2015 Nancy Natoli Élan Award for Innovation in Land Conservation Winners Announced

U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Greenville, SCFor IMMEDIATE RELEASE (September 9, 2015)

The winners of the 2015 Nancy Natoli Élan Award for Innovation in Land Conservation have together helped protect more than 41,000 acres of land that benefits military training and readiness, natural resources conservation, rural economies, and cultural resources. The Award process was managed by the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (Endowment) in conjunction with Natoli’s former colleagues at the Department of Defense Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program, the Compatible Lands Foundation, the Land Trust Alliance, and the Conservation Finance Network, among others.

“All of the nominees for the 2015 Natoli Élan Award have achieved great success,” said Peter Stangel, the Endowment’s Senior Vice President, “but Paul Catlett and the diverse members of the Rappahannock LandProtection Partnership raise the bar for their tireless commitment to collaboration and effectiveleveraging of limited financial resources.”

Paul Catlett continues to break new ground in land conservation and in building innovative partnerships even after 20 years as natural resource manager at the Army National Guard’s Camp Blanding Joint Training Center in Florida. With Paul’s leadership, Camp Blanding has become the hub of a corridor of protected lands that stretch from the Osceola to the Ocala National Forests and which include two state forests. Through his efforts, more than 21,000 acres have been protected from development thatthreatened both the Army’s training mission and the area’s rich diversity of habitats and wildlife. One project protected 1,600 acres of sandhills habitat preferred by the at-risk gopher tortoise, to which gopher tortoises may be relocated from Camp Blanding. Catlett’s mastery of partnerships has resulted in his leveraging more than $51 million in state funds with $13.6 million in Army and Department of Defense dollars.

Since 1996, the Rappahannock Land Protection Partnership has helped protect more than 20,000 acres along the Lower Rappahannock River in Virginia, an important Chesapeake Bay tributary recognized in national and regional natural resource conservation plans. These protected lands benefit mission readiness at U.S. Army Garrison Fort A.P. Hill, wildlife conservation on Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge, and helped establish the Mattaponi Wildlife Management Area, a popular destination foroutdoor recreation and river access. The Partnership’s principal partners include the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService, The Nature Conservancy, The Trust for Public Land, the Conservation Fund, the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, and Fort A.P. Hill; more than a dozen other organizations and agencies have contributed to specific projects. The Partnership and Fort A.P. Hill have been recognized for their land protection efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the General Services Administration, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

Nancy Natoli led the Pentagon’s effort to protect military test and training facilities from incompatibledevelopment as the REPI Program Director. She passed away on September 17, 2013 at the age of 48.

“Nancy had the kind of passion for life that easily lit up a room and left a mark on everyone that knew her. This year’s winners reflect that passion in their accomplishments, and have found creative solutions that would make her proud. We are grateful for the opportunity to acknowledge these efforts, and we take comfort that Nancy’s legacy continues to thrive in the land conservation community,” said Mary Natoli,Nancy’s daughter.

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For more information contact:
Peter Stangel, 404-915-2763; peter@usendowment.org
The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (the Endowment) is a not-for-profit public charity working collaboratively with partners in the public and private sectors to advance systemic,transformative, and sustainable change for the health and vitality of the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities – www.usendowment.org