Congrats to Gene and James Barrie!

There were eleven other winners from four different regions in the state. 

From the press release: "The annual Pelican Awards recognize exemplary action to protect and preserve the coastal environment. The winners [received] the awards Saturday at a luncheon at the Duke Marine Lab near Beaufort.

'These awards are our way of recognizing extraordinary commitment to protecting and preserving our coast,' said Todd Miller, the federation’s founder and executive director. 'We should never underestimate the power that many people bring to the effort of assuring that our coast remains a healthy and vibrant place. We can’t thank them enough.'”

James Barrie Gaskill and Gene Ballance join two other winners in the Northeast Region. You can read that press release in its entirety if you wish, but we've provided the good parts: 

"Beacon Island in the Pamlico Sound is one of only nine remaining nesting sites in North Carolina for brown pelicans. Springer’s Point Nature Preserve also on Ocracoke is a local cultural landmark and the reputed hideout of renowned pirate, Blackbeard. But these two coastal areas were threatened by shoreline erosion.

Gaskill and Ballance have been key to halting the erosion by restoring oyster reefs around Beacon Island and Springer’s Point. Together, they filled thousands of bags of recycled oyster shells that they then used to build sills that buffer the shorelines. While helping to protect the islands from erosion, this living shoreline is also providing valuable habitat and improving water quality. But James Barrie’s and Gene’s contribution is not all brawn and muscle. For many years, their knowledge of the water, local fishing history and maritime skills have significantly advanced oyster restoration efforts throughout North Carolina. These commercial fishermen are key members of the Ocracoke Working Watermen’s Association and the Ocracoke Preservation Society, and were part of the team that devised a plan to save these areas."

Way to go, guys! James Barrie is also the NCCF's cover boy this in the 2013 edition of "Our Coast" magazine. See his smiling face here.  

About the NCCF: Since its grassroots formation in 1982 the federation is the state's only  501(c)(3) non-profit organization that focuses exclusively on protecting and restoring the coast of North Carolina through education, advocacy and habitat preservation and restoration.