MUCC names Lt. Governor Cherry 2005 Conservationist of the Year

The vice chair of the Great Lakes Commission, Michigan Lt. Gov. John Cherry, Jr., has been named 2005 Conservationist of the Year by the Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC). Cherry was presented with the award at the MUCC’s annual convention June 18 in Lansing, Mich.

“I was raised to cherish and respect Michigan’s bountiful natural gifts,” said Cherry. “I am proud to have been a part of creating state policies that protect our natural resources from misuse, pollution and destruction.”

Cherry was elected vice chair of the Great Lakes Commission on May 14 at the Commission’s 2005 Semiannual Meeting in Buffalo, N.Y., succeeding former Commissioner John Goss of Indiana.

An avid hunter and outdoorsman, Lt. Governor Cherry has been a tireless advocate for Michigan’s outdoors throughout his career. He has championed Great Lakes water quality through his work on Great Lakes Restoration and as a member of the Michigan delegation to the Great Lakes Commission. While in the Senate, Cherry authored or co-sponsored several milestone laws to protect Michigan’s environment and encourage conservation. As lieutenant governor, he has been active in the Shooting Range Environmental Stewardship Program and led efforts to keep Chronic Wasting Disease out of Michigan’s deer herd.

The MUCC is the largest statewide conservation organization in the United States with more than 500 chapters and 100,000 members. The group is dedicated to conserving Michigan's wildlife, fisheries, waters, forests, air, and soils through education and advocacy.