BALTIMORE, MD. - November 19, 2008 - David P. Steiner, Chief Executive Officer of Waste Management, received the first prestigious Conservation Education and Outreach -- C.E.O. -- Award on behalf of Waste Management from the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) at the Wildlife Habitat Council’s 20th Annual Symposium, 20/20 Vision: Celebrating the Past, Looking to the Future.

The William W. Howard C.E.O. Award, named in honor of the late president of WHC, is the organization's most prestigious award, and recognizes a corporate member which has a history of striving for excellence in conservation, education and outreach. Different than other WHC recognition levels, this award honors not a single site, but rather an entire organization for its combined efforts in providing educational experiences, access to quality education opportunities and the opportunity to experience personal contact with the natural world to its employees and the surrounding community.

"The C.E.O. Award recognizes the exemplary effort of a corporation which demonstrates that one of the best ways to ensure long-term sustainability of conservation programs is to have strong engagement on the human level," said Robert Johnson, WHC's President. "WHC's conservation education programs like Corporate Lands for Learning and Conservation Education Sites put a human face on those noble efforts, linking them to the local community and to the region."

Steiner credits the combination of Waste Management employees and WHC staff for ensuring that the company’s projects qualify for the stringent certification guidelines.

"This is something that I am proud of because not just any site can receive this certification "“ wildlife management practices must be go beyond what is required, involve the community and be sustainable over time," Steiner said. "The Wildlife Habitat Council is key to helping us meet our wildlife management goal. We have a goal of 100 sites certified by 2020, and we are now halfway there thanks to the dedication of Waste Management employees."

Through developing comprehensive habitat management practices, providing educational opportunities, and partnering with conservation and environmental groups, universities and our communities, Waste Management has achieve wildlife habitat certification at 49 of its landfill sites, Steiner said. Marcia Maslonek, Vice-President of Programs for WHC, concurred, saying that many urban children don’t experience nature and animals in their natural habitat.

"The growing trends of American students falling behind in science studies and the current generation of children being disconnected to nature have prompted many member companies to become more involved in a wide variety of education efforts," she said. "Many of our most forward thinking-companies realize that outdoor conservation learning environments may be used as an integrating context in which to reinforce a host of other academic disciplines, as well as providing children an appreciation of and connection to nature."

Today, Waste Management landfills provide more than 19,000 acres of protected land for wetlands and wildlife habitat, which are carefully managed in partnership with conservationists, universities and environmental groups. Many of these projects provide refuge for threatened or endangered species. They also serve to broaden understanding of wildlife and environmental values through environmental education, volunteer participation and community outreach.

Through partnerships with the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) and with the help of WM employees and local community organizations, WM has developed habitat management programs on company sites. WHC's Wildlife at Work Certification program focuses on wildlife management, and employee and community involvement. WHC's Corporate Lands for Learning (CLL) program fosters in learners, both adults and children, a clear understanding of the interdependence of ecology, economics, social structures and political process in both urban and rural areas. To date, 49 Waste Management facilities have received the Wildlife at Work certification. Ten Waste Management facilities have received the Corporate Lands for Learning certification.

About Wildlife Habitat Council
Celebrating 20 years in conservation, the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) is a nonprofit, non-lobbying organization dedicated to increasing the quality and amount of wildlife habitat on corporate, private and public lands. WHC devotes its resources to building partnerships with corporations and conservation groups to create solutions that balance the demands of economic growth with the requirements of a healthy, biodiverse and sustainable environment. More than 2.4 million acres in 46 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 16 other countries are managed for wildlife through WHC-assisted projects. To learn more, visit www.wildlifehc.org.

About Waste Management
Waste Management, based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Our subsidiaries provide collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. We are also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. Our customers include residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout North America. To learn more visit www.wm.com or www.thinkgreen.com.

Waste Management

Waste Management

Waste Management, based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Our subsidiaries provide collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. We are also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. Our customers include residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout North America.

More from Waste Management