Bringing Home the Bronze

The Animal Husbandry and Clean Water Division’s National Leader for Water Quality Carl Lucero and Natural Resources Specialist Ross Braun were recently presented the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Bronze Medal by EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin H. Grumbles. The two were recognized for “dedication and outstanding work to promote and implement EPA's priority of improving water quality and advancing cost-effective protections through the use of water quality trading.”

During May 2006, USDA and EPA kicked-off cooperative efforts to promote water quality trading by co-hosting the Second Water Quality Trading Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Over 400 participants from both government and the private sector attended the conference that Carl and Ross, working with EPA counterparts, helped organize. One important outcome of this meeting was a Memorandum of Agreement signed by Ben Grumbles and USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Mark Rey for the specific purpose of furthering the credit trading concept.
Your contact is Fred Jacobs, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 202-720-4772.