PA Environmental Professionals Announce Winners Of Karl Mason, Walter Lyon Awards

The PA Association of Environmental Professionals Tuesday announced Eric H. Buncher, Manager of Planning Services for the Allegheny County Airport Authority, is the winner of the Karl Mason Award and the PA Senior Environment Corps managed by Nature Abounds is the winner of the Walter Lyon Award.

Here some additional background on each winner.

Karl Mason Award - Eric H. Muncher

Eric Buncher has been awarded the Karl Mason Award for his many years of outstanding leadership and service to the PA Association of Environmental Professionals.  

As a general member, board member, western section chair, and board president he advanced many initiatives which inspired environmental professionals to not only join the organization, but contribute substantial time and energy to accomplishing the PAEP mission and goals

He was never timid about asking members to volunteer and to take the lead in a task. He always generously gave his time and advice to fellow environmental professionals to help them find good jobs.

Under his leadership, several important PAEP goals such as substantially increasing membership, conducting highly-valued section events and annual meetings, strongly supporting the Conservation Heritage Project, posting job opportunities, and awarding student scholarships were consistently met.

Mr. Buncher possesses over 40 years of environmental studies, managerial and technical experience in economic development, site planning, and development feasibility studies with an emphasis on airport, office park, industrial park and mass transit applications.  

Since 2001 he served as Manager Planning Services for the Allegheny County Airport Authority where he is responsible for site planning and environmental studies at both Pittsburgh International Airport and Allegheny County Airport.  

Mr. Buncher is a member of the Robert Morris University Economic Development Committee and the Moon Township Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee.  

He is also a member of the Board and Executive Committee of the Airport Corridor Transportation Association as well as past president (total of 5 years as President) of the Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Professionals.

Walter Lyon Award - PA Senior Environmental Corps

The PA Senior Environment Corps has been awarded the Walter Lyon award based on their diligent environmental work effort throughout Pennsylvania.   

The SEC has been collecting water quality data since 1997, and has collected data over 16,000 monitoring events on approximately two-thirds of the Commonwealth's waterways. The data, collected under guidance from Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, provides a baseline for analysis.
In addition to collecting and analyzing water quality samples, SEC volunteers also represent the SEC at watershed meetings, sportsman clubs and other public meetings, planning to improve the watershed and helping to implement Best Management Practices (BMP).

It's only through cooperation like this, that we witness streams with impaired status become streams where fish can be found.

The PA Senior Environment Corps Program engages volunteers aged 55 and over. SEC volunteers are engaged in numerous activities from water quality monitoring, stream habitat assessment, storm-drain stenciling, environmental education, community gardening, wildlife surveying, marking abandoned oil and gas wells, and cleaning up parks and trails.  

Since 1997, SEC volunteers in Pennsylvania have contributed well over 2,000,000 hours, and their contribution is estimated to be of value to the state at over $3 million per year. The SEC program is a well-established network.

While Nature Abounds coordinates from the state and national level, works with local volunteers and local host organizations, impacting the communities served.

For example, in Philadelphia, PaSEC work with community centers, colleges, schools, environmental education centers, other community groups, and even supports the Philadelphia Water Authority.

In Centre County, the SEC group works with a local lands conservancy, a senior center, school groups, Penn State, and community groups. The community impact of the SEC program across the Commonwealth is astounding.

For more information, visit the PA Senior Environment Corps website.

The Karl Mason and Walter Lyon Award presentations will take place at the PAEP Annual Statewide Conference, April 5-7, 2017, at the Toftrees Resort, State College, PA.

PAEP is now celebrating 32 Years of Advancing Pennsylvania’s Environmental Professionals.