Columnist Paula DelGiudice: Conservationists honored

Paula DelGiudice

Wednesday, March 22, 2000 | 9:45 a.m.

Paula DelGiudice's outdoors notebook appears Wednesday. Reach her via e-mail at PDelGiudice@compuserve.com.

To say that last Saturday evening was interesting would be an understatement. The National Wildlife Federation held its 64th annual Conservation Awards Banquet to cap its annual meeting in Seattle. The award winners seated at the head table were among the most eclectic of the conservation movement. As chair of the National Wildlife Federation, I was honored to host the event and present the awards on behalf of the organization.

The top honor of the evening was given posthumously to Sen. John Chafee of Rhode Island. Chafee died in October after serving the public for 40 years, from the Rhode Island legislature to the U.S. Senate. He was most known recently for his staunch support of the Endangered Species Act. Chafee's widow Norma was present to receive his award and spoke with grace and style about her husband's conservation legacy.

Other notables at the event were Time Magazine reporters Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele, who walked away with the National Wildlife Federation's Communications Award. The two were honored for their acclaimed four-part series, "What Corporate Welfare Costs You." Barlett and Steele uncovered shocking truths about an economic system that spawns and even encourages environmental atrocities by giving tax breaks to companies that pollute our fragile natural resources.

Upon learning I was from Las Vegas, Barlett told me of working with Sun managing editor Michael Kelley when both were cub reporters.

The owners of Wild Birds Unlimited, Jim and Nancy Carpenter, were also honored for their dedication to conservation. With more than 260 stores throughout the U.S. and Canada, Wild Birds Unlimited is the first and largest chain of stores catering to the backyard naturalist. The company has risen above and beyond what is expected of a small franchise company by demonstrating an exceptional level of commitment to conservation.

Authors Joanna Cole and Bruce Degan and Scholastic Incorporated were honored for writing "The Magic School Bus" books, which have been adapted for television and video by Scholastic Inc. There is hardly a child alive who hasn't been touched by the magic lessons delivered by Miss Frizzle and her magically shrinking school bus. From swimming with spawning salmon to becoming frog-sized and exploring amphibian habitats, the magic school bus transports not only the series' animated students but appeals to the creativity of young people.

I was fortunate to sit next to James Lee Witt, winner of the organization's Government Award. Witt is director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and has led a remarkable effort to reduce the impact of natural disasters on communities while improving the condition of natural areas.

Then there was Josefina Mena Abraham. Her enthusiasm and energy added a wonderful spark to the evening. She is an architect-turned-conservationist who has spent the past two decades fighting for the rights of Mexicans to enjoy clean water and air and to end the practice of dumping untreated sewage into the country's waterways.

Attorney Joe Feller, Ph.D., is one of the most well-known of the recipients -- at least in Nevada. Feller has been a tireless advocate of good grazing practices. Known throughout the West as one of the best public-lands attorneys, Feller has been an environmental champion since finding deplorable conditions in Utah's Comb Wash, which is part of Arch Canyon.

The venerable, if unpredictable, Ted Turner was the speaker for the evening. Turner was present to receive the National Wildlife Federation's first award for philanthropy. While everyone in the audience might have secretly been wondering about the status of his personal life, they nonetheless were grateful that the environment is one of his important causes.

Turner has supported efforts to address some of the Earth's most serious threats -- runaway population growth, exploding energy use, sprawl, pollution and habitat loss.

* APPLICATIONS OUT: Nevada's big-game applications and regulations brochures are being mailed to hunters this week and should be online now, according to the Nevada Division of Wildlife.

The address for the website is www.state.nv.us/cnr/nvwildlife.