GPCA - 2019 FHWA Environmental Excellence Award

2019 Environmental Excellence Award Federal Highway Administration selected the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance

“Congratulations! The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) selected the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance project, submitted by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), as the recipient of a 2019 Environmental Excellence Award (EEA). This award recognizes the exemplary achievements of GDOT and partners.

These biennial awards recognize leaders across the country who make outstanding contributions to environmental stewardship and partnerships above and beyond traditional transportation project outcomes. FHWA wishes to recognize and thank you for your commitment to environmental stewardship. The selection process was extremely difficult because of the high caliber of this year’s nominations, and your receipt of this competitive award is a real achievement.”

Emily Biondi Director, Office of Project Development and Environmental Review Office of Project Development and Environmental Review | FHWA | USDOT 28 June 2019 Award Letter sent to Meg Hedeen, GDOT State Environmental Liaison ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

David Hedeen (Ecology Section Manager, Office of Environmental Services, GDOT) and Mincy Moffett (Botanist, Georgia Wildlife Resources Division, GA DNR) accept the 2019 FHWA Environmental Excellence Award, August 7, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. FHWA Executives left to right include Emily Biondi (Director, Office of Project Development and Environmental Review), Shari Schaftlein (Director, Office of Human Environment), Heather Holsinger (Office of Natural Environment), and Damaris Santiago (Team Leader, Project Mitigation Team). Award presented at the AASHTO meeting, American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials.

Photo by Angela Berthaume, Volpe Center, The National Transportation Systems Center, U.S. Department of Transportation. “A Joint Meeting of the Committees on Environment and Sustainability & Funding and Finance of the American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO)� http://www.cvent.com/events/aashto-2019-committee-on-environment-and-sustainability-and-committee-on-fundingand-finance-a-co-lo/event-summary-89ca666db5f74ca681a29202eb990fbc.aspx

GDOT Press Release: Georgia DOT, Partners Receive National Award for Environmental Excellence in Transportation

Georgia DOT, Partners Receive National Award for Environmental Excellence in Transportation ATLANTA -- The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has selected the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance (GPCA) as recipient of the 2019 Environmental Excellence Award (EEA) in the category “Ecosystems, Habitat, and Wildlife.”

The FHWA biennial awards recognize transportation leaders across the country who make outstanding contributions to environmental stewardship and partnerships beyond traditional transportation project outcomes. The award specifically recognizes GDOT’s unique over 20-year partnership with the GPCA to restore rare plant community habitats, safeguard protected plant species, and address invasive plant species.

Formed in 1995, the GPCA is a professional network of botanical gardens/arboreta, state and federal agencies, non-profit organizations, universities, and large land-owning companies that share knowledge, field experience, data, tools and equipment, volunteers, and labor.

“The GPCA enables environmental stewardship and transportation projects to work in tandem,” explains State Environmental Liaison Meghan Hedeen. “Through the GPCA collaboration, environmental professionals in Georgia work together to safeguard protected plant species and restore rare plant community habitat. This work focuses on safeguarding species while also allowing transportation projects to be delivered expeditiously with innovative and effective environmental stewardship.”

GPCA successes have enabled numerous transportation projects—including some previously stalled—to move forward. Achievements include:

• • • •

Developing a centralized database for collaborative monitoring of priority species.

Creating a network of botanical gardens for monitoring protected plant communities, resulting in successful mitigation efforts.

Maintaining and documenting 101 high-priority plant conservation species in ex-situ (off-site) collections and 49 species safeguarded in-situ at protected sites in the wild.

Providing monitoring, research and other support that has contributed to numerous species being dropped from petitions for federal protection (through partnership with the Southeastern Partners in Plant Conservation).

Through the GPCA, Georgia DOT’s Ecology Section of the Office of Environmental Services partners with Atlanta Botanical Garden; Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area; Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division; State Botanical Garden of Georgia; and many others.

Earlier this year the GPCA also received an environmental excellence award from the National Association of Environmental Professionals.

For information about the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance visit http://botgarden.uga.edu/conservation-science/georgia-plantconservation-alliance/

Social Media Piece GA DNR https://www.facebook.com/WildlifeResourcesDivisionGADNR/posts/congratulations-to-the-georgia-plant-conservationalliance-on-winning-the-federa/10156421910138388/ Wildlife Resources Division - Georgia DNR July 29 at 3:46 PM Congratulations to the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance on winning the Federal Highway Administration's 2019 Environmental Excellence Award!

GPCA's efforts safeguarded for the protection of rare plant communities while allowing transportation projects to be completed in a timely manner. Earlier this year the GPCA also received an environmental excellence award from the National Association of Environmental Professionals.

Georgia Department of Transportation

Press Piece UGA https://outreach.uga.edu/garden-conservation-award/ The Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance (GPCA), headquartered at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia at UGA, received a 2019 Environmental Excellence Award in the category of “Ecosystem, Habitat, and Wildlife” from the Federal Highway Administration for its work with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT).

This award recognizes GDOT’s unique partnership with the GPCA for over 20 years to restore rare plant community habitats, safeguard protected plant species, and address invasive plant species across the state both on and off rights-of-way. The GPCA crafted and maintains a centralized database to collaboratively monitor priority species and a network of “Botanical Guardians” to monitor protected plant communities, which has resulted in successful mitigation and restoration.”

This biennial award recognizes leaders across the country who make outstanding contributions to environmental stewardship and partnerships above and beyond traditional transportation project outcomes.

Mincy Moffett, a wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and GPCA awards chair, accepted the award from the Federal Highway Administration on Aug. 7th. State Botanical Garden Director Jenny CruseSanders will attend the Aug. 27 DNR meeting, where the GPCA will be recognized.

The GPCA is a network of more than 40 Georgia universities, botanical gardens, zoos, state and federal agencies, conservation organizations, and private companies that are committed to ecological land management, native plant conservation, and protection of rare and endangered plants. Its mission is to study and conserve Georgia’s flora through multidisciplinary research, education, and advocacy; facilitate the recovery of rare, threatened, and endangered plants of Georgia and the southeast through collaborative efforts.

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/environmental_excellence_awards/eea_2019/

2019 Environmental Excellence Awards FHWA is excited to announce the 2019 Environmental Excellence Award (EEA) recipients!

Since 1995, the EEAs have recognized leaders across the country who make outstanding contributions to environmental stewardship and partnerships above and beyond traditional transportation project outcomes.