Sustainable Northwest introduces Cecil D. Andrus Award

Sustainable Northwest awards two companies for their demonstrated success as an urban or rural enterprise, and commitment to stewardship of the environment.

The Cecil D. Andrus Leadership Award for Sustainability and Conservation

In late 2005 Sustainable Northwest established this award in association with former Idaho Gov. Cecil D. Andrus. This first 2006 Cecil D. Andrus Award recognizes the proven success of the recipient as a leading rural/urban enterprise that is committed to stewardship of the environment and service to the community, demonstrating a willingness to adapt and innovate while pursuing the highest standards of excellence, and for generously sharing knowledge, insights and energy with others who wish to pursue a similar path. This award will be given annually to one rural and one urban recipient from the West.

PORTLAND—At a gala dinner and awards ceremony Thursday night, Portland-based Sustainable Northwest celebrated 10 years of success promoting rural sustainability and partnering with Northwest communities to achieve environmentally responsible and lasting economic development.

In recognition of the group’s founder, Sustainable Northwest has created a unique award for leadership in sustainability and conservation. The inaugural Cecil D. Andrus Award was presented to two recognized pioneers in this arena.

The awardees are two exemplary Oregon companies – Norm Thompson Outfitters, Inc. of Portland and Stahlbush Island Farms, Inc. of Corvallis. According to a press release from Sustainable Northwest, the award recognizes each company’s demonstrated success as a leading urban and rural enterprise, respectively; their commitment to stewardship of the environment and service to the community; their ongoing ability to adapt and innovate while pursuing the highest standards of excellence; and their generous willingness to share their knowledge, insights and energy with others who wish to pursue a similar sustainable path.

Among many conservation accomplishments, the award’s namesake, Oregon-born Cecil D. Andrus, played a leading role in preserving and protecting Hells Canyon through the creation of the Hells Canyon Recreation Area while governor of Idaho, and the Birds of Prey sanctuary while U.S. interior secretary.

Additionally, he was a leader in protecting Idaho’s Sawtooth and White Cloud Mountains through the creation of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. He was also the point man for the Carter administration’s protection and preservation of what Andrus termed “the crown jewels of Alaska.” Through numerous additions to the national park system, the wilderness system, the wild rivers system, and national wildlife refuges, Andrus ensured the preservation of some 103 million acres in perpetuity through the Alaska Native Land Claims Settlement Act.

“Gov. Andrus has always been a leader ahead of his time, and so are the recipients of the first annual Andrus award. They are ground-breakers in conservation and sustainability and their leadership deserves to be recognized,” said Martin Goebel, president of Sustainable Northwest. Andrus spoke at the event and presented the award to recipients.

“I think Sustainable Northwest is precisely the kind of environmental organization we need for today and tomorrow – one that addresses both environmental and economic challenges and opportunities, one that actively bridges rural and urban interests, for the good of both,” said Andrus of the organization he founded in 1994. He added, “The awardees we are honoring tonight embody those values and pursuits.”

Other speakers at the event included Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, as well as keynote speaker, and Oregon native, Chris Johns, editor of the National Geographic magazine and a new board member of Sustainable Northwest. Charles Jordan, national chairman of The Conservation Fund, introduced Andrus.

The award event took place the evening of Thursday, Jan. 19 at the Cascade Crest Banquet Center, Oregon Zoo, Portland, Ore.

Speaker Biographies

Cecil D. Andrus

Cecil D. Andrus currently serves as the director of the Andrus Center for Public Policy at Boise State University. He also serves as counsel at the Gallatin Group, a political and business strategy consulting firm. In 1994, he founded Sustainable Northwest and served as its first chairman (until 1998).

Andrus began his career as a logger, but quickly rose to political leader in Idaho. He served as governor of Idaho four times — 1970, 1974 (with 74 percent of the vote), 1986 and 1990. He is the only governor of Idaho elected four times.

During the Jimmy Carter presidency (1977-1981), he served as secretary of the interior.

Known as one of the most enduring politicians the West has ever encountered, he is often referred to as a “common sense conservationist.”

During his tenures as governor and secretary he fought for the environment while also understanding the importance of jobs that pay a living wage. The long list of his most notable accomplishments includes the Alaska Lands Bill and the establishment of numerous other protected areas in the lower 48 states. He is an advocate and spokesperson for river restoration, native fish conservation (especially salmon), rural communities and public lands.

A few years ago he published an anthology of his experiences as a western and national leader, “Cecil Andrus: Politics Western Style.”

He has received numerous awards, most recently the 2004 Earl Chiles Conservation Award from the Oregon High Desert Museum. He was born in Hood River, Ore., attended Oregon State University, and lives with his wife of 56 years, Carol, in Boise, Idaho.

Chris Johns

Renowned photographer Chris Johns, editor in chief of National Geographic, is the ninth full-time editor of the magazine since its inception in 1888. Johns was born and raised in Medford, Ore., and graduated with a degree in technical journalism and a minor in agriculture from Oregon State University.

Johns became a National Geographic contract photographer in 1985 and joined the magazine staff in 1995. In December 2003, he was appointed associate editor and to his current editor post in early 2005.

Last year, he became a board member of Sustainable Northwest. He has published numerous acclaimed articles in magazines such as Life and Time, as well as books on topics from Alaska to Africa.

He has received multiple awards for his work, including National Newspaper Photographer of the Year in 1979 and was named one of the world’s 25 most important photographers by American Photo magazine in 2003.

Johns is 52 and lives on a farm in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains with his wife, Elizabeth, and their three children.

Rural Award Recipient

Stahlbush Island Farms Inc.

Leading farmers in the Willamette Valley, Karla and Bill Chambers own and operate Stahlbush Island Farms near Corvallis, Ore. Both native Oregonians, Bill from the Westside and Karla from the Eastside, they met at Oregon State University, where both received undergraduate and graduate degrees in agricultural economics.

As a young couple they began building Stahlbush Island Farms as a successful, vertically integrated operation that today farms 4,000 acres of prime Willamette Valley and Western Oregon farmland.

Stahlbush Island Farms was the first farm in the United States to seek and obtain Food Alliance certification for its exemplary environmental practices, ethical treatment of workers, service to the local community and consistent track record as a viable business. Today, Stahlbush Island Farms produces and processes fruits and vegetables for 16 export markets and all 50 states.

Both Bill and Karla have served in numerous faculty and leadership capacities at Oregon State University. Karla currently serves on the Federal Reserve Board of San Francisco and the Ford Family Foundation. She also served as chairwoman of the State Board of Agriculture in the late-1990’s.

Bill serves on local school and several corporate and district improvement boards. Their work and service has been recognized with numerous awards including: the 2000 U.S. Presidential Award for Leadership in Sustainable Agriculture and 2001 Agribusiness of the Year. They live with their four children at the farm in Corvallis, Ore.

Urban Award Recipient

Norm Thompson Outfitters Inc.

Norm Thompson Outfitters was founded in Portland in 1949 and has long been considered one of the United States’ leading catalog retailers of apparel and gear, travel items, foods and household goods.

Nowadays, the company is one of the top 100 Internet retailers. And it is recognized globally for its sustainability leadership. It built one of Oregon’s first “green” corporate headquarters, trained all employees in The Natural Step principles, and created one of the world’s first full-time sustainability manager positions.

They have pioneered the effort to rank the products they sell based on a sustainability scorecard, thus stimulating their suppliers to improve their own awareness and commitment.

They have also committed to sourcing many products locally and regionally. For example, they have a line of garments with Imperial Stock Ranch, a sustainable farm in Maupin, Ore., and produced in their totality in eastern Oregon.

One of the company’s brands, Solutions, continues to introduce green products into the marketplace. And another brand, Sahalie, is a leading seller of organic cotton garments.

Norm Thompson is the recipient of numerous accolades including the Corporate Award from the Ecological Society of America, the Environmental Mailer of the Year, and was inducted in the Green Mail Hall of Fame in 2004.