Join Nevada EcoNet Friday, Nov. 12 for the 2010 Golden Pinecone Celebration!

We’ll be awarding individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions toward sustaining and improving the natural environment of the Truckee Meadows. The celebration will be held at McKinley Arts Center from 6pm – 9pm. It will be an informal event with hors d’oeuvres and small plates, wine, beer and soft drinks. Tickets are $35.

Enjoy a relaxing and fun evening with friends to celebrate the great environment we enjoy and want to preserve and improve for future generations.   

Tickets to the event are available from Nevada EcoNet for $35 at www.nevadaeconet.org or by calling 323-3433. 

2010 Golden Pinecone Environmental Award Winners

Rebecca Wagner, Public Servant.

Wagner has dramatically expanded the incentives, market and installation of renewable energy. She worked to legalize third-party ownership of renewable energy, carrying forward 6.4 megawatts of expired rebates, and streamlined rebates and funding. Wagner has provided ground level impact to the implementing renewable energy projects. She was awarded the Nevada Renewable Energy Leadership Award in 2010.

Dan Jacquet, BLM Carson City Office, Agency Representative.

Jacquet played a significant role in acquiring lands for open space in northern Nevada, particularly along the Truckee and Carson Rivers. Acquisition of the lands provides wildlife habitat, public access to the river and enhances the health of the rivers and their adjacent lands. He provided significant input to open space planning in Washoe County and in the development of the Swan Lake wildlife area.

Mary Winston/Energy Masters, Business.

Winston started Energy Masters in 2004, one of the state’s first home performance contracting businesses to help homes become more comfortable, healthful, and durable while reducing energy use. She trained with some of the country’s foremost building science organizations and discovered that it’s fairly easy to cut consumption by 30 percent in most homes.

Alicia Reban, Individual.

Reban started the Western Nevada Clean Communities in 1989, which today is known as Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful. In 1998 she established the Nevada Land Conservancy from the Washoe Parks Foundation to protect the special places and open spaces of Nevada. Her tireless efforts resulted in Nevada’s first homegrown land trust which has protected more than six acres of land a day since 1998.

Friends of Nevada Wilderness, Non-profit Organization.

The Friends of Nevada Wilderness has played a major role in passing federal legislation to protect more than 2.5 million acres of new wilderness designation in Nevada since 2000. The Friends have an excellent stewardship program to protect and restore the designated wilderness areas on public lands. They organize weekend work projects to provide needed work on the wilderness areas throughout the state.

Reno City Council, Government Agency.

The City of Reno is implementing a wide-ranging energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative under the City Council Green Priority. Projects include the solar photovoltaic systems and solar thermal systems on city facilities and wind turbines on City Hall, the Downtown Park Gallery, Mira Loma Park and the Stead Wastewater Treatment Plant. When all projects are on-line the city’s carbon footprint will be lowered by 17.2 million pounds of CO2 yearly.