Legislator’s work on water quality and preservation recognized
State Rep. John Patterson (D-Jefferson) has earned The Nature Conservancy’s 2017 Conservation Leader Award for his efforts protecting Lake Erie and spearheading other statewide conservation initiatives.
“I am humbled by this important recognition, and would like to offer my sincere appreciation to The Nature Conservancy for their work,” Patterson said. “I am proud of our accomplishments during my time in office and I will continue to work to secure a future of safe and healthy farmland, forests and waters for our children and grandchildren.”
Patterson has pushed multiple bills at the statehouse to enhance water quality throughout the state and in Lake Erie, including the creation of the Ohio Water Quality Improvement Program to help farmers filter nutrients along waterways to prevent harmful algal blooms, according to a Nov. 6 press release from The Nature Conservancy.
As the minority leader on the House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, Patterson was instrumental in the efforts that lead to Senate Bill 1, legislation passed in 2015 that also sought to curtail farm runoff, the release said.
The Jefferson lawmaker also serves as a member of the international Great Lakes Caucus.
“John Patterson is a lawmaker willing to roll up his sleeves and work with all sides to find common sense solutions to Lake Erie’s ongoing problem with harmful algal blooms,” said Josh Knights, executive director of The Nature Conservancy in Ohio. “He typifies the kind of leader this award is intended to recognize.”
The award was announced Oct. 20 at the Conservancy’s Grand River Conservation Campus in Rock Creek.
The Conservation Leader Award is presented in recognition of exceptional leadership in advancing state conservation and environmental policy issues that improve the quality of life for all Ohioans. Past recipients include state Sens. Randy Gardner, Bob Peterson and Mike Skindell and state Rep. Tim Derickson.
