David Moore Receives 2004 Marcellus Hartley Dodge Memorial Award

David F. Moore of Mendham Township is being honored for his life-long commitment to the environment in New Jersey. 

Trustees from the original Great Swamp Committee, the group that had led the successful effort to preserve the Swamp and create the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, banded together in 1969 and formed the North Jersey Conservation Foundation, offering the Executive Directorship to David. Later this group expanded its sphere of operations and became the New Jersey Conservation Foundation. David remained their Executive Director until his retirement in 1999. 

During his three decades as Executive Director of NJCF he built that organization into one of the country’s foremost land conservation groups. In his tenure there the NJCF saved over 70,000 acres of open space, hundreds of acres of that in the Great Swamp Watershed.

Under David’s leadership the NJCF was a major supporter of the Pinelands Protection Act, the Open Lands Management Act, the Freshwater Wetlands Act and he supported every Green Acres bonding issue.

David Moore also helped found New Jersey Future, the Stockton Alliance, ANJEC, and the Pinelands Preservation Alliance. He has been Chair of the State of New Jersey Tidelands Council, director of the State Green & Gold Task Force, co-Chair of the Stockton Alliance, Secretary-Treasurer of the State Natural Lands Trust and Chief of Natural Areas for New Jersey.

He has received numerous awards, including the ANJEC Environmental Achievement Award, the Garden Club of America Gold Award, the NJ Environmental Lobby Man of the Year, the Morris 2000 Leadership Award and many others. During all this he somehow found time to write a weekly column, “The State We’re In”, that appeared in over 100 newspapers throughout New Jersey.

Given each year by the Great Swamp Watershed Association, the Marcellus Hartley Dodge Memorial Award is presented to an individual who has made a significant impact on natural, cultural and historic preservation in the Watershed. Presenting this year’s award is James G. Gilbert of Morristown. Jim is a member of numerous boards of directors, including New Jersey Planning Officials, the NJCF, New Jersey Future and New Jersey Common Cause. He was one of the drafters of the original State Development & Redevelopment Plan. He is currently working with a group to help preserve land and protect the headwaters of Great Brook, one of the feeder streams into the Great Swamp.

The award will be presented at the Watershed Association’s Annual Meeting and Silent Auction on November 5, 2004 at the Basking Ridge Country Club. Tickets are available from the Watershed Association 973-538-3500 x 15.

The Great Swamp Watershed Association was founded in 1981 to protect the environmental, cultural, and historical resources of the Great Swamp watershed region. For information on becoming a member, and to learn about upcoming events, visit the Watershed Association website at www.greatswamp.org. or call 973-966-1900.

##########