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      by Andrew Martin

      The winners of the 2012 Green Mountain Environmental Leadership Awards were announced on Thursday, April 17, and among the winners was Jim Pease, of Morristown. The announcement of the winners took place at a celebration that was held at ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center in Burlington. By receiving the awards Pease and his peers were recognized for their leadership and contributions to Vermont’s environment.
      Pease was one of several individuals and organizations who received the Green Mountain Environmental Leadership Collaboration Award. Pease, who works for the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, was honored along with individuals from three other organizations: the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, the Town of Williston, and the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District, for the groups’ collaborative Chittenden County Stream Team and Regional Stormwater Education Program.
      “It is great for the group to get recognition and publicity after a lot of quiet effort behind the scenes… it (the award) puts us in the spotlight,” commented Pease on receiving the award, “I am optimistic that people working together can more easily solve problems than working alone. We all have resources that contribute to getting things done and we all want the same thing: water clean enough to swim in, fish in and enjoy.”
      According to Jim, the recipients of the award were also representing a total of nine different municipalities, the Burlington airport, and the Vermont Agency of Transportation. Work towards the Stream Team program that the group is responsible for actually began nine years ago, and since that time the members of the group have used the program to collaborate on stormwater education and outreach programs in Chittenden County.
      Pease further explained that the goal of the program is “developing a regional public engagement effort that reaches out to all ages and tries to focus the public’s energy on specific problems such as polluted streams, illegal dumping, etc.” The group responsible for the program feels it is necessary to engage the public because there will always be a lack of funding and time for municipalities to fix stormwater runoff problems. Public participation, as well as educating them more about practices to help alleviate stormwater runoff problems, is the most cost efficient way to deal with the issue.
      Along with Pease and the other representatives of the Stream Team program, several other groups and individuals were honored at the ceremony in Burlington for their work aiming to help preserve Vermont’s environment.
      Pease’s work in the field of stormwater issues gained further recognition when he was presented with a second award for his work in the field just days after the first awards ceremony. Jim will officially be receiving the award, which is from the Green Mountain Water Environment Association, at a conference later this month.

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