King County Executive Dow Constantine kicked off Earth Week by honoring 13 organizations with the Green Globe Awards, including OneBothell, Forterra and the city of Bothell, for working protect and improve the local environment. The Green Globe Awards are the County’s highest honor for local environmental efforts.

“The Green Globe recipients reflect our region’s steadfast commitment to protecting the natural environment that is central to our quality of life,” Constantine said. “We are the proud home to innovative businesses, nonprofits, cities, and tribal nations that are helping us create a more sustainable future.”

OneBothell, Forterra and the city of Bothell were specifically honored for leadership in land preservation.

The three groups are partnering with King County to save the 89-acre Wayne Golf Course from development. The property contains nearly a mile of shoreline along the Sammamish River – a migratory corridor critical to restoring chinook salmon to the North Lake Washington basin.

“Acquiring the Wayne Golf Course is a rare chance to protect important habitat in an urban area, with opportunity to implement large-scale habitat restoration,” a release from King County states.

The top honor — Environmental Catalyst Award — went to the Lummi Nation, which led a broad coalition of Indian Tribes, environmental groups, local governments and individuals in opposition of building what would have been the largest coal export terminal ever constructed in North America in northern Puget Sound – posing a tremendous threat to the health of people, water and air quality, and to fish and wildlife habitat.

Other honorees include: leader in climate justice – Puget Sound Sage; leader in open space conservation – Doug McClelland; leader in supporting rural sustainability – Snoqualmie Valley Preservation Alliance; Corporate leader in community stewardship – REI; leader in environmentally sustainable business practices – King County Housing Authority; leader in sustainable building – Northwest EcoBuilding Guild; leader in product stewardship – LightRecycle Washington; leader in air quality solutions – Just Health Action; leader in community stewardship – Cascade Middle School Drug and Alcohol Prevention Team; leader in supporting waste to resources – Northwest Biosolids; and leader in renewable energy innovation – Puget Sound Energy.

The Green Globe Awards are presented every two years to coincide with Earth Day activities.