The award is presented to individuals who exemplify the values of the Coalition, are a true champion for clean water, and demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.
Sen. Yaw and Bisland were honored at the annual Choose Clean Water Conference in Harrisburg, with more than 250 clean water advocates represented throughout the Chesapeake Bay region in attendance.
"We're thrilled to honor Senator Yaw and Carin Bisland as our 2023 Clean Water Champions," said Mariah Davis, Deputy Director of the Choose Clean Water Coalition. "The strength of our Coalition lies in the talent, dedication, and passion of the individuals in our more than 285 nonprofit organizations and the government officials who partner with us.
“Both Senator Yaw and Carin are leaders in the work to protect and restore the rivers and streams that feed the Chesapeake Bay. Within the clean water effort throughout the Bay region, it's widely understood that improving Pennsylvania's water quality is critical to meeting our goals.
“Senator Yaw is a stalwart advocate for clean water in the Keystone State, most recently by serving as the lead sponsor of the Clean Streams Fund. This critical legislation provided a historic investment in clean water programs throughout Pennsylvania, including the Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program, which created the Commonwealth's first agricultural cost-share program."
In response, Senator Yaw said, "As Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and a member of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, I am honored to be named a 2023 Clean Water Champion. I am proud of the work we have done to better Pennsylvania's 85,000 miles of waterways, which serve as a source of beauty, purpose, and economic opportunity. I thank the Coalition and its member organizations for this wonderful recognition and I look forward to our continued collaboration."
The Coalition was also thrilled to honor Carin Bisland, a long-time leader at the EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program.
"Carin embodies everything that is implied with being named a Clean Water Champion. Having dedicated more than 30 years to the restoration of our habitats, communities, and waterways throughout the Chesapeake watershed, she has led many of the initiatives, projects, and committees that are responsible for the improvements we see in our rivers and streams today. This is one of the many reasons why she will be sorely missed as she starts her much deserved retirement this month," said Kristin Reilly, Director of the Choose Clean Water Coalition.
"I was lucky to have Carin as my supervisor at my first job at the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program Office. There I was able to see first-hand how important collaboration was to her and the role it plays in accomplishing our collective goals. She taught me that relationship building, trust, and mentorship play a key role in our work for clean water and healthy communities; values that I have carried with me since and continue to advance within the work of the Coalition. It is my honor to present this award to my mentor, colleague, and friend."
Said Bisland, "I am honored and flattered by this recognition. I have watched the Choose Clean Water Coalition from its start, with the vision of bringing together the voices of organizations, both small and large, to protect and improve the waterways of the Chesapeake Bay that we all care so deeply about. The Coalition brings the strong, united, and needed voice of the organizations it represents to our collective efforts to protect and restore the Bay and its watershed, and will continue to do that as we envision a future that is inclusive, just, and equitable for our diverse residents, that protects the best and improves the rest, and that supports our fish and wildlife. I feel fortunate to be recognized for my small contribution to that vision."
Gathering in Pennsylvania for the first time since 2018, the 13th annual Choose Clean Water Conference provides a two-day forum for participants to learn about the most important and up-to-date Chesapeake restoration issues, network with fellow Chesapeake Bay supporters and activists, develop strategies to advance federal, regional and local restoration goals, and learn from successes.
Conference attendees include individuals from local, state, and national nonprofits, elected officials, government agencies, and businesses to discuss ways these different sectors can work together toward our collective goal–clean water.
For more information, visit the Choose Clean Water Coalition website.
(Photo: Kristin Reilly, Director of the Choose Clean Water Coalition; Carin Bisland of the Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program; Sen. Yaw; and Ezra Thrush, DEP Director Of Policy.)
[Posted: May 24, 2023] PA Environment Digest
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