Newport Depot program earns honor for environmental stewardship

By Patricia L. Pastore/Tribune-Star

October 7, 2004

The Newport Chemical Depot Natural Resources Management Program earned the Army's highest honor for outstanding environmental stewardship programs.

The Depot earned the Secretary of the Army Environmental Award in the Small Installation category for "efforts to successfully maintain the depot's delicate and unique ecosystem," Lt. Col. Scott Kimmell announced Wednesday in a prepared statement.

The award will be presented today by George Carellas, assistant for Sustainability in the office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and Occupational Health), said Susan Gilman, spokesman for the Newport Chemical Depot outreach program.

"The depot's Integrated Natural Resources Plan guides the program and its initiatives and uses a holistic approach to natural resource conservation.

"This plan integrates all aspects of ecosystem management," Kimmell said in a news release.

During the past three years, initiatives at Newport have included a successful deer management program, a forest management program that planted native trees on more than 60 acres of marginal farmland to enhance the biodiversity of the depot and improve the natural habitat of the area's native wildlife and a Native Tallgrass Prairie Restoration Program, with an additional 128.8 acres of native grasses planted in an area identified as pre-settlement prairie, according to Gilman.

"A panel of non-military and Army experts, including representatives from the Nature Conservancy, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Office of the Director of Environmental Programs judged the nationwide competitors for the Environmental Resource Conservation Award.

"I was extremely impressed with the way Newport's Natural Resources Management Program really integrates all aspects of a quality conservation and Natural Resources program," Bob Barns, who participated in this year's judging panel on behalf of the Nature Conservancy. "This philosophy captures the essence of adaptive ecosystem management and produces a real win-win situation where emission effectiveness and work force quality of life are reinforced by, not compromised by, success in conservation programs."

The Chemical depot consists of 7,097 acres including 213 acres of wetlands, over 3,000 acres of farm ground, 1,900 acres of forest and 291 acres of restored prairie grass.

Patricia Pastore can be reached at (812) 231-4271 or pat.pastore@tribstar.com