NATIONAL-NEWS-RELEASE: Wilderness, wild and scenic river steward receove Forest Service awards

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NEWS RELEASE
USDA Forest Service
Press Office 201 14th St., SW,
Washington, D.C., 20024
Voice (202) 205-1134 
Web:  http://www.fs.fed.us
Release No. 1023      
 
Contact: (202) 205-1134


Wilderness, Wild and Scenic River Stewards
Receive Forest Service Awards

WASHINGTON October. 18, 2010 - The USDA
Forest Service recently recognized the outstanding contributions and accomplishments
of six individuals and four groups regarding their stewardship of National
Forest System wilderness and wild and scenic rivers.

"The exceptional efforts and leadership
of these dedicated employees and colleagues will allow us to continue our
legacy of quality wilderness management and the protection of wild and
scenic rivers," said Tom Tidwell, the Chief of the Forest Service.
 "Their work will help ensure an enduring wilderness resource
for future generations."

The 2010 National Wilderness Awards
recognize accomplishments in the fields of education, research and leadership
to keep Forest Service wilderness areas in their natural, wild state.  
Recipients include:

* Stephen Hendricks - Aldo Leopold Award
for Overall Wilderness Stewardship Program.  Hendricks, of Asheville,
N.C., recently retired as the forest planner for the National Forests in
North Carolina.    
* The Wilderness Institute, University
of Montana -Aldo Leopold Group Award for Overall Wilderness Stewardship
for Wilderness Stewardship Challenge accomplishments in Idaho, Montana
and North Dakota.   
* Clem Pope - Bob Marshall Award for
Individual Champion of Wilderness Stewardship.  Pope, of McCall, Idaho,
is the Wilderness Manager for the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness,
Payette National Forest, Idaho.      
* Sitka Conservation Society, Sitka,
Alaska - Bob Marshall Award for Group Champion of Wilderness Stewardship.
  
* Laurie Matthews - Wilderness Education
Leadership Award.  Matthews, of Challis, Idaho, is the Wilderness
Program Manager on the Middle Fork Ranger District, Salmon-Challis National
Forest, Idaho.
* Rusty Thompson - Traditional Skills
and Minimum Tool Leadership.  Thompson, of Entiat, Wash., is the Trail
Program Manager for the Wenatchie Ranger District, Okanongan Wenatchee
National Forests.
* White Mountain National Forest (New
Hampshire) Wilderness Team - Traditional Skills and Minimum Tool Leadership
group award for basic principles of wilderness stewardship.  The minimum
tool concept involves the use of traditional or primitive tools to keep
wilderness areas in their natural, wild state.   

The National 2010 Wild and Scenic River
awards recognize stewardship accomplishments to promote and protect the
Forest Service's Wild and Scenic Rivers Program, which currently manages
119 wild and scenic rivers.  These rivers provide outstanding scenery,
critical habitat for fish and wildlife, offer recreational opportunities,
and sustain water resources for a growing population.  Recipients
include:

* The Huron-Manistee National Forests
(Mich. - Outstanding Stewardship of River Resources.  
* Mollie Chaudet - Outstanding River
Manger. Chaudet, of Bend, Ore., is the wild and scenic river coordinator
and NEPA litigation coordinator  for the Deschutes National Forest,
Ore.
* Amy Unthank - Line Officer/Staff Wild
and Scenic River Leadership Award.  The award recognizes her work
as Regional Fisheries Program Leader in the Southwestern Region based in
Albuquerque.  Unthank is now the National Fisheries Program Leader
in Washington, D.C. 
A Lifetime Achievement Award will also
be presented to Jackie Diedrich, the agency's National Wild and Scenic
River Program Manager.  Diedrich, from Portland, Ore., is recognized
as an international leader for wild and scenic rivers and currently serves
as the Council Chair for the federal Interagency Wild and Scenic Rivers
Coordinating Council.   The award recognizes her 33 years with the
agency as a wild and scenic river steward of great insight and a champion
of partner collaborations to benefit and preserve wild and scenic rivers.
 

The Forest Service wilderness program
is a major component of the National Wilderness Preservation System which
encompasses all federal land management agencies that manage wilderness
areas.  This system includes 756 wilderness units with more than 109
million acres.  For more information, please visit www.wilderness.net.
For more information about The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System,
visit www.rivers.gov.

The mission of the USDA Forest Service
is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation's forests
and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The
Agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to
State and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research
organization in the world.

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