Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2014 - 58

CURRENTS
Ralph W. Abele Conservation Heritage Award
Presented During Evening Session of Commission Meeting

Former Senator
Franklin Kury

Terry R. Bossert

Pete Duncan

photos-Spring Gearhart

Commissioner
G. Warren Elliott

During the evening session
of the Commission meeting on
Monday, July 14, Pennsylvania
Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC)
Executive Director John A. Arway
presented the Ralph W. Abele
Conservation Heritage Award to
former Senator Franklin Kury to
recognize his lasting conservation impact as the author and
champion of Article I, Section 27,
of the Pennsylvania Constitution,
also known as the Environmental
Rights Amendment.
"Arguably, this addition to the
Pennsylvania Constitution stands
as one of the most important
pieces of environmental legislation ever passed in the state," said
PFBC Executive Director John
A. Arway. "The incredible legacy
of Article 1, Section 27, places
Mr. Kury in a group of the most
notable leaders in Pennsylvania's
rich conservation history."
A discussion on the significance of Article I, Section 27, was
featured. Pete Duncan, former
Secretary of the Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental

PFBC Executive Director John A. Arway presented the Ralph
W. Abele Conservation Heritage Award to former Senator
Franklin Kury.

Resources and former Executive Director of the
Pennsylvania Game Commission, moderated the discussion. Panelists included former Senator Franklin Kury, PFBC
Executive Director John A. Arway and Vice President for
Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Terry R. Bossert, Range
Resources - Appalachia. The session included a taped interview with Professor John Dernbach, Distinguished Professor
of Law at Widener University and Co-Director of Widener's
Environmental Law Center.
The Abele Award is the highest recognition that PFBC
provides to persons who distinguish themselves in the cause
of conservation.

On July 22, seven state agencies
including the Pennsylvania Fish &
Boat Commission were recognized
for reducing costs, increasing productivity and improving service by the
Governor's Innovation Office. The
awards were presented at the second
annual Governor's Innovation Expo
in the Keystone Building, Harrisburg.
Since 2011, state agencies have
completed 275 innovation initiatives
worth a combined $690 million in
cost savings and productivity gains.
To learn more about innovation
in state government or to submit
your own idea, go to
www.innovation.pa.gov.

photo-Eric Levis

Governor's Innovation
Office Presents
Innovator Awards

Pennsylvania has one of the top swift water and flood rescue teams in the nation, and
training is vital to maintaining these specialized skills. Training for the PA Helicopter
Aquatic Rescue Team (PA-HART) combines the specialized expertise and emergency
response assets of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (PA Army National
Guard), the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the Pennsylvania Fish &
Boat Commission. This combined effort was recently recognized as an innovative initiative
for saving the Commonwealth $497,840 in flight training hours in 2013 alone. Receiving
the award on behalf of PFBC (2nd row, left to right): Scott Grahn, Lead Water Rescue
Instructor; Laurel Anders, Director of Boating & Outreach; Sergeant Jeffrey R. Sabo; Ryan
Walt, Boating and Watercraft Safety Manager; and Executive Director John A. Arway.

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * September/October 2014

PFBC Facebook: PaFishandBoat

http://www.innovation.pa.gov

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2014

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