Tucson Power Company Honored For Aiding Wildlife
Arizona Game and Fish Commission has honored Tucson Electric Power Co. (TEP) with its Award of Excellence for the company’s efforts to help Southern Arizona wildlife survive the drought stricken summer of 2002.
TEP was recognized for filling manmade watering holes that provide water for hawks, bobcats, mountain lions, javelina and other animals that occupy the desert around Tucson. TEP employees hauled water in the company’s 3,000 gallon tanker truck to more than 20 reservoirs over the course of six weeks in June, July and August.
“Such outstanding efforts are in keeping with the highest ideas of citizenship and concern for the environment, reflecting greatly upon their organization,” wrote Gerald Perry, a regional supervisor for the Game and Fish Department, in his nomination of TEP for the award.
The Game and Fish Department maintains reservoirs, called catchments, in wilderness areas across the state. Under normal conditions, rainwater and snow runoff are collected in the large, concrete lined basins and stored for later use by a wide variety of desert animals.
But last year’s drought left many catchments almost dry as summer’s heat approached. The Game and Fish Department, meanwhile, was struggling with a budget shortfall that left little room for watering expenses.
James Pyers, vice president of Utility Distribution Company operations for TEP, challenged his employees to find a way to help. A team led by Distribution Services Superintendent Joe Sheehey responded by hauling more than 30 loads in the company’s tanker truck to remote catchments, delivering water drawn from TEP’s Irvington Generating Station.
“Such dedication and uncompensated excellence is outstanding and makes Tucson Electric Power and its employee Joe Sheehey exceptional examples of the model Arizona citizens,” Perry wrote.
TEP is one of six recipients of the Commission’s Award of Excellence for 2002, and the only recipient from the Tucson area. The award honors individuals, groups or other entities that have excelled in efforts to benefit wildlife, wildlife habitats or programs of the Game and Fish Department.
The Game and Fish Commission, a five member panel appointed by the governor to set policies for the department, presented TEP with the award on January 18 during its annual awards banquet in Phoenix.
“TEP’s commitment to this community isn’t limited to those species that pay electric bills,” said James S. Pignatelli, chairman, president and chief executive officer of TEP and its parent company, UniSource Energy Corp. “I’m proud that we found a way to help our local wildlife survive a particularly dry summer.”
Provided by theEnvironmental News Service.
