Contact: Alex Oltmanns
Date: May 27, 2016
Phone: (412) 481-9400
Email: [email protected]
Pittsburgh – Along with Dominion, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) co-hosted the Western Pennsylvania Environmental Awards last night, honoring four local organizations and one individual that have demonstrated leadership in conservation efforts.
Held at Pittsburgh’s Westin Convention Center Hotel, the awardees were determined by a panel of judges on the criteria of demonstrating leadership, effectiveness, and results in making an impact on the environment.
This year’s honorees were:
- Connoquenessing Watershed Alliance
- Crawford County Riparian Restoration Program
- Green Building Alliance-Pittsburgh 2030 District
- Pittsburgh Botanic Garden
- Edward Schroth
Additionally, special recognition was awarded to the Garden Club of Allegheny County for over a century of service to the region.
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald presented the Garden Club with the honor, while also citing a recent Bloomberg News report ranking Pittsburgh as the No. 1 metro area for college graduates to move to.
“And I don’t think it’s any coincidence that the people in this room tonight, and the awardees tonight — I want to congratulate all of them — are the reason for that (ranking), the reason we have this great place to live,” he said.
Photo credit: Lindsay Dill
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn provided the evening’s keynote address. She applauded the awardees’ achievements in DCNR’s key-issue areas of climate change, water resources, and green infrastructure.
Secretary Dunn also praised the growth of Western Pennsylvania as one of the best places for college graduates to live, work, and play based on factors of jobs, affordability, and life outside of work, a testament to each of the evening’s awardees.
“That is the trails, and the rivers, and the greenspaces, and the places that the people in this room helped to build,” she said.
Each of the five award-winners took home $5,000 from both Dominion and PEC to donate to a nonprofit environmental program of their choice.
PEC is active in environmental issues across the entire state with programs and staff spanning the Commonwealth. Click here for more information on PEC and each of the evening’s six honorees.
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