Conservation Awards Conservation Achievement Award Winners TWF Conservation Achievement Award Winners Since 1965

TWF Conservation Achievement Award Winners Since 1965 PDF Print E-mail

For 45 years the Tennessee Wildlife Federation has honored the work of individuals, organizations and companies which have made significant contributions towards the conservation of Tennessee's land, water, air and wildlife. Our award standards are high, so you will notice that in some years certain awards were not given. This isn't necessarily due to a lack of nominees, but rather that the quality of nominees that year did not reach the standards we hold for these awards. In other cases where names are not listed, this represents that the award was created after 1965. We encourage you to peruse this list and make yourself with some of Tennessee's conservation champions.

Year Conservationist of the Year Z. Cartter Patten Award  "Lou" Williams Award Land Conservationist Water Conservationist Air Conservationist Forest Conservationist Wildlife Conservationist Youth Conservationist Conservation Educator Conservation Legislator Conservation Organization Industrial Conservationist Hunter Education Instructor Ged Petit Memorial Award Hunters for the Hungry Chairman's Award
1965 Louis J. Williams     Lester R. Dudney S. Leary Jones   Thomas B. Swann Glen Gentry Boy Scouts - Middle TN Council John H. Bailey Rep. Joan F. Strong Malesus Hunting & Fishing Club          
1966 Albert F. Gainer     James H. Robinson John Jewell   Hugh Faust James W. Warren Joe Lancaster Henry G. Hart Sen. Lee Mathis TN Federation of Garden Clubs          
1967 John H. Bailey Evan Means   Willlis Huddleston Fred W. Stanberry   E.G. Weisehuegal W.B. Lockett, Jr. Louise Davis James L. Bailey Rep. J. Wm. Pope, Jr. Hull-York Lakeland Assoc.          
1968 Herman Baggentstoss Cecil Branstetter   Alfred K. McCalla Lelyn Standnyk   Carl I. Peterson Frederick Emerson, Jr. Kyle J. Cherry Harold N. Powers Sen. Dan Moore Reelfoot-Indian Creek Watershed Project          
1969 Z. Cartter Patten V.H. "Doc" Jernigan   John S. Wilder Christian C. Crossman   Douglas Boardman Floyd F. Fesler John W. Cleveland Sam H. Johnson Rep. Victor H. Ashe Five Rivers Resource Consrv. Devlp.          
1970 Lester R. Dudney Not given this year   Glen S. Elkins D.J. Wilson   John Barrett Calvin J. Barstow William R. Alley Elizabeth Roller Sen. John S. Wilder Nashville Children's Museum          
1971 James L. Bailey Robert C. Burns   Walter Reeser Kenneth Elrod   Charlie Page Raleigh F. Lane J. Padgett Kelly Paul Wishart Sen. Fred O. Berry Manchester Jay-Cees          
1972 Harold E. Warvel Paul Fink   Dwight Treadway Edward F. Williams III   Evan M. Pitt Robert D. Bishop James P. Byrant Elsie Burrell Sen. William R. Bruce TN Valley Sportsman Club          
1973 Edgar W. Evins Edwin Shreiber   C. W. Clement Mayland Muse   Tom Harshbarger Chester A. McConnell Tom Carter John B. Alderman Rep. Ed F. Williams III Radnor Lake Preservation          
1974 Edward L. Thackston Henry Reynolds   Paul Howard Not given this year   George R. Anderson Harvey G. Bray TN 4-H Wildlife Program Patrick J. Grimes Rep. Robert J. Bible Bowater          
1975 Gedeon D. Petit S. Leary Jones   Joe G. Wilson V. Wayne McCoy Harold E. Hodges W. Foster McCowan Gary T. Myers Neta Bilderback Mack Prichard Not given this year Guardians of N. Chickamauga Creek Alcoa        
1976 Harvey G. Bray Travis McNatt   Richard Van Dyke Roy E. Warren C.N. Spencer Not given this year Edgar "Red" Anderson Kevin Edwards Edna Potter Not given this year TN Endangered Species Comm. Not given this year        
1977 J. Clark Akers Bob Steber   Ronald G. Rains Eugene S. Cobb J. Spires Whitaker Robert R. Lusk Elmore Price Pickett Co. Youth Program Barbara B. Wilbur Not given this year TN Federation of Garden Clubs Koppers Company, Inc. Robert Howard      
1978 Zygmunt Plater Not given this year   E.B. Dyer Anders I. Myhr Byron B. Winsett, Sr. Max Young Joe Cathey Sherry Koger Grace Riden Not given this year   Westvaco Corp. Ted Keirn      
1979 S. David Freeman V.L. Childs   David E. Hinton Not given this year Dean Hill Rivkin Joe Simmons Marsha L. Selecman Bobby Pace Gladys Harris Not given this year Washington Co. Soil Consrv.Dist. Youth Bd. Jack Daniels Distillery George Scott      
1980 Not given this year Evan Means   Frank Clayton Chester McConnell Mary M. Walker Not given this year Donald A. Hammer Kendall Huddleston Johnny Lumpkin Rep. Albert Gore, Jr. Izaak Walton League of America - Lakeway Chpt. Not given this year John Hollingshead, Sr.      
1981 James L Byford Shirley Patterson, B.L. Ridley   Steve Brunson Ruth Neff American Lung Assoc Paul Somers Jerry Parrish Trellis Marr J. Padgett Kelly Not given this year TN Toxics Program Bowater Mayland Muse      
1982 Willie Borchert Not given this year   James D. Hamilton Pat Patrick Mohamed T. El-Ashry Robert E. Drexler Sam Brocato Drew Buhler Martin Silver Not given this year TN Valley Not given this year Mike Butler      
1983 Al Hamilton Edward L. Thackston   Betsy S. Loyless Aubrey D. McKinney Robert Foster, Nile McCrary David W. Wilson Quenton Henry Montg. Co. Soil Conserv. District Youth Bd. William D. Ratledge Rep. John M. Tanner White Co. Wildlife Protectors Assn. Dixie-Shamrock Oil & Gas Inc. Thomas F. Sewell, Sr.      
1984 Lamar Alexander Carson Brewer   Merrill T. Hitchcock Michael T. Bruner Not given this year Westvaco Corp. James D. Carter Kyle Edwards Marvin Hammond Sen. Doug Henry The Nature Conservancy TN Eastman Co. Joe H. Ezell      
1985 Ben L. Smith Henry Reynolds   Charles W. Cook,, Jr. Ann Tidwell Paul J. Bontrager Washington Co. Soil Conser. Dist. Youth Bd. Robert C. Burns Not given this year Ken Ripley Rep. Ed Jones Lichterman Nature Center Cumberland Mtn. Sand Co. Jorene Turnage      
1986 Not given this year Maryland Muse   Charles Blackburn Raymond C. Norris Not given this year William H Skelton Not given this year Kathy Renee Blackburn Chattanooga Nature Center Rep. U. A. Moore Gatlinburg Sprotsman Club Mead Paper Co. Calvin Parks      
1987 Nelson Ross Hubert O. Fry   L.H. Burnett Bevan Brown Jackie L. Waynick Roy Ashley Sam Williams Not given this year Pat Jordan Not given this year Black Bear Society Saturn Corp. Jerry McDaniel     Bob Seaton, Tom Hensley
1988 Not given this year James Word   Not given this year Richard D. Urban Not given this year Mark W. Benko Westvaco Corp. Jerry Martin Richard Davis Sen. James R. Sasser Great Smoky Mtn. Council BSA Not given this year John Heirigs     Donald L. Rollens
1989 Gary Myers Ruth Neff Robert C. Burns Washington College Ruritan Club Barry W. Sulkin Not given this year Jack A. Muncy Wesley K. James, Stephen D. Cottrell Not given this year Flavil Hatcher Sen. Ronnie Greer Appalachian Chapter - Trout Unlimited Not given this year Charles M. Pardue     Charles D. Buffington
1990 Not given this year Not given this year Bill Blackburn, Loyd L. Ezell TN River Gorge Trust Robert H. Skinner Not given this year Not given this year James S. Holcomb Students Against Pollution Cindi Smith-Walters Not given this year Volunteer Chapter of Quail Unlimited Monsanto Co. Jim Coooper     Carl Frazier, Allen B. Townsend
1991 Lee Asbury Greer Ricketson Mitchell S. Parks Not given this year Christopher D. Ungate Quincy C. Styke Not given this year William G. Minser Boones Creek Middle School TSAP Chapter Carolyn Edwards Rep. Bill Purcell Cherokee Chapter of Trout Unlimited Siemens Industrial & T.I., Inc. John P. Raines     Johnny Lynch, Clayton L. Wilson
1992 Not given this year Tom Hensley Larry Richardson Not given this year Sidney R. Jumper, Theodore H. Schmudde Not given this year Not given this year Not given this year James R. Hall ReCycle Signal Sen. Ward Crutchfield Appalachian Sportsmen Club   Joseph E. Smith Joe E. Busch   Douglas R. Clark, Joe K. Pettigrew, Don Porter
1993 Ned Ray McWherter William D. Guinn, Jr. Edward L. Thackston TN Interagency Wetlands Comm. James Nance Robert C. Burns Champion Int'l Corp. Ed Stiles Drew Wilson Dan Nieves Rep. Gary Odom NWTF - TN Chapter Knoxville Utilities Board Sondra M. Coffey Wayne Sanders   Curtis Blane, Sue Garner
1994 Ruth Neff Not given this year Rosemary MacGregor Cameron Middle School Not given this year Not given this year Not given this year Cherokee Chapter - NWTF Johnny Angel Judy Butler Not given this year Not given this year Savage Zinc, Inc. Fay Hickerson Ken Ripley   Belle Austin
1995 William David Smith Not given this year Not given this year Scott P. Ledbetter, Babe Howard Michael L. Countess Not given this year Denise W. Ashworth Daryl Durham Not given this year Barbara Adams Sen. Bud Gilbert Foothills Land Conservancy DuPont - Johnsonville Plant Craig Chapman Tom Wood   William R. Miller III, Michael D. Pearigen, Rick Murphree
1996 Justin P. Wilson William G. Minser, III James L. Wilbanks, Jr. Not given this year Jack L. Davis Janice Nolan The TN Master Logger Comm. Dupont Green Team Jenny Reed Mid-South Fly Fishers Rep. H.E. Bittle Overmountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited & North American Fibers, Inc. Anderson-Tully Co. Ricky C. Green Mike Bailey   Patty Cofey, Richard D. Urban
1997 Not given this year Larry M. Richardson Mark Benko Not given this year Paul E. Davis Not given this year Not given this year Wild Turkey Rest. Project Not given this year Gary Barrigar Not given this year Natl Foundation to Protect America's Eagles Tenneco Packaging Gene & Laverne Stephens Joey K. Wray   Robert P. Ford
1998 Dodd Galbreath Edward R. Buckner, Margaret & Dan Maddox Not given this year Not given this year Kenneth R. Chase Not given this year Not given this year Appalachian Bear Center Not given this year TVA Weekend Academy Sen. Robert Rochelle Not given this year Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. Joseph E. Smith Darren Rider   Renee Dorris, Daryl Durham, Jesse Mayo
1999   Don Byerly J. Clark Akers, Lucius E. Burch Not given this year Not given this year Not given this year Not given this year Michael R. Pelton Not given this year TN Parks & Greenways Found. Cong. Bob Clement Vollentine-Evergreen Comm. Assn General Shale Products Corp. Alfred Ballinger Ben Franklin   Howard L. Taylor
2000 Earl Bentz, Campbell Outdoor Rec. Assoc/Rocky Mtn. Elk Foundation James L. Byford Not given this year Hermitage Golf Course Barry K. Thacker Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Willamette Industries Memphis Light Gas & Water Hamblen Co. Soil Conservation Youth Board Chris Glass Not given this year Boone Watershed Partnership Bowater Frank Holladay Joey Wray   Jim Fesmire, Doug Moore, Roy Grimes,Larry Marcum, Dan Hicks, Royal Blue WMA, Drew Foster, Greg Wathern
2001 Not given this year Gary T. Myers Not given this year The Land Trust of TN Hallsdale Powell Utility District Don Barger Ken Arney Outdoorsman, Inc. Michael Clariday Appalachian Fair Assoc., Inc. Not given this year Not given this year Not given this year Tony Sanders Jereme Odom   Carter Dawson, Rosemary Dinkins, Marian Tidwell, Eric Anderson, Michael Butler
2002 Not given this year Mack S. Prichard, Jr. Anthony J. Campbell William T. Carpenter Not given this year Not given this year The Conservation Fund Dud's Haile Cave Gating Project Not given this year Judy N. Dulin Not given this year Cumberland River Compact Not given this year Leonard & Jorene Zidnak Donald C. Hosse   Larry Richardson, Mitchell S. Parks
2003 Not given this year Ed Williams, Elsie Quarterman Not given this year The Nature Conservancy - TN Chapter John M. Hooper, II Not given this year Preston Padgett Dennis Goldsby Not given this year Cindy Earls Not given this year TN Parks & Greenways Foundation Not given this year Stanley Duane Shell Dave Gabbard   Scottie Selmer, Tom Hudgins, Mitchell Parks
2004 Mr. Gene Hartman Jim Range Monty Halcomb John Ross Bullrun Creek Watershed Restoration Partnership Claude Ramsey Sam Brocato Michael P. Hansbrough Randy Corlew Swan Conservation Trust Sen. Ron Ramsey, Sen. Jerry Cooper Rep. Craig Fitzhugh, Rep. Russell Johnson Nature Conservancy - TN Chapter Saturn Corp. Mike Black Dan Hicks   Not given this year
2005 John Noel Ben Smith Bob Dean John Gregory Bob Sneed Not given this year Jason Maxedon Terry Lewis Smith Co. Youth Consv. Board TEEA Cong. Bill Jenkins UTM TWS Student Chapter Bridgestone-Warren Co. Facility Billy Long Not given this year   Nick Crafton, Betty Loveless
2006 Billy Minser Larry Marcum Nick Crafton Bill Sansom, Susan Richardson Williams David Pelren Jonathan Overly Victor Davis State Wildlife Action Plan Team Project TN, Montg. Central H.S. Jeff Barrie Not given this year NWTF - TN Chapter Hawkins Partners, LLC Ben Bush Not given this year   McKenzie Girl's SCTP Team
2007 Commissioner James H. Fyke Jeanette C. Rudy Albert Buckley, Jr. Wolf River Conservancy Charles Saylor - TVA Not given this year Conservation Forestry, LLC Dr. Craig Harper Not given this year Terri Quillin Not given this year Cumberland Region Tomorrow Bridgestone Firestone N. America Holdings, Inc. Ricky Moss David Sims   Not given this year
2008 Not given this year Linda Hixon Not given this year Friends of Radnor Lake Marvin Hammond Not given this year John Ross Not given this year Not given this year William "Bill" Haley Speaker Emeritus Jimmy Naifeh Not given this year Not given this year James Humphrey Not given this year   Lance Rider, Larry Ross,, Lightning 100's Team Green
2009 Governor Phil Bredesen Not given this year Dan Hammond Not given this year Not given this year Not given this year TN Forest Resource Assesment & Strategy Plan Working Comm. Jerry Stout Not given this year BEECH - Warren Plant Rep. Joe McCord Safari Club Int'l - Chattanooga Chapter Freeman Webb Company Joseph Smith Nick Luper Charles Birdwell, Birdwell Processing Mayor John Holden
2010 Kathleen Williams Dr. Fred Alsop Not given this year Boyle Investments, Inc. Michael Cain Not given this year Kevin Hoyt Marc Lipner   Patricia Miller Senator Doug Jackson Foothills Land Conservancy Not given this year Jim Stroud Not given this year B&B Processing, John Barron Mike Butler