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January 26, 2001 For more information contact Nancy Rolli, Information and Education at 739-4506. Robert W. Knecht, A Champion For All Coasts, Honored At DedicationRobert W. Knecht was honored today at a ceremony dedicating the education and research program at Delaware's National Estuarine Research Reserve near Dover. Professor Knecht has had a long and distinguished career in the public sector and in marine policy. During the past twelve years, Bob served as co-director of the Center for the Study of Marine Policy at the University of Delaware College of Marine Studies, where he led numerous local, national, and international projects in coastal and ocean policy. During his thirty-plus years as a "Champion of the Coast," he was instrumental in shaping the federal Coastal Zone Management Program. Closer to home, he has been a champion of both the Delaware Coastal Management Program, which received federal approval in 1979, and the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, which received federal designation in 1993. His efforts have helped to provide for the wise use of Delaware's coastal resources and helped guarantee a plan to protect and manage natural estuarine habitats for research and education in Delaware. After the passage of the federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, Bob Knecht served as the first Assistant Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the U.S. Department of Commerce. One of his top priorities was to begin implementation of the Coastal Zone Management Programs and National Estuarine Research Reserve Program that are now well-established throughout the coastal states. In 1993, with Bob's help, the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR) became a reality, with its designation by NOAA as the 22nd reserve in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS). The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) manages the DNERR. Bob has continued to be a strong advocate for the DNERR and its critical role in supporting coastal management at both the state and federal level, as well as broadening the need for state programs to consider larger national and international coastal management issues. "The success of the DNERR and NERRs programs are directly attributable to Professor Knecht's long-term vision," said Sarah W. Cooksey, Administrator, Delaware Coastal Programs. "Delaware's coastal zone will be better managed and therefore better protected for both the economic and environmental needs of future generations due to his foresight and vigilance to see it carried out." Today the Delaware Reserve was honored to pay tribute to Professor Knecht's distinguished record of leadership in coastal and ocean management. Throughout his remarkable career in academia and government service, he has received the U.S. Department of Commerce's Gold Medal for outstanding performance, an outstanding leadership award from the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the 1999 Julius A. Stratton Leadership Award as "Champion of the Coast." -30- Doc. No. 40-01/01/01/23 |
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