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Department of Ecology News Release - September 19, 2001
01-164
YAKIMA - The late Esther Stefaniw and members of the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board will be honored with Environmental Excellence Awards, presented by the state Department of Ecology during the Wenatchee River Salmon Festival on Saturday.
Elected to the Chelan County board of commissioners in 1996, Esther Stefaniw immediately recognized the importance of tackling at the local level such environmental concerns as growth management, fish listings and other water issues.
In an effort to address these concerns, Stefaniw helped create the county's office of watershed planning and later rallied neighboring counties and cities to establish the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board.
Working with state and federal agencies, the board has proved to be a statewide leader in salmon recovery. Recently, the board's work culminated in the first draft of a regional salmon recovery strategy.
"Because of Esther's vision and tenacity, our watersheds and communities have improved and will continue to improve," said Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons. "Likewise, her work is being carried on in the capable hands of her colleagues under the banner of the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board. We sincerely applaud their desire to find local solutions that will lead to the recovery of salmon in the region."
Awards will be presented at noon on Sept. 22 during opening ceremonies of the Wenatchee River Salmon Festival at the gazebo area of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife hatchery in Leavenworth. A presentation also will be made at 10 a.m. on Sept. 25 during a meeting of the Joint Natural Resources Cabinet in Olympia.
Contact: Joye Redfield-Wilder, public information manager, (509) 575-2610, or pager (509) 574-0490
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
