Longard Gulf Volunteer Award Recipient

The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment has presented the first Longard Gulf Volunteer Award to Dana Wallace, a tireless advocate for the gulf's marine resources.

The award, presented in Yarmouth today during the council's biennial meeting, is named after Art Longard, a former director of Nova Scotia's Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. It is to be awarded annually to an outstanding volunteer living within the Gulf of Maine's watershed.

"It is a tribute to the work of Art Longard that we honour him in this way," said Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Keith Colwell. "I am heartened that dedicated volunteers such Dana Wallace are keeping the dream of Mr. Longard alive."

Mr. Wallace, of Brunswick, Me., worked for 37 years at the Maine Department of Marine Resources as a marine scientist, assistant director of research, and director of industry service. Since retiring in 1983, he has devoted himself to promoting public understanding and appreciation of the biological and economic importance of intertidal resources. He has gathered, analysed, and presented scientific data to local shellfish committees, regional watershed groups and state policy-makers.

Mr. Wallace frequently leads public tours of local intertidal areas, assists communities with scientific surveys and provides information to elected officials and the public on the historic importance of marine resources. He serves on the board of directors of numerous organizations, among them the Friends of Casco Bay, the Brunswick Shellfish Management Council, the Maine Aquaculture Association, and the Beals Regional Shellfish Hatchery.

"Dana Wallace has dedicated himself to improving water quality and increasing clam harvests in the Gulf of Maine," said Evan Richert, director of the Maine State Planning Office and member of the Gulf of Maine Council. "He is an advocate for the marine resources of the Gulf of Maine, and a constant and effective voice for coastal issues."

The award he received was created last year by the council in honour of Mr. Longard. During his distinguished career, Mr. Longard worked for both the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture and the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans. He dedicated his professional and personal life to the management of the Gulf of Maine. Convinced that government and citizens needed to collaborate, and that volunteerism was an essential ingredient to sustaining the gulf's natural resources, Mr. Longard committed countless hours to conservation projects.

The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment was established in 1989 by the governments of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine to foster co-operation in the Gulf of Maine watershed. Its mission is to maintain and enhance environmental quality in the Gulf of Maine and to allow for the sustainable resource use by existing and future generations.