Earlier this month, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation recognized Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) for her “lifelong support of the National Marine Sanctuaries and America’s oceans” with its 2010 leadership award, the organization announced in a press release. Capps and fellow recipient Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Flordia) accepted their awards at a special dinner in Washington, D.C. The event is part of the ninth annual Capitol Hill Ocean Week, an oceans-centric conference held in conjunction with U.N. World Oceans Day. According to the foundation, Capps received the award for her dedication to protecting the natural resources and waters of California and the rest of the United States. During her terms in Congress, Capps has sponsored legislation to protect coastal and estuarine habitats and reform U.S. fisheries and aquaculture management. Capps has also helped pass education initiatives to help educate students about ocean and environmental stewardship. “I know just how important the beauty and bounty of our ocean is to our quality of life, but I also know it faces significant challenges like global warming and acidification, overfishing, and pollution, and of course, oil spills,” Capps said in the release. “What we do together going forward will truly define our nation’s commitment to protecting our oceans, and I pledge to continue working with the Foundation, my constituents, and my colleagues in Congress to develop and implement an agenda that will ensure the health and productivity of our marine environment for generations to come.”
This article appears in Jun 17-24, 2010.