News Release

FREDERICTON (GNB) – Four New Brunswickers were among those honoured with the Gulf of Maine Council Awards at a ceremony held in Fredericton.

Marianne Janowicz, Walter Emrich, Diana Hamilton and Matthew Abbott are the four recipients from the province who received awards.

“I congratulate the winners from New Brunswick for their work, their dedication and their passion to protect and save the fragile ecosystem that is the Gulf of Maine marine environment,” said Environment and Local Government Minister Serge Rousselle. “Their exemplary environmental work will ensure that future generations get to enjoy the splendour and beauty of our region’s natural treasures.”

The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment recently presented international awards to honour 18 individuals and organizations that have made a significant difference in protecting the health and sustainability of the Gulf of Maine watershed.

“We are pleased to honour 18 incredible award winners from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire,” said Rene Pelletier, co-chair of the council. “Their volunteer and professional efforts have supported the Gulf of Maine Council’s Canadian / U.S. collaboration to protect the unique habitat, marine life, and economic resources of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem.”

Gulfwide Awards

Three individuals and one community received gulfwide awards for the far reaching impact of their contributions on the health of the Gulf of Maine:

• Marianne Janowicz of New Brunswick received the Susan Snow-Cotter Leadership Award for outstanding leadership as a coastal management professional within the Gulf of Maine;

• Bailey Bowden of Maine and Walter Emrich of New Brunswick received Longard Awards for outstanding volunteer contributions toward protecting and conserving natural resources within the Gulf of Maine; and

• the Town of Durham, N.H. received the Sustainable Communities Award for exemplary work in achieving sustainable outcomes related to the environment and economy within the Gulf of Maine.

Visionary Awards

Visionary Award winners ranged from Glorianna Davenport and Evan Schulman's transformation of 100 hectares (250 acres) of former cranberry bogs into a salt marsh restoration project and living laboratory, to the Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia for its extensive support of sustainable aquaculture practices.

The following individuals and organizations received Visionary Awards for outstanding innovation, creativity and commitment to protecting the marine environment within the Gulf of Maine:

• Glorianna Davenport and Evan Schulman, Tidmarsh Farm, Massachusetts;

• William S. Spitzer, New England Aquarium, Massachusetts;

• Carroll Brown Jr., New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services;

• Linda Schier, Acton Wakefield Watersheds Alliance, New Hampshire;

• Laura Rose Day, Penobscot River Restoration Trust, Maine;

• Elaine Jones, Maine Department of Marine Resources;

• Dwayne Shaw, Maine Downeast Salmon Federation;

• Diana Hamilton, Mount Allison University, New Brunswick;

• Matthew Abbott, Bay of Fundy Baykeeper, New Brunswick; and

• Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia.

Distinguished Service Awards

The Gulf of Maine Council also presented the following individuals with Distinguished Service Awards for exceptional service and contributions to the Gulf of Maine Council over the past several years:

• Jennifer Anderson, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;

• Melville P. Coté Jr., United States Environmental Protection Agency;

• Kevin Friedland, Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine; and

• Sophia Foley, Nova Scotia Department of Environment.

Additional information about the Gulf of Maine Council 2016 awards with detailed recipient bios is available online.

The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment was established in 1989 by the governments of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts to foster co-operative actions within the gulf watershed. The council's mission is to maintain and enhance environmental quality in the Gulf of Maine to allow for sustainable resource use by existing and future generations.