Three Organizations, Two Individuals Receive Awards at National Conference
Press Release – MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 29, 2016) – The Land Trust Alliance, a national land conservation organization working to save the places people love by strengthening land conservation across America, is honoring multiple conservation leaders this week during its annual conference in Minneapolis.
“As evidence of how there are many ways to lead, there are many people we are proud to honor,” said Andrew Bowman, the Alliance’s president. “Our nation’s conservation community is fortunate to benefit from the refined skills and extraordinary commitment of many leaders. And while we could never name them all, we are delighted to honor this year some of our finest.”
Honorees recognized at Rally 2016: The National Land Conservation Conference include:
- David Hartwell, a pivotal figure in Minnesota’s tradition of land conservation, with the Kingsbury Browne Conservation Leadership Award & Fellowship. He helped secure and shepherd billions of dollars for land and water preservation in the North Star State.
- Arizona Land & Water Trust of Tucson, Ariz., with a National Land Trust Excellence Award. Through the highest caliber work, the land trust has broadened support for land conservation, built understanding and grown the conservation community.
- Oblong Land Conservancy and Putnam County Land Trust of New York, with a National Land Trust Excellence Award. Recognized jointly for their collaborative efforts, these land trusts demonstrated exemplary behavior in working together to conserve a vital watershed.
- Peter Paden, executive director of New York’s Columbia Land Trust, with the Ambassador Award. His personable and persistent engagement of key members of Congress helped enact major land conservation legislation in late 2015.
Awards to Hartwell, Arizona Land & Water Trust, Oblong Land Conservancy and Putnam County Land Trust were bestowed Oct. 28 during a welcoming dinner. Paden received his award Oct. 29 at the opening session of Rally 2016, the nation’s premier gathering for conservation leadership and training. For more information about Rally 2016, visit www.lta.org/rally.
In conjunction with his award, Hartwell was named to serve in the Kingsbury Browne Fellowship at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy for 2016-2017. For the fellowship, Hartwell will engage in research, writing and mentoring with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, a think tank focusing on land policy that’s based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The fellowship and award are named after the land conservationist who inspired the Alliance’s founding.
About the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy is an independent, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to help solve global economic, social, and environmental challenges to improve the quality of life through creative approaches to the use, taxation, and stewardship of land. Learn more at www.lincolninst.edu.
About the Land Trust Alliance
Founded in 1982, the Land Trust Alliance is a national land conservation organization that works to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America. The Alliance represents more than 1,100 member land trusts supported by more than 100,000 volunteers and 5 million members nationwide. The Alliance is based in Washington, D.C. and operates several regional offices. More information about the Alliance is available at www.landtrustalliance.org.
