Joined by a colorful collective of animal ambassadors introduced by naturalist David Mizejewski, president and CEO Collin O’Mara presented awards to Martha Darling, Lowell E. Baier, and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.

Darling, who follows in the footsteps of her relative, NWF founder Jay N. “Ding” Darling, brings her political passions to the national wildlife advocacy scene. Over the past 20 years, Darling has built power and clout for conservation, and as she accepted the National Conservation Achievement Award, she encouraged all citizens to step up to engage in solving wildlife’s “unsolvable” problems.

Baier, the recipient of the Jay N. “Ding” Darling Conservation Award, has spent 52 years in volunteer service, political and social activism for wildlife conservation. The focus of his next book, threatened and endangered species, has led him to conceive the term”genucide” — the loss of species of endangered wildlife, flora and fauna from the acts of man. Baier challenged NWF and supporters to rally around our environmental conscience and work across party lines to live our legacy and be the voice for conservation.

In her 30-plus-year career, Administrator McCarthy, our Conservationist of the Year Award honoree, has worked on the national, state, and local levels to support common-sense strategies to protect public health and the environment. She reflected on the progress we have made in recognizing water quality issues, and called for a re-commitment of all who care about clean water to protect our nation’s rivers and streams, to ignore partisanship, and to work together for our communities to solve our continuing water problems.

As a part of the celebration, we looked back at some significant public figures who have given conservation a push forward over the last 80 years:

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At a reception held at the Stewart R. Mott House on Capitol Hill later that evening, two additional National Conservation Achievement awards were bestowed upon Senator Tom Udall and Congressman Mike Simpson for their work with NWF over the past year.  Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) was recognized for his leadership advancing reforms to the Toxic Substances Control Act and for protecting, defending and securing funding for public lands. Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) was recognized for his leadership championing legislation to protect the Boulder-White Clouds, which resulted in the federal protection of more than 275,000 acres of prime hunting, fishing and wildlife habitat in Idaho.

We will continue to celebrate achievements of citizen conservationists as the affiliate members of the Federation come together in June in Estes Park, Colorado for our 80th annual meeting and bestow honors on additional awardees for their contributions to environmental conservation.

Many Americans have grown frustrated with Congressional gridlock and inaction in both the House and the Senate. Political posturing and the lack of bipartisan collaboration have left many of us wondering if they will ever get anything done. Today, in a refreshing move, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee has taken steps to change our hearts and minds by passing several bills in a bi-partisan package that will benefit rural economies and promote conservation on our public lands.

The National Wildlife Federation has actively advocating for many of these bills but I want to highlight two that really make a difference for hunters, anglers, and other recreation interests that value the vitality our public lands.

Colorado’s San Juan Mountains

Senator Mark Udall’s San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act (S. 341) has been thoughtfully developed over several years from the ground up with broad-based support from businesses, sportsmen, local governments, and other grassroots interests that want to see access and hunting and fishing opportunities prioritized in the management of our wild landscapes. The bill would expand the Lizard Head and Mount Sneffels wilderness areas and designate 21,620 acres as the Sheep Mountain Special Management Area, where current recreational uses would continue so that existing access, motorized or otherwise, will not be hindered.

Encompassing 61,000 acres of the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, Senator Udall’s legislation has been hailed by hunters and anglers in particular as it would protect important watersheds and pristine fish and wildlife habitat that support some of the state’s largest and healthiest populations of trout and big game.

Senator Michael Bennet, also from Colorado, is an original co-sponsor of the bill and has worked tirelessly with Senator Udall to advance this legislation. As someone who spends a lot of time hunting and fishing in the San Juans with my family, I commend both senators for standing up to preserve our Western heritage for future generations and an important, sustainable cornerstone of our economy. Hunting, angling and other wildlife-related activities generate nearly $3 billion annually statewide. The benefits for the economy, wildlife and lifestyle that will result from safeguarding this area are important to NWF and our 20,000 members in Colorado.

New Mexico’s Valles Caldera

The Valles Caldera National Preserve Management Act (S. 285) was also passed out of committee today. Under the leadership of New Mexico Senators, Tom Udall , the sponsor, and Martin Heinrich, the original co-sponsor this bill has garnered overwhelming support from sportsmen, recreation interests, small businesses, and local communities.

Valles Caldera is a remarkable geological feature in the Jemez Mountains of northern New Mexico. After a cataclysmic eruption 1.2 million years ago, the 12-mile wide caldera was formed when the volcanic crater collapsed. High altitude grassland valleys, river- carved canyons, lush forests and woodlands, and towering domes accent the isolated features of this unique mountain landscape and provide high quality habitat for a wide variety of wildlife and fisheries.

The diverse geographic features of the caldera not only provide hunters and anglers a coveted experience in a wild place, they draw visitors in to explore waterfalls, red rock valleys, and support scientific research and education programs. That’s why the Valles Caldera National Preserve Management Act is so important. It will ensure, without question, that this exceptional landscape will remain accessible for all existing uses including ranching, hunting, fishing, camping, recreation and guided by science based adaptive management to promote responsible stewardship so that future generations will have the same opportunities to enjoy it as it is.

I am proud to stand with hunters and anglers in New Mexico and around the country in applauding Senators Udall and Heinrich for moving away from an elitist model favoring the wealthy few who could pay for the privilege of experiencing this special place and building towards a bright future that will provide economic certainty for Valles Caldera National Preserve while promoting public access and opportunity for everyone.

After all, public lands belong in public hands.

So today was a good day in Washington, D.C. Our senators on Capitol Hill serving on the Energy and Natural Resources committee stepped up and did the right thing for the right reasons. Let’s hope the rest of our country’s elected officials can remember what it’s like to work together again and build on this bi-partisan momentum by passing the legislation Americans have been asking for. Let’s put a strong package of public lands bills on President Obama’s desk and encourage the ink in his pen to flow freely as he signs them into law.

National Wildlife Federation President & CEO Larry Schweiger is set to testify before the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee today. Here’s what Larry wrote on his blog yesterday previewing the hearing:

I’ll be testifying in front of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee on the need to safeguard wildlife and natural resources and the essential services they provide to every American from the disastrous effects of climate change. See my testimony in support of natural resources adaptation funding in the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act.

And today Sen. Jeff Bingaman introduced legislation, co-sponsored by Sens. Baucus, Whitehouse, and Udall, called the “Natural Resources Climate Adaptation Act” that calls for dedicated funding for natural resources and wildlife safeguards.

With the momentum we’re gaining on these fronts and the findings from the CNN poll released today that 60% of Americans support cap and trade climate legislation, we are now in our best position ever to win on natural resources safeguards and federal climate legislation.

You can read Larry’s opening statement here (PDF). We’ll have more details on the hearing later in the day!

Tomorrow I’ll be testifying in front of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on the need to safeguard wildlife and natural resources and the essential services they provide to every American from the disastrous effects of climate change. See my testimony in support of natural resources adaptation funding in the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act.

And today Sen. Jeff Bingaman introduced legislation, co-sponsored by Sens. Baucus, Whitehouse, and Udall, called the “Natural Resources Climate Adaptation Act” that calls for dedicated funding for natural resources and wildlife safeguards.

With the momentum we’re gaining on these fronts and the findings from the CNN poll released today that 60% of Americans support cap and trade climate legislation, we are now in our best position ever to win on natural resources safeguards and federal climate legislation.

Senate OKs Valle Vidal protection
By ANDY LENDERMAN, The New Mexican, November 17, 2006

Both New Mexico senators threw their weight behind protecting the Valle Vidal from oil and gas drilling Thursday, and it worked.

The Valle Vidal Protection Act of 2005 — authored by U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M. — cleared the Senate floor late Thursday night. U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., announced his decision earlier in the day to support Udall’s measure, after months of intense political pressure from all over New Mexico. Hunters, anglers, Republicans, Democrats and environmentalists lobbied Domenici relentlessly to protect the national forest property, famous for its high mountain valleys, rambling forests and elk herds, from development…

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