Two Hawaii-based Navy commands were winners of Chief of Naval Operations Environmental Awards, it was announced Monday in Washington D.C. The Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands, on Kauai won the award for Natural Resources Conservation for small naval installations
Two Hawaii-based Navy commands were winners of Chief of Naval Operations Environmental Awards, it was announced Monday in Washington D.C.
The Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands, on Kauai won the award for Natural Resources Conservation for small naval installations (along with Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan and Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan).
“The Ohana (family) here at Pacific Missile Range Facility is simply awesome and they truly deserve all the recognition. I couldn’t be more proud of the daily efforts put forth by each and every member of our team,” said Capt. Bruce Hay, Commanding Officer of PMRF.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90), homeported at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, was selected as the Navy’s top surface combatant ship for the CNO environmental award.
PMRF implemented numerous groundbreaking initiatives toward conservation, environmental protection and protection of endangered species.
For example, under the Laysan Albatross Conservation program, PMRF transferred eggs to Campbell National Wildlife refuge on Oahu to provide new shelter for the birds and reduce the risk of aircraft strikes.
The “Dark Sky” initiative, which directed the turning off of all non-essential exterior lighting on PMRF during the Newell Shearwater, Hawaiian and Band-Rumped Storm Petrel migration season, reduced “fallout” by these endangered birds that are naturally attracted to light.
All CNO winners will go on to the Secretary of the Navy level of competition.
