May 2017
Just Desserts!
Every once in a while somebody gets what they deserve. You always hope there is a fairness to the universe, but it is easy to question that. A glass of entropy, anyone?
For 17 years, Collis Adams has had the worst job at the NH Department of Environmental Services. He has been the Bureau Administrator for the ever-maligned Wetlands Bureau. Through budget cuts, recessions, personnel and personal issues, and the never-ending complaints: he has successfully managed to keep the Wetlands Program chugging along, issuing permits while protecting the most valuable wetland resources.
After all that, Collis gets to stand in the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington D.C. on May 18th, and be presented one of the most prestigious awards that a state wetland manager can receive. Mr. Adams is one of five recipients from the entire nation of the 2017 National Wetlands Awards.
“The National Wetland Awards are presented annually to individuals who have excelled in wetlands protection, restoration, and education. Through coordinated media outreach, educational events, and an awards ceremony on Capitol Hill, awardees receive national recognition and attention for their outstanding efforts.”
“The awardees are selected by a widely representative committee composed of 12-18 wetlands experts from around the country, including representative from each federal supporting agency, members of the conservation and business communities, and representatives from state and local governments.”
Collis was selected as the recipient of the State, Tribal, and Local Program Development National Wetlands Award. From his perch at DES, Collis has managed to walk that fine line between protecting wetland resources and permitting wetland impacts to allow for continued state growth. Especially in a state that values its rivers and lakes as major recreational industry drivers, weighing preservation with economic growth is like splitting the atom twice. After a decision, if no one is happy, you probably did it right.
He has been active nationally, as well. He has served as chair for the Association of State Wetland Managers. In that capacity, Collis helped create capacity-building projects on a national level in wetland regulation, restoration, monitoring and assessment.
From my perspective, I have always valued Collis for his practical, no-nonsense approach to development projects. “What are the functions and values of these wetlands?” “What have you done to avoid or minimize?” “Why didn’t you try this rather than that?” “You do that, and we’ll get this out the door.” He cuts through the B.S., gets to the bottom line, and you know what you have to work with. You can’t ask for more than that.
I find him to be an impartial reviewer. Collis is willing to listen, to even indulge me when I have another hair-brained scheme I want to run by him. He may not agree with me, but he lets me put it on the table.
So, there you go, you believers in a chaotic and irrational universe. Once in a while, somebody gets what they deserve!
“In My View” is an opinion article that will be emailed to you once a month. It is my view of wetland and other environmental issues that will or may affect your business or organization. It will sometimes give you updates on new rules or legislation that has recently passed. In other cases, I will discuss legislation that is “in the works” at our state capital. As the name would imply, it is my view of what this rule, legislation or change means to you. I am constantly meeting with clients, friends and local regulatory officials who are asking me what this rule means or what that piece of legislation does. For that reason, I am sending this out to associates of GES who might care to have this information. I will not be political, but I do reserve the right to be opinionated. If you do not wish to receive further articles, let us know by a “reply to”, and we will delete your name. If you know of someone who might want to receive future articles, just send this on to them and copy us. We will add them to the distribution list. If in the coming months there is a topic, law, rule or regulation that you would like me to discuss, let us know. If I feel that I am competent to say something about it, I will discuss it in the future.
That concludes this Months article. Each past article will be stored on our website at www.gesinc.biz or Google: Gove Environmental Services, Inc. I hope this will be of value to you.
Jim Gove
jgove@gesinc.biz
603-778-0644 office
603-493-0014 cell