GAITHERSBURG, Maryland -- The Izaak Walton League of America, a national leader in community-based conservation, presented former Rock Island Mayor Mark Schwiebert with the League's prestigious Honor Roll Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the conservation of America's natural and renewable resources.


Under the leadership of Mayor Mark Schwiebert, the city of Rock Island is going green. Mayor Schwiebert formed a City Hall Green Team to work on local sustainability. The city bought a fleet of hybrid vehicles and changed building codes to encourage green practices. The city also purchased an abandoned hydropower plant and is outfitting it with new turbines to create carbon-free power that will meet more than 50 percent of the city government's power needs. Mayor Schwiebert has encouraged citizens to plant rain gardens and otherwise reduce surface water runoff, and the city reimburses homeowners for a part of the cost. The city also worked with the Environmental Protection Agency to decontaminate two brownfields areas and turn them into city parks.


"Community-based conservation programs are critical to solving our current environmental crisis," says Mike Williams, the League's national president. "We are thankful for Mayor Schwiebert's initiatives on behalf of the citizens of Rock Island and proud to honor his service in protecting America's outdoors with this award."

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