Enviro Advocates Honored

At its 34th annual membership and awards dinner Monday at the Zilker Park Clubhouse, the Save Barton Creek Association honored several city of Austin staff members, a council member, a hydrologist, an activist researcher, and the founders of a certain alternative weekly for their contributions to environmental protection.

Award winners included:

Junie Plummer, the city’s real estate negotiator who has spent 27 years acquiring watershed protection land and open space acquired with voter-approved bond money. Plummer’s Open Space Team includes Daryl Slusher, David Johns, Erin Wood, Kevin Thueson, Marsha Schultz, Mike Personett, Willy Conrad, and retired “emeritus” Nancy McClintock.

Matt Hollon of the Watershed Protection Department for guiding the city and community stakeholders through the crafting of a new Watershed Protection Ordinance, with staff team members: Mitzi Cotton, Erin Wood, Jean Drew, Dana McGehee, Pamela Abee-Tauli, Mateo Scoggins, Morgan Byars, Mike Kelly, Kevin Shunk, Andy Linsiesen, Sue Barnett, Janna Renfro,Kristin Kasper, Roxanne Cook, and Nancy McClintock..

Laurie Dries, staff biologist, for her contribution to critical data from monitoring, study and analysis, and protection of water habitat conditions for long-term survival of the Barton Springs Salamander and the Austin Blind Salamander, with team members Chris Herrington and Liza Colucci.

Council Member Laura Morrison, who received the Kumbayah Award for her work mediating a settlement between two warring factions who disagreed on a grounds improvement master plan for Barton Springs Pool. Morrison came up with a resolution on which both sides could agree.

Paul Robbins, for the labor and research that went into producing the water edition of the 2013 Austin Environmental Directory.

Friends of Barton Springs Pool, specifically leaders Robin Cravey and Michael Cannatti, for the group’s advocacy care and initiative for improvements to the pool and assisting with the pool’s master plan.

Raymond M. Slade, longtime hydrologist with the United States Geological Service, authoring about 120 reports on Texas water resources, and one of Austin environmentalists’ go-to experts on all things water related.

Austin Chronicle, with editor Louis Black and publisher Nick Barbaro, honored for the weekly’s dedication to environmental coverage since its founding in 1981.