Congressman Frank R. Wolf of Virginia’s 10th district received a Special Recognition Award for his exemplary support of the National Sea Grant College Program. The Sea Grant Association presented the award on March 5, 2013 to Congressman Wolf’s representative Leslie Albright.
“I’m pleased that we get to recognize Congressman Wolf,” says Troy Hartley, Director of Virginia Sea Grant who presented the award. “His commitment to the nation’s coastal communities and resources, and particularly the nexus of science, education, jobs, and American competitiveness, aligns with Sea Grant’s core values.”
The Special Recognition Award recognizes national leaders who embody Sea Grant’s vision of a coast where the wise use of resources provides economic, environmental, and cultural benefits for current and future generations.
Sea Grant works to bring the best available coastal and marine science to the businesses, resource managers, communities, and individuals who could use it. Over the past two years, the nation’s 30-plus Sea Grant programs helped to create or retain 630 businesses and 3,800 jobs; restore 670,000 acres of degraded ecosystems; train 450 communities to prepare for coastal storms and flooding; and assist 9,900 fishers to adopt responsible harvesting techniques.
This is the first time Special Recognition Awards were given by the Sea Grant Association, an organization designed to help Sea Grant programs across the U.S. coordinate activities and priorities on a national level. The Sea Grant Association also awarded U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland the same honor.