Julia Butterfly Hill, other environmental activists and leaders recognized by the Pegasus Foundation at first Pegasus Foundation Awards Dinner Celebration



November 2000 -- Environmental activist Julia Butterfly Hill and other environmental leaders were recognized for their achievements at the first Pegasus Foundation Awards Dinner Celebration on November 17, 2000, at the Woman’s National Democratic Club in Washington, DC.

The Pegasus Foundation, established in 1997, is a private independent foundation that funds environmental and animal protection programs.  The Pegasus Foundation Awards were established to acknowledge outstanding achievement of individuals and organizations in the environmental and animal protection community. 

Julia Butterfly Hill, who was presented with the Pegasus Activist Award, achieved national fame when she spent two years living in a California redwood tree to save it from a logger’s saw.  Since descending from her tree home in December 1999, she has traveled extensively to speak about environmental activism.  Hill gave the keynote speech at the Pegasus Foundation dinner.

Awards were also presented to the following individuals and organizations:

OUTSTANDING ELECTED OFFICIAL -- Congressman Bill Delahunt, 10th District of Massachusetts:
Since being elected to Congress in 1996, Bill Delahunt has placed the environment high on his agenda.  He has helped pass legislative initiatives to ban overfishing, fought to improve management of national wildlife refuges, and worked to protect right whales and other marine mammals.

EXCELLENCE IN COMPANION ANIMAL SERVICES -- W. Mike Halona And Glenda Davis, Navajo Nation:
In partnership with the Pegasus Foundation and others, W. Mike Halona and Glenda Davis have helped develop humane solutions to cope with an estimated 160,000 stray dogs on the Navajo Nation.  In 1999, these efforts led to the launch of a mobile spay-neuter van that travels throughout the Navajo Nation, providing free veterinary services.

ACHIEVEMENTS IN WILDLIFE PROTECTION -- Dr. Emmett F. (Fran) Stallings, Florida Environmental Activist:
A lifelong environmental activist, Fran Stallings has been instrumental in developing efforts to save Florida’s most beloved species, the manatee.  Stallings has played a pivotal role in a coalition of environmental groups that joined forces to launch litigation in January 2000 against various levels of government for failing to implement existing manatee protection laws. 

LEADERSHIP IN HABITAT PRESERVATION -- Dr. John Kullberg, Wildlife Land Trust:
As executive director, Dr. John Kullberg has successfully developed the Wildlife Land Trust from its launch in 1994 as the only national land trust that prohibits hunting and trapping on the 57,000 acres of land (located in 17 states and 4 countries) under its care.  Land protected by the trust includes the Back River Neck region of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, a 500-acre property near Mount Shasta in northern California, and Romania’s Braila Island in the Danube River. 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY -- Meyer and Glitzenstein Public Interest Law Firm:
Meyer and Glitzenstein, based in Washington, DC, specializes in litigation on a wide range of issues, including wildlife and animal protection.   The firm has filed lawsuits to protect buffalo, manatees, whales, and wild horses.  Meyer and Glitzenstein also founded the Wildlife Advocacy Project, a non-profit organization that works with grassroots activists to protect wildlife and captive animals.

HONORED GUEST -- Michael Mease, Buffalo Field Campaign:
In 1997, Michael Mease founded the Buffalo Field Campaign to end the Montana Department of Livestock policy of killing buffalo that venture outside Yellowstone National Park borders. Montana officials defend the policy by claiming buffalo spread brucellosis, a disease deadly to cattle; however, there is no known case of a cow contracting brucellosis from a buffalo. Buffalo Field Campaign volunteers patrol the land outside the park throughout the year and attempt to return buffalo that have strayed beyond park borders. They also videotape interactions between the buffalo and Montana officials to document buffalo hazings and killings. The campaign's efforts led to significant national media coverage this past year.

HONORED GUEST -- Alberta Thompson, Makah Elder:
Although she was not able to attend the awards dinner, Alberta Thompson was recognized as an honored guest for speaking out repeatedly against the efforts of the Makah Nation to gain exemption from a worldwide ban on whale hunting. In 1996, Thompson addressed the International Whaling Commission to persuade commissioners to reject the Makah permit application. Her efforts helped publicize the issue and led to a federal appeals court decision in June 2000 that prevents future Makah whale hunting.

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