Breaking News from the Appalachian Coal Country Watershed Team
Posted by admin on Thursday, September 24th, 2009.Comp Wins the “Oscar” of
Government Service
OSM/VISTA founder honored with Service to America Medal
We are proud to tell you our founder Dr. T Allan Comp, was honored on September 23rd with the prestigious 2009 Service to America Medal in the Environment. The highest award given Federal employees, this peer-nominated award represents only the second time an employee of the U.S. Department of the Interior received a Service to America Medal, since the awards were started in 2002, the first time in the Environment category.
This honor is also the first time National Service has been recognized, and we are proud of the strong partnership between OSM, VISTA and local community groups that make this award and the work it represents so successful. An employee of the Office of Surface Mining within Interior, Dr. Comp founded and coordinates the Appalachian Coal Country Watershed Team (ACCWT) and the Western Hardrock Watershed Team (WHWT) to support the efforts of small community/watershed groups in mining communities of Appalachia and the Rocky Mountains. Earlier this year, Allan became the first federal employee to be named a National River Hero by the River Network. Named a Purpose Prize Fellow in 2007, he has received several national awards for his work with communities impoverished by environmental degradation.
The OSM/VISTA Teams were created to assist communities determined to repair the environmental degradation left by historic mining while helping to support the citizen engagement and economic revitalization needed for sustainable development. These Teams place determined college-trained OSM/VISTA Volunteers (Volunteers in Service to America, a part of the Corporation for National and Community Service) in a year of full-time challenging service in rural mining communities. The ACCWT serves the eight-state coal region of Appalachia, while the newer WHWT presently serves mining communities in Colorado and New Mexico. At present there are 43 OSM/VISTAs at work in coal country and another 30 in the West. More than 200 OSM/VISTAs have served with the two watershed teams since their founding, bringing more than 200 years of some of America’s best talent to come of its most challenging environments..
The Service to America Medal recognizes members of America’s federal workforce who have made significant contributions to the country. Honorees are chosen based on their commitment and innovation, as well as the impact of their work on addressing the needs of the nation. Eight medals are awarded: the Environment Medal, the Call to Service Medal, the Career Achievement Medal, the Citizen Services Medal, the Homeland Security Medal, the Justice and Law Enforcement Medal, the National Security and International Affairs Medal, and the Science and Technology Medal.
We are proud that our founder and coordinator, Dr. T Allan Comp, is one of those individuals. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Comp for this award.
About the Appalachian Coal Country Watershed Team
The ACCWT is a coalition of change-minded grassroots-level watershed improvement groups determined to repair the environmental degradation left from historic coal mining while creating economic stability needed in our rural communities. The ACCWT is a partnership between the Office of Surface Mining and AmeriCorps VISTA, sponsoring 43 OSM/VISTAs throughout eight states in the Appalachian Region and is headquartered in Beckley. For more information, visit www.accwt.org.
About the Western Hardrock Watershed Team
The WHWT was founded at the request of the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, to emulate the successes of the ACCWT. The WHWT provides important capacity-building support to rural mining communities. The Western Team has 30 OSM/VISTAs in Colorado and New Mexico. For more information, visit www.hardrockteam.org.
About the Partnership for Public Service
The Partnership for Public Service works to revitalize the federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve and by transforming the way government works. Visit www.ourpublicservice.org and www.servicetoameriamedals.org for more information.
About the Service to America Medals
The Service to America Medals program honors the best in our federal workforce and works to inspire a new generation to consider public service careers by sharing the inspiring stories of unsung heroes with the general public. Surveys show that many Americans do not know what the federal government does for them each and every day – or the fact that there are federal jobs available in practically every interest and skill area, in all 50 states and around the world.
