Awards

A2A is an international landscape initiative, extending from and including Algonquin Park in the north to Adirondack State Park in New York State, the two largest parks in eastern North America. In the A2A area the greatest biodiversity of plant species in Canada can be found, which in turn support wide a diversity of animal species.

A2A is a bold vision. . . A vision of ecological linkages in the natural landscapes, which come about, not by creating parkland and reserves, but through local land owner initiatives and community partnerships.

Our motto is "Connect with Respect" - which derives from our vision of working with private landowners, who own about 60% of the land in the A2A region. We partner with a wide range of groups, which we enable to do conservation work to enhance and protect wildlife habitat.

Debbe Crandall accepted the award on behalf of STORM.

Save the Oak Ridges Moraine Coalition (STORM) is a coalition of 25 citizens' groups and individuals whose focus of concern is preserving the ecological integrity of the Oak Ridges Moraine. founded in October 1989.

One of Ontario's largest moraines, the Oak Ridges Moraine extends 160 kilometres from the Niagara Escarpment in the west to the Trent River system in the east, and is on average 13 kilometres wide. The Moraine stands out as one of the most distinct landscapes of southern Ontario.

Recognizing the problems presented by multi-jurisdictional governance (26 area municipalities and nine regional and county upper-tier municipalities) along its 160-kilometre length, STORM's major goals were to seek legislated protection for the Moraine and ecosystem-based land-use planning that acknowledged the fragility of watersheds and headwaters regions.

In the process of working cooperatively, STORM and its member groups have established a relationship of mutual support and the sharing of information and resources that has been applied at both the local and regional levels. STORM participates in environmental, land use planning and policy issues and acts to safeguard the Moraine from inappropriate development which would have profound cumulative and irreversible impacts.

STORM Coalition is committed to continuing its advocacy work to ensure that the entire 160-kilometre Moraine is protected in perpetuity through strict implementation of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan policies.

The Cascades Conservation Partnership, a coalition of the Sierra Club, Wilderness Society, NW Ecosystem Alliance, The Seattle Audubon Society, Pacific Crest Biodiversity Project, The Alpine Lakes Protection Society, and the Washington Trails Association, was formed the to purchase 75,000 acres of checkerboard timberlands. This land, presently owned by private logging companies, contains almost all of the old-growth forest still in private hands in this area of the Northwest. Some of these trees are over 800 years old, a truly irreplaceable resource. Land purchased by the Partnership is donated to the United States National Forest under various designations that will restrict logging and development.

Populations of rare species being protected under this plan include: Clustered lady’s-slipper, Mountain lady’s–slipper, Silene seelyi, Fuzzytongue penstemon, Thompson's chaenactis, Victorin's Grape Fern, Western ladies tresses, and little grape fern.

The Partnership has also teamed with the Washington Native Plant Society to lead hikes into the lands for the purposes of public education and of expanding botanical lists of the properties.

Since May 2000, the Partnership has purchased approximately 18,500 acres in the Central Cascades by raising over $44 million.