Fontana Dam – The North Carolina Wildlife Federation recently announced the winners of the 59th Annual Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards.
The honorees for the 2023 year include agency professionals, elected officials, volunteers and organizations committed to North Carolina’s wildlife, habitat and natural resources.
The Public Lands Conservationist of the Year is Brandon Jones of Fontana Dam.
Jones is the manager of the Fontana Village Marina and has been an asset to the conservation of North Carolina for several years. He is responsible for launching a successful cleanup effort on Lake Fontana, removing over 200,000 pounds of trash from the lake and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park shoreline. Through partnerships with organizations like the N.C. Wildlife Federation and Mainspring Conservation Trust, the initiative has made a significant impact and inspired others to take ownership of the cleanup, making it the most extensive cleanup on national park lands.
The federation will honor the 18 award recipients – including the to-be-announced wildlife enforcement and marine patrol officers of the year – at a banquet on Saturday, Sept. 9 at Embassy Suites in Cary.
“Each year, we’re amazed by the commitment and creativity of North Carolinians working to protect the wildlife, air, water and land we all depend on,” said T. Edward Nickens, N.C. Wildlife Federation awards committee chair. “This year’s conservation heroes are land stewardship
champions, water advocates and leaders in the preservation of unique ecosystems — and we’re thrilled to be able to honor them in person at our banquet this year.”
Jones’ clean-up efforts also yielded the 2021 Ripple Effect Award for Fontana Marina, which is awarded yearly to groups along the Tennessee River Watershed.