“We are pleased to honor Congresswoman Woolsey, who has spent her 14 years in Congress as a passionate steward of marine conservation and environmental issues, helping to introduce important legislation to protect America’s underwater treasures, our national marine sanctuaries,” said Lori Arguelles, president and CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.

Congresswoman Woolsey represents California’s 6th District, which includes Sonoma County and most of Marin County.  A crusader for environmental issues, Congresswoman Woolsey advocates for a strong environmental agenda through her position as a senior member of the House Committee on Science and Technology. 

In 2004, Congresswoman Woolsey authored what would become one of her signature pieces of legislation, a bill to expand the area encompassed by Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank national marine sanctuaries. 

The Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Boundary Modification and Protection Act was reintroduced by Congresswoman Woolsey in February 2007 with an expanded mandate for protecting the entire coast of Sonoma County.  It is currently one of the most important pieces of legislation affecting the National Marine Sanctuary Program and the conservation of ocean ecosystems.

“I am honored to be receiving this wonderful recognition from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation for the work I am most passionate about: saving our oceans,” Congresswoman Woolsey said. “Now more than ever, we need our sanctuaries to help reverse the damage that has been done to our oceans.  The foundation does so much to educate the public about the valuable role our sanctuaries play in research, education, and marine resource management.  I will continue to make marine conservation one of my top priorities and support the vital work done by our national marine sanctuaries.”

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation’s Leadership Awards Dinner is held in conjunction with the 2007 Capitol Hill Ocean Week, a three-day symposium that features ocean policy experts from government, private industry, nonprofits and academia. Participants seek to raise awareness of the important ocean and coastal issues among our nation’s leaders and to build bridges among various ocean constituencies.

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is the private, non-profit partner to the federally managed National Marine Sanctuary Program. It was created to inspire all people to preserve, protect and promote our nationwide network of marine sanctuaries. The 14 sites within the National Marine Sanctuary System protect special places in the oceans and Great Lakes from the Florida Keys to the Hawaiian Islands and from Lake Huron to the Gulf of Mexico.