High Desert Museum honors conservationist

The High Desert Museum’s $15,000 Earl A. Chiles Award was awarded this week to J. Martin Goebel, president of Sustainable Northwest of Portland.

The High Desert Museum’s $15,000 Earl A. Chiles Award was awarded this week to J. Martin Goebel, president of Sustainable Northwest of Portland.

The award is presented each year to a person who works in the High Desert and promotes thoughtful management of the ecosystem and its natural resources.

According to a news release from the museum, Goebel was selected for his work to help organize and facilitate a management plan for a 495,000-acre section of the Fremont-Winema National Forest. The Lake County Resources Initiative supports conservation and job creation with a lumber mill and biomass plant, the release said.

Goebel will receive the award at a banquet on Dec. 7.