At a ceremony at the Environmental Protection Agency's Region 2 headquarters in New York City on April 23, the EPA regional administrator, Jane Kenny, presented the Environmental Quality Award to Frank Crescenzo, U.S. Department of Energy, Tim Green, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Peter Kelly and Jeremy Feinberg, both of Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The award was presented for their outstanding contributions to the establishment and development of the Upton Ecological Research Reserve and for guiding the reserve's transition to a nonprofit foundation.

A little over three years ago, the Department of Energy designated 530 acres of the Brookhaven National Laboratory as protected habitat and provided significant funding for management and research. The acreage, called the Upton Reserve, makes up 10 percent of the site. It is located in the eastern portion of the laboratory grounds, within the core preservation area of the Long Island Central Pine Barrens. This area is one of four globally rare pine barren areas located in the Northeast.

Under an agreement between the two agencies, the Service conducts, with funds provided by the department, resource management programs for the conservation, enhancement and restoration of wildlife and habitat in the reserve. The Service also funds ecological research concerning issues related to the pine barrens. In addition, educational programs at the reserve have involved local high schools, colleges and universities as well as many related articles in Long Island's Newsday newspaper.

Under the leadership of the laboratory's Dr. Tim Green and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the laboratory has forged integral partnerships for operating and promoting the Upton Reserve. They have included a technical advisory group, which supports decision making for the Upton Reserve and the natural resource program at the laboratory; The Fire Learning Network a nationwide program managed by The Nature Conservancy; the Fire Protection Assessment work group led by the laboratory; the Central Pine Barrens Wildfire Task Force and Prescribed Fire Subcommittee, supporting the Central Pine Barrens Joint Policy and Planning Commission; and the Long Island Weed Management Area, led by The Nature Conservancy. The Upton Reserve has also funded contracts for the acquisition of data required to make sound management decisions and has funded grants for pine barrens-related research.

NORTHEAST REGION, U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE -- Conserving the Nature of the Northeast