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On August 19, 100 river leaders gathered at the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame
in Downtown Portsmouth to recap river restoration progress, solidify plans
for the next two years, and honor those who have brought earlier plans into
reality.
Looking to the future, the leaders focused on
four major projects outlined in the The Elizabeth River Watershed Action
Plan:
- Creating a Paradise Creek Eco Park
- Cleanup of Scuffletown Creek
sediment
- Developing a win-win approach for
Craney Island expansion
- Educating and engaging the
Community
The summit honored the highest levels of
leadership at organizations where the most river restoration was achieved.
Awards included:
The Pelican Award for individuals
whose personal leadership is making the most difference for long-term
stewardship of the Elizabeth River. Pelican Awards went to Jerrold L.
Miller, President of Earl Industries; Col. Yvonne Prettyman-Beck,
US Army Corp of Engineers District Commander, and J. Robert Bray,
Executive Director of the Virginia Port Authority.
Click here
to see more about the three Pelican Award Winners (PDF file.)
A Scenic River Award
went to Virginia Beach Major Meyera Obermdorf and City Manager
James Spore for a signage program that recognized the Eastern Branch at
each major crossing. The Eastern Branch also became part of the Scenic
Waterway program.
Click
here to see more about the two Scenic River Award Winners (PDF file.)
The Lighthouse Award
recognizes the highest levels of leadership at organizations that achieve
the most progress toward restoration. Thirty-seven individuals were honored
with this award. Click these three links to see the full list, photos, and
more about each of the Lighthouse Award Winners
Page 1,
Page 2,
Page 3
(PDF files.)
The Butterfly Award
went to Merrie Jo Milner, Volunteer of the Year, for her Girl Scout Troop
282 and their work to create and maintain a butterfly garden at Larchmont
Library.
Click here to read more about Merrie Jo and the project.
Sponsors for the Summit
were:
Support funding from the
EPA Chesapeake Bay Program through the VA Dept. of Conservation and
Recreation. |
