Jones and NOAA Awards Call for Nominations

2010 Call for Nominations
Walter B. Jones & NOAA Excellence Awards
About the Awards
Innovation, resourcefulness, leadership and a commitment to balancing
the human use of America's coastal and ocean resources with the needs
of the resources themselves - these are the hallmarks of the Walter B.
Jones Memorial and NOAA Excellence Awards.
The Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) of 1972 created a unique and
voluntary partnership of federal and state governments to provide a
balance between land and water uses and resource conservation along
America's 95,000 miles of coastlines, including the Great Lakes. In 1990,
as part of the reauthorization of the CZMA, the late Congressman Walter
B. Jones provided NOAA with the authority to honor the people and
organizations of America for their dedication and outstanding
contributions in helping the nation maintain healthy coastal and ocean
resources and balance the needs of these resources with human use.
At that time, Congressman Jones identified three award categories as
particularly important–excellence in local government, excellence in
marine and coastal graduate study, and coastal steward of the year.
NOAA later added additional categories to recognize the broad spectrum
of contributions made by this country's many motivated, caring
individuals and organizations.
Eligibility
The awards program is open to individuals, organizations, and state and
local government agencies and their employees. Individuals,
organizations and agencies cannot nominate themselves; they must be
nominated by others. Candidates can receive an award in a category only
once. For a list of previous winners, please click here (pdf, 96 kb).
Federal employees and officials are not eligible for the Walter B. Jones
Memorial Awards, and are not eligible for the NOAA Excellence Awards,
except for the category of Excellence in Ocean and Coastal Resource
Management.
Awards Ceremony
Winners will be notified in February, 2010 and honored at a ceremony in
Washington, D.C.

Eight Categories to Enter
Walter B. Jones Memorial Awards:
Coastal Steward of the Year - honors an individual who has
exemplified strong, sustained leadership in finding a balance between the
human use of the coast and ocean and the needs of that environment.
Judging Criteria:
•

Effectiveness in enhancing a balance between responsible use of
coastal resources and the preservation of these resources;

•

Effectiveness in advancing the goals of the CZMA;

•

The use of innovative approaches, techniques, or programs;

•

Ability to generate public support for addressing coastal issues
through education, legislation, or other means; and

•

Duration of work.

Excellence in Coastal and Marine Graduate Study - recognizes
graduate students whose academic study promises to contribute
materially to the development of new or improved approaches to coastal
or ocean management. Up to 10 awards will be given in 2010.
Judging Criteria:
•

Overall benefit of graduate study to advancing the goals of the
CZMA;

•

Use of innovative approaches;

•

Technical soundness of study; and

•

Transferability of the study's results to coastal and ocean
management practices.

Excellence in Local Government - given to local governments that
have inspired positive change in the field of coastal management by
developing or implementing principles embodied by the CZMA. Up to 5
awards will be given in 2010.
Judging Criteria:

•

Effectiveness in advancing the goals of the CZMA at a local level;

•

Effectiveness in increasing public awareness of coastal issues;

•

Use of innovative approaches, techniques, and/or programs to
advance the goals of the CZMA; and

•

Ability of the agency/program to serve as a model for other local
government efforts.

NOAA Excellence Awards for Coastal and Ocean Resource
Management:
Volunteer of the Year - recognizes an individual of any age who,
outside of his or her work in an employment or student capacity, has
donated substantial time to significantly improve the coastal or marine
environment.
Judging Criteria:
•

Contribution to improving the health of coastal and marine
environments;

•

Success in promoting an attitude of stewardship and responsibility
to individuals, organizations and /or communities; and

•

Duration of volunteer work.

NGO of the Year - honors a nongovernment entity, such as a nonprofit
organization, association, citizen's advisory council, friends group or
foundation that has made significant contributions supporting coastal or
marine resource programs.
Judging Criteria:
•

Effectiveness in advancing the goals of the CZMA;

•

Effectiveness in increasing public awareness of coastal issues;

•

Use of innovative approaches, techniques, or programs to advance
the goals of coastal or ocean management;

•

Transferability of approaches, techniques, or programs to other
non-government organizations; and

•

Usefulness of activity to coastal or ocean management programs.

Excellence in Promoting Diversity in Coastal or Ocean Resource
Management - bestowed in honor of the late U.S. Department of
Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown. The award is given to a
representative of a university, state, local or tribal government, or a
private citizen who has made an outstanding commitment to integrating
cultural or ethnic diversity into coastal or ocean resource management
programs.
Judging Criteria:
•

Effectiveness in integrating cultural or ethnic diversity into coastal
or ocean management programs;

•

Effectiveness in increasing public awareness of coastal issues
among minority or non-traditional groups;

•

Use of innovative approaches, techniques, or programs to advance
goals of environmental justice and diversity; and

•

Transferability of approaches, techniques or programs to other
coastal or ocean management efforts or activities.

Excellence in Business Leadership - recognizes a business
organization that has made significant contributions, "above and beyond
the call of duty," to improve or protect the coastal or ocean environment
and that demonstrates the ability to balance business interests with
environmental needs, as articulated in the CZMA.
Judging Criteria:
•

Effectiveness in advancing the goals of the CZMA;

•

Effectiveness in increasing public awareness of coastal issues;

•

Use of innovative approaches, techniques, or programs to advance
the goals of coastal or ocean management;

•

Success in promoting coastal and ocean resource stewardship; and

•

Transferability of approaches, techniques, or programs to other
businesses.

The Susan Snow-Cotter Award for Excellence in Ocean and
Coastal Resource Management - given to an individual who has
initiated innovative practices and brought positive change to the
management of ocean or coastal resources at either the state or national
level.
Judging Criteria:
•

Effectiveness in advancing the goals of the CZMA or National Marine
Sanctuaries Act (NMSA);

•

Effectiveness in increasing public awareness of ocean, estuarine and
coastal issues;

•

Use of innovative approaches, techniques, or programs to advance the
goals of the CZMA or NMSA;

•

Transferability of activity to other ocean or coastal resource
management programs.

•

The award is
open to individuals who work with state coastal management
programs, national estuarine research reserves, and national marine
sanctuaries.

Preparing Your Entry
There is no Entry Fee for nominations.
Please type or print your entry and include the following information:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Your name, address, telephone and email address;
Category nominating;
Nominee’s name, address, telephone and email information; and
A brief description of the nominee’s qualifications and/or
accomplishments. (Not to exceed two pages).

Please select only one category per nomination.
Incomplete nominations will be disqualified.
You have the option to include documentation and samples of work that
reflect the nominee’s efforts and achievements (such as media coverage,

awards, letters of recognition, etc.). Video tapes cannot be accepted.
Nomination entries, including documentation and samples of work, cannot
be returned.
Letters of support for the nomination are welcome but must not be included
with the entry.
Deadline
Nominations are due no later than…..XXXX
For additional information on the awards, visit:

(website to be inserted).

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