Congratulations to CCA Louisiana Habitat Chairman John Walther on being selected as the 2012 Governor's Award- Conservationist of the Year by The Louisiana Wildlife Federation.  The except below is taken from LWF's press release announcing the 2012 award winners.

John Walther of Houma, a long-time volunteer with CCA Louisiana who has been the guiding force behind 11 unique artificial reef deployments across Louisiana’s coast, has been chosen to receive the Governor's Award – Conservationist of the Year for 2012.

The award, a handsome statuette of a bald eagle, will be presented the evening of Saturday, February 23 at a festive banquet held in conjunction with the Louisiana Wildlife Federation's 74th convention February 22 - 24 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Baton Rouge.  The banquet master of ceremonies will be Dr. Rex Caffey, Director of the Center for Natural Resource Economics and Policy at Louisiana Sea Grant and LSU AgCenter. The Governor’s Award is presented annually to the person or organization deemed to have made the most outstanding contribution toward the protection and wise use of the state's natural resources among nominees submitted by the public.  The selection for this and five other awards was made by a panel of independent judges with expertise in a wide range of conservation fields. The 49th Annual Governor’s State Conservation Achievement Awards program is hosted by the Louisiana Wildlife Federation and the awards are presented jointly with the National Wildlife Federation.

Walther pioneered the use of recycled concrete materials in recent artificial reef projects in Louisiana, including the “Brad Vincent Reef” in Calcasieu Lake and the “Buras High School Reef” in Breton Sound completed in 2012. He also has been a driving force behind the annual Derelict Crab Trap Removal Program.

One other individual, three organizations and one business will also be recognized by the Louisiana Wildlife Federation for their outstanding conservation achievements last year.