Washington, DC – In recognition of their leadership and longstanding commitment to protecting the nation’s oceans and coastal resources, Senator Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI), Michigan Congressman Vernon Ehlers (R-03), Maryland Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (R-01), and former Connecticut Governor and U.S. Senator Lowell Weicker, are all being honored at the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF) 2005 Leadership Awards Dinner on Tuesday, June 7 at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC.

Senator Inouye, Congressman Ehlers and Congressman Gilchrest are being awarded the NMSF 2005 Leadership Award. Few have accomplished more in Congress for marine and freshwater habitats than Inouye, who led the successful effort to establish the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary in 1992, and for decades has been a passionate advocate for increased funding of ocean exploration and protection. Congressman Ehlers led the charge in passing the Great Lakes Legacy Act in 2004 to help clean up toxic waste in the Great Lakes. Representative Gilchrest has been dedicated to protecting the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

Former Senator and Governor Lowell Weicker will receive the first-ever NMSF Lifetime Achievement Award. For much of his political career, Weicker has been a passionate advocate for the nation’s oceans. In the Senate, he sponsored or supported many groundbreaking pieces of legislation that improved our management and protection of marine resources. As Governor of Connecticut, he has been a strong defender of both Long Island Sound and the Connecticut River.

The NMSF Awards Dinner is held in conjunction with the 2005 Capitol Hill Oceans week, a three-day symposium that features ocean policy experts from government, private industry, nonprofits and academia. Participants look to raise awareness of important ocean and coastal issues among our nation’s leaders and to build bridges among various ocean constituencies. The forum hopes to continue the momentum to reform national ocean policy through the Bush Administration’s U.S. Ocean Action plan, as well as ocean and coastal legislation pending in Congress.

Photo Op: 6-7p, Dinner: 7-10p, June 7
National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Leadership Awards Dinner
Atrium Ballroom, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

NMSF Awardees:
Hawaii Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D), Michigan Congressman Vernon Ehlers (R-03), Maryland Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (R-01), and Former CT Governor and Senator Lowell Weicker