Jim Dobson to receive Holman Water Quality Stewardship Award
Tom Bennett Contributing writer

Jim Dobson

Jim Dobson, retired superintendent of the Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center and Union County, Ga., resident, has been named the recipient of the first annual Holman Water Quality Stewardship Award of the Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition.

"Jim Dobson has dedicated his career and significant time in retirement to educating people about soil and water," said Callie Moore, executive director of the Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition (HRWC). "He is a founding member of HRWC who, 13 years later, continues to set the standard for our board of directors for spirited participation."

The banquet is set for Saturday night, January 17, 2009 at Brasstown Valley resort in Young Harris, Ga. The 6:30 p.m. dinner will be preceded by a silent auction.

Bill Holman is a visiting scholar at the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University. He is former executive director of the Clean Water Management Trust Fund and also former secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. He is renowned leader on water quality issues and has been invited to attend and address this first banquet, presenting the award named for him.

The Hiwassee River, tributaries and reservoirs in North Carolina and Georgia are in relatively good health when compared with other southern Appalachian waters. However, there is pollution from construction, livestock, and landfills, septic tanks in the country and sewers in the towns, just to name a few.

The sponsorship levels for the Holman banquet are Platinum, $5,000; Gold, $3,000; Silver, $2000; and Blue, $250. It costs only $25 to attend the banquet as a "Friend of the Hiwassee."

The goals for the Holman banquet in this first year are one Platinum; two Gold; two Silver; 10 Blue and 50 Friend of the Hiwassee sponsorships. With that and silent-auction income, it can defray costs and clear $14,500 in the inaugural. Its annual budget is $142,000.

The officers of HRWC are Gil Nicolson of Clay County, chairperson; Anne Mitchell of Towns County, Ga., vicechairperson; and Brenda Hull of Clay County, treasurer. The other board members are Silas Allen of Cherokee County; Andy Blankenship of Clay County; John Bowen, Eddie Bradley and Ben Kennedy of Towns County; honoree Jim Dobson and Robert Head Jr. of Union County, Ga.; and this writer. None receive any monetary compensation.

Therunners-up for the inaugural award, in the balloting by a board of directors committee, were: Silas Allen; Joan Crothers of Hiawassee, Ga.; John Kay of Young Harris, Ga.; John Kelley of Young Harris; Bill Kendall of Hiawassee; Lamar Paris of Blairsville, Ga.; Elaine Russell of Murphy; and Tom Stark of Durham, NC.

The Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition is a 501(c)(3) conservation nonprofit organization whose mission is to facilitate water quality improvements in the upper Hiwassee River basin. Summaries of its board meetings are online at http://www.hrwc.net/hrwcboardmeetings. htm

Tom Bennett of the Martins Creek community near Murphy, N.C., is a volunteer for the Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition.