Past Award Winners - Jim Anderson
Jim Anderson has worked on the frontlines of conservation in Ontario since the late 1960's. He has held a number of leadership roles in government as well as the not-for-profit sector throughout his career. After spending some time with the former Napanee Region Conservation Authority, he worked for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) where he served in the Conservation Authorities Branch. During his time there, Jim became very involved in the development of Ontario's floodplain and watershed management policies and programs, and the development of administrative guidelines for Conservation Authorities, which are still in effect today. While with OMNR, he led the Gypsy Moth Control Program – which, at the time, was the largest aviation project in Ontario since World War II. In addition, this spray program was the first to use biological control (BT) as opposed to chemical pesticides and serves as a positive example of safe and effective environmental control of invasive species in Ontario.
In 1995, Jim became the General Manager of Conservation Ontario where he successfully led Ontario's Conservation Authorities through major challenges. During this period, Jim's legacy remains that not one Conservation Authority disappeared from the Ontario landscape despite the significant funding reductions implemented by the Province in the 1990's. Jim helped move Conservation Authorities from simply acting as implementers of provincial flood plain policy to a much broader scope within a municipal conservation partnership supporting the overall health of their watersheds and communities. During his tenure at Conservation Ontario, Jim was well known for his talent of building and maintaining relationships such as the one with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, which enabled the Conservation Authorities to deliver certain aspects of the Federal Fisheries Act at the local level.
Jim retired from Conservation Ontario in 2000 and immediately went to work with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). Jim was an architect of DUC's national government relations and policy influence strategy. He encouraged the organization to work closely with municipal governments to influence wetland protection while advocating for science-based influence as evidenced in the “Beyond the Pipe” report (DUC's presentation to the Walkerton Inquiry). Subsequently, Jim was DUC's representative on various committees addressing the need for Source Water Protection Planning in Ontario. Today, Jim continues to work on Great Lakes Initiatives and as a consultant to the DUC policy program. Jim has been an invaluable participant on a variety of boards and commissions including the Advisory Committee to the Great Lakes Commission and the Great Lakes Charter Annex Advisory Panel.
Jim's work and volunteer efforts make him a great inspiration to young people and he has acted as a mentor to many of Ontario's conservation leaders. Jim was a Founding Chairman of University of Guelph's A.D. Latornell Endowment Fund which, among many other activities, also supports the A.D. Latornell Conservation Symposium and its focus on bringing students together with conservation practitioners. Jim's impact, his reach as a mentor and a leader in the conservation world, is an enviable legacy.
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