Environmental Law Institute - National Wetlands Awards

Mr. Dorney, an employee of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, has been the visionary and driving force behind the development of North Carolina’s wetland and stream protection programs since 1990.

He has taken the state from a one-person operation to having one of the finest wetland protection programs in the country.

His greatest accomplishment is the inclusive, multidisciplinary philosophy that is the underpinning of the state’s program.

His primary activities are numerous, but several examples include: developing rules to protect wetlands, expanding the §401 water quality certification program, and developing policy for wetland-related programs.