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By Tom Valtin
 At the Sierra Club's Annual Awards banquet in September, the top honor, the John Muir Award, went to Senator James Jeffords of Vermont. As state attorney general, then congressman, and now senator, Jeffords has made environmental protection a top priority.
He has fought to reduce industrial pollution and acid rain, and as a member of the Senate's Environment Committee he ensured the passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act. More recently, Jeffords introduced legislation that would clean up dirty power plants and create incentives for investments in clean, renewable power.
Maryland Governor Parris Glendening received the Edgar Wayburn Award, which honors a government worker who provides service to the environment. Glendening has been a leader in the smart-growth movement, and Maryland now preserves more land each year than is developed.
Joel Connelly of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer received the David Brower Award for environmental journalism. Connelly's column, "In the Northwest," regularly covers forest issues, the plight of endangered salmon, global warming, and the environmental impact of the Bush presidency.
 The Joseph Barbosa Earth Fund Award, honoring persons under the age of 30 who have demonstrated a commitment to the environment, was given to Amy McCormick. A 28-year-old from Austin, Texas, McCormick has been involved with the Sierra Club's Inner City Outings program for more than eight years. The award includes a $2,000 prize from the Joseph Barbosa Earth Fund to be given to McCormick's local Inner City Outings program.
The Environmental Alliance Award, which includes a $1,000 prize from the Joseph Barbosa Earth Fund, went to Lucienne deNaie of Maui, who has formed coalitions to protect reefs and habitat for whales and sea turtles, halt destructive expansion plans for Maui's airport, protect the island's coastline from harmful development, and preserve watersheds and native stream life.
Others receiving Sierra Club awards for 2002 include:
The Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography: Jack Jeffrey of Hilo, Hawaii.
The William Colby Award (for outstanding leadership, dedication, and service to the Sierra Club): Dr. Marvin W. Baker Jr. of Salem, Oregon.
The William O. Douglas Award (for contributions in the field of environmental law): Jack Tuholske of Missoula, Montana.
The EarthCare Award (honors an individual, organization, or agency that has made a unique contribution to international environmental protection and conservation): Elizabeth May of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
The Oliver Kehrlein Award (for outstanding service to the Club's Outings program): Jim Maas and Andy Johnson, both of Berkeley, California. Maas and Johnson edit the Inside Outings newsletter.
The Susan E. Miller Award (for outstanding service to Club chapters): Richard Colby of Egg Harbor City, New Jersey.
The One Club Award (recognizes people who use outings as a way to instill an interest in conservation and protecting public lands): Allison Chin of Stanford, California.
The Raymond Sherwin International Award (for international conservation): Sanford Tepfer of Eugene, Oregon.
The Special Achievement Award (recognizes a single act of importance dedicated to conservation): Don Richardson of Memphis, Tennessee, for his publication of the Old Forest Trail Map, a guide to the urban forest in Overton Park.
Special Service Awards (for strong and consistent commitment to conservation over an extended period of time): Rita Beving of Dallas, Texas; Robin Mann of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania; and Mark Rorick of Juneau, Alaska.
The Walter A. Starr Award (for continuing support of the Club by a former director): Richard Fiddler of Shoreline, Washington. Fiddler served on the Sierra Club Board of Directors from 1978 to 1984 and from 1988 to 1991.
The Ida and Denny Wilcher Award (for excellence in fundraising and/or membership development): The Napa Group for its Holiday Ornament Project.
Photos: Dr. Marvin Baker, winner of the William Colby Award, with Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope.
Elizabeth May, winner of the EarthCare Award, with Sierra Club President Jennifer Ferenstein.
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