ANN ARBOR — Michigan League of Conservation Voters announced Tuesday this year?s honorees for the Second Annual Innovation in Conservation Awards Dinner. Conservation champions and retiring members of Congress, Senator Carl Levin and Congressman John Dingell, will receive Michigan LCV?s Lifetime Achievement Awards, Ford Motor Company will be honored as Business of the Year, and Anglers of the Au Sable as Advocates of the Year.
Awards will be presented at Michigan LCV?s Innovation in Conservation Awards Dinner on October 2nd at 6 PM at the historic Westin Book Cadillac in Detroit.
Senator Carl Levin, Lifetime Achievement Award: The Honorable Carl Levin leaves a legacy of more than 35 years of leadership on the preservation and protection of Michigan’s Great Lakes and public land. Throughout his career in the US Senate and as Co-Chair of the US Senate Great Lakes Task Force, Senator Levin led on passing the Great Lakes Compact as well as the Great Lakes Legacy Act, landmark efforts to preserve and clean up our waterways. Senator Levin was also instrumental in establishing the Keweenaw National Historic Park in the Upper Peninsula, the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary near Alpena, Michigan’s North Country Trail and the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. Throughout his long and outstanding career in public service, Senator Levin brought the most pressing Great Lakes issues from Michigan to the halls of Congress, generated bipartisan support for critical conservation issues and showed how to put the future of Michigan’s environment and natural resources economy first.
Congressman John Dingell, Lifetime Achievement Award: The Honorable John Dingell is a true conservation champion, and integral force in crafting and enacting milestone pieces of legislation that form the framework of environmental protections in our country. When Congressman John Dingell was first elected to Congress in 1955, there were virtually no protections for our land, air and water on the books. Congressman Dingell made clean air and water a national priority with bipartisan support by helping to author and to pass the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Air Act, among many others. Throughout his illustrious, 59-year-long career in public service, Congressman Dingell proved to be a stalwart advocate for Michigan’s parks and recreation areas, personally sponsoring legislation that created the hugely successful and ecologically significant Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. Congressman Dingell’s contributions to conservation in Michigan and environmental protections for our country stand as a shining example of environmental leadership and effective public service.
Ford Motor Company, Business of the Year: Ford is leading the way among American automakers in showing that sustainability is good for business. Ford?s commitment to sustainability can be seen in every aspect of the its business strategy, from transparency about company practices to reducing waste throughout its supply chain. In its line of vehicles, Ford has increasingly emphasized hybrids as well as small, efficient engines in models from the compact Ford Focus to the iconic Ford F-150, dramatically increasing fuel economy for the next generation of great American cars.
Anglers of the Au Sable, Advocate of the Year: Since their founding in 1987, the Anglers of the Au Sable have defended the waters and wildlife of the mighty and beloved Au Sable River with a tenacity and commitment that sets them apart. For nearly thirty years, the Anglers have stood up to state and local policy decisions that directly threaten the waters of the Au Sable and many of our other great Michigan waterways. Those threats have been many, from proposed oil and gas drilling along the River to the massive expansion of an upstream fish hatchery. The Anglers continue to lead the charge in the fight to protect the clean, fresh water that draws millions to Michigan every year.
To purchase tickets or for more information about sponsorships of Innovation in Conservation visit: http://conta.cc/1Ar9MKO
