COASTAL AMERICA PARTNERSHIP AWARD
Dissen & Juhn Corporation received the prestigious Coastal America 2001 Partnership Award from Coastal America and President George W. Bush in recognition of our contribution to the Cooper River Fishway Restoration Team.
The Cooper River Fishway Restoration Project was successfully completed through a team effort of federal, state, county, and private organizations to provide passage for migratory fish on New Jersey’s Cooper River. Our firm installed two fish ladders in Haddonfield, New Jersey to allow migratory and resident fish species, specifically blueback herring, the opportunity to access historic feeding and spawning areas further upriver.
Created in 1991 by then-President George Bush, the Coastal America Partnership brings together federal, state, and local governments, and private citizens to solve coastal problems; in this case, impediments to migratory fish patterns. In addition to the Cooper River Fishway, other recent collaborative efforts include the East Machias Dam Removal Project in East Machias, Maine, Galveston Islands State Park Restoration Project in Galveston, Texas, and the Charleston Air Force Base Offshore Reef Project in Charleston, South Carolina.
The Cooper River Fishway Project was a design/build project in which our firm was responsible for the design, fabrication, and installation of the fish ladders. Design and fabrication of the aluminum ladders was sub-contracted to Alden Research Laboratory, Inc. of Holden, Massachusetts. Dissen & Juhn has constructed numerous fishways for public and private customers in New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland.
Following is the text from the President’s letter: |
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The White House
Washington
May 1, 2002
To the Members of the Cooper River Fishway Restoration Team:
Congratulations on receiving the Coastal America 2001 Partnership Award. This award recognizes your outstanding team efforts, demonstrating the value of collaborative partnerships that significantly contribute to the restoration and protection of our coastal environment.
You have set an example for our Nation, and I commend all members of the team for their efforts. The partnerships you forged united Federal, State and local governments, NGO’s, and the private sector in a joint effort to restore fish passage in the Cooper River. The fish ladders that you constructed opened up over ten miles of main-stem and tributary streams to migratory and resident fish, thereby enhancing the restoration of the greater Delaware River watershed. Combining environmental restoration with education, the community and your team have also made good use of the project’s location in a county park to teach school children about the importance of the environment and migratory fish. The fish ladders have truly become a community asset to Camden County.
My Administration strongly supports such efforts that bring together a variety of resources to meet common goals, addressing our challenging environmental needs. I appreciate your commitment and leadership to meet these objectives.
Best Wishes for continued success.
George Bush |
