Sierra Club of Arkansas Honors

Heroes in Protecting the Natural State

Awards Winners to be Recognized

At February 28 Banquet in Little Rock

Little Rock, Arkansas, February 20, 2009 – A coalition that has challenged the construction of a pollution-spewing coal plant in Hempstead County has been named the Conservationist of the Year in Arkansas by the state’s chapter of the Sierra Club.

The coalition opposing the John W. Turk coal-fired power plant with its outdated technology includes Audubon Arkansas, the Ecological Conservation Organization (ECO), the Hempstead County Hunting Club, and the Sierra Club.

In addition, Kate Althoff of Little Rock has been named the Sierran of the Year for her leadership in the local Sierra Club and for being a driving force to guard against the potential pollution of Lake Maumelle, a source of drinking water for almost 400,000 citizens.

The coalition, Althoff and others will be honored during the annual Conservation Awards Banquet hosted by the Sierra Club of Arkansas on the evening of February 28 at the Women’s Club of Little Rock. More information and tickets are available by calling Fred Stanchi at (501) 960-8007 or sending an e-mail to stanchman@sbcglobal.net.

Several other individuals and organizations will be recognized for their role in protecting the resources and beauty of the Natural State and raising awareness of how our economy, jobs and quality of life are linked directly to our environment.

Community awards to be presented include: Elected Public Official of the Year, State Representative Kathy Webb, who has served as chair of the Governor’s Commission on Global Warming; Environmental Reporting, Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN); Environmental Organization, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation; Public Servant, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System; Environmental Small Business, Greenhouse Grille of Fayetteville; and Environmental Large Business, Molex Little Rock Connector of Maumelle.

Sierra Club members to be honored include Activist of the Year, Steve Smith of Fayetteville; Outstanding New Sierran, Molly Rawn of Fayetteville; Unsung Hero, Fred Stanchi of Maumelle; and Student of the Year, Cody Hooks of Mills High School.

The featured speaker at the awards banquet will be Robert McAfee of RePower Arkansas who will discuss the opportunity to develop and grow “Green Jobs” in the state.

The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the U.S. Its Arkansas chapter has thousands of members throughout the state with local groups based in Little Rock and Fayetteville. Nationally, the organization has 1.3 million members who want a safe and healthy community in which to live, smart energy solutions to combat global warming, and an enduring legacy for America's wild places.