TCA’s Vice Chair Richard LeTourneau has been fighting conservation battles since he was a teenager.
And he’s still fighting them. To recognize his amazing body of work, Texas Conservation Alliance is proud to award Richard the Ned and Genie Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is reserved for people close to TCA who have dedicated many years of service to protecting our state’s vital natural resources.
Richard LeTourneau has taken on the chores that aren’t fun. He’s served more than twenty years on the Region D Water Planning Group, with two stints as chair – a tedious, time-consuming, thankless task, but one that has been absolutely crucial in keeping Marvin Nichols Reservoir at bay.
Richard served on the task force that drafted the state wetlands plan. He represented NE Tx on the State Water Implementation Task Force, making numerous trips to Austin at his own expense. He’s been on the board of TCA, Friends of Caddo Lake Refuge, and a number of other groups. He fought shoulder to shoulder with TCA and the Little Sandy Hunting and Fishing Club to keep the Little Sandy National Wildlife Refuge from being taken out the refuge system and drowned under a reservoir. He also has this sneaky habit of slipping away from gatherings of conservationists and paying for everyone’s lunch.
In presenting the award to Richard at TCA’s 50th Anniversary Annual Meeting in October, we just scratched the surface of Richard’s attainments. He’s showed up for Wilderness Pow Wow’s, annual meetings, and events, always saying, “How can I help?” He’s been a generous contributor and has raised money from others. He’s given his time, money, thought, and heart to protecting Texas’ environment.
Since he’s also an ardent outdoorsman and has paddled the entire Sabine River, we decided a paddle would be good focus of this award.
Richard’s boyhood nickname is Knob or Knobby, named after the beautiful Penobscot River in Maine. We were happy to find a handcrafted paddle, also named Penobscot. We had TCA’s logo engraved on it and the words: Richard LeTourneau, Ned and Genie Fritz Lifetime Achievement Award, 2020.