS-sponsored research.”

Rance was recognized for contributions to resource evaluation and information management. MMS said Rance, regional supervisor for Resource Evaluation, briefs senior officials “on complex and controversial issues affecting the national oil and gas leasing program and, within the region, he brings a broad perspective to reviews of development projects and environmental impact statements.”

MMS said Rance “was instrumental in development the partnership with the Bureau of Land Management when a sale was proposed” in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

He is a charter member of the Offshore Information Management Committee and MMS said Rance’s “insightful analyses played a critical role in the committee’s recommendations for fundamental changes, resulting in a proposed long-term plan for technology and human resource reengineering.” Rance also acted as regional director for six months during critical negotiations over sale 149 in Cook Inlet.