Presented at The Water’s Edge gala each year since 2011, the Stroud Award for Freshwater Excellence is a prestigious award for outstanding achievement in freshwater-related activities. Honorees represent regions and watersheds from around the world and a broad range of activities, professions, and scientific disciplines.
The National Park Service’s Commitment to Fresh Water
Stroud Water Research Center Director Bern Sweeney, Ph.D., (right) presented the Stroud Award for Freshwater Excellence to Jonathan Jarvis, director of the National Park Service at the annual Water’s Edge gala in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, on November 3, 2016. Photo by: Nick Media Productions
On the centennial anniversary of one of America’s greatest treasures — national parks — the 2016 Stroud Award for Freshwater Excellence (the SAFE Water Award) was presented to the National Park Service and its director, Jonathan Jarvis.
Jarvis’ 39-year career has taken him from ranger to resource management specialist to park biologist to superintendent of parks such as Craters of the Moon, North Cascades, Wrangell-St. Elias, and Mount Rainer. Before becoming the director of the National Park Service in 2009, Jarvis served as regional director of the bureau’s Pacific West Region. He is now responsible for overseeing an agency with more than 22,000 employees and a $3 billion budget.
Guiding the National Park Service into its second century is Jarvis’ plan, A Call to Action, which outlines ways the National Park Service will continue to preserve America’s special places throughout the 21st century. Crystal Clear — one of the points in the plan highlights how the National Park Service will continue its commitment to the health and protection of America’s freshwater systems.
The diverse areas managed by the National Park Service encompass more than 84 million acres and serve to preserve and protect freshwater resources throughout the United States, while the 280 million annual visitors generate $30 billion in economic benefit across the nation.
It was with great pleasure that Stroud Water Research Center conferred this award to Jonathan Jarvis for his support of this country’s natural resources and in honor of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, which has done so much to preserve and protect freshwater resources.
