U.S. Rep. James T. Walsh has been named the recipient of the 2003 Honorary Sol Feinstone Environmental Award by the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF). Walsh was chosen because of his leadership in improving the environment of Central New York.
The awards committee also honored Bristol-Myers Squibb Company for demonstrating a commitment to protecting the environment. The company was chosen from among several nominees, all for-profit businesses operating in New York State, as the recipient of the annual Feinstone Environmental Award. Walsh and Bristol officials received the awards during a dinner March 21 at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park.
The awards committee chose to honor Walsh because of his commitment to federal funding to help clean up Onondaga Lake; he has helped earmark as much as $15 million per year for that endeavor. He has also aided the establishment of the New York Center for Indoor Environmental Quality by providing funding for the asthma health effects study being conducted among Syracuse's inner-city residents. This work will lead to the development of standards for indoor air quality and new treatment technology.
Walsh has helped support the emerging Center of Excellence in Environmental Systems in Central New York, which will develop new technology to protect the environment and help establish a sound platform for future economic growth.
He has secured funding for numerous other projects, including soil and water conservation district projects; farm management plans; Oneida Lake watershed management; water quality improvements; sewage and wastewater system construction and improvements; and other improvements and watershed projects.
Walsh has also been an advocate of Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Program, Wetland Reserve Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, and Grasslands Reserve Program. Walsh is a founder of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, which promotes conservation investment, wildlife restoration initiatives, and the interests of America's sportsmen and women
"Through the Sol Feinstone Environmental Award, the college has the opportunity to recognize a man with true passion for protecting the environment and ensuring its proper stewardship," says ESF President Cornelius B. Murphy Jr."
The award to Bristol, which operates one of the world*s largest bulk penicillin manufacturing facilities in Syracuse, honors the company for serving as a role model for other companies to emulate as they seek accomplishments and improvements in environmental affairs:
Feinstone, a widely known historian and author who was a graduate of SUNY-ESF, established the Feinstone awards program in 1976. The program has made more than 100 awards, honoring individuals from across the United States for their significant contributions to protecting the environment, promoting the wise use and management of natural resources, and promoting the spirit of volunteerism.
