BAY MINETTE, Ala. — Leslie Lassitter has been involved in numerous environmental organizations throughout her career at ADEM and currently as environmental manager of the city of Foley.

Bay Minette Intermediate School students are leading the way in encouraging other students and parents to join recycling efforts, and establishing a community-wide recycling program.

Both are among the award winners in this year’s Environmental Responsibility Awards gleaned from nominations countywide during the past 12 months.

Since 1998, the Baldwin County Environmental Advisory Board has presented more than 66 awards to individuals, agencies, organizations and companies that have demonstrated high levels of concern for environmental protection and enhancements.

This year’s winners are:

• Student initiative award, Bay Minette Intermediate School.

The school’s People in Route to Achieving Terrific Educational Success class has focused on recycling the last year. Students lead by example and their recycling efforts prompted other students at school to take an active role by leading a field day recycling project. Students make weekly walking trips to off-campus recycling bins.

Many families of students now recycle at home, and the project leads a community recycling trend.

•Individual citizen award, Leslie Lassitter, Foley.

Lassitter has developed environmental ordinances for the city of Foley which have been used as a pattern in other municipalities. She also facilitated development of Foley’s Graham Creek Nature Preserve.

She is involved in many environmental organizations and causes, including serving on the Baldwin County Environmental Advisory Board, the Coastal Clean Water Partnership, and the Wolf Bay Watershed Watch board of directors.

Lassitter is chairwoman of the Elberta Planning Commission and the Baldwin County Watershed Coalition. She also judges science fairs, moderates Coastal Kids Quiz and lectures on environmental issues.

• Small business award, LuLu’s at Homeport Marina, Gulf Shores.

Lulu’s works with the Clean Coast Partnership to improve sustainable and environmentally friendly practices among local businesses along the Gulf Coast. Restaurant employees recycle much of their waste, and actively support the local food movement by serving only county-grown tomatoes, and burgers are made from pasture-raised, grass-fed and finished cattle.

A wind turbine generates electricity for the restaurant, and cups are made of corn for easy composting. The parking lot incorporates rain gardens which improves the quality of storm water runoff into the Intracoastal Waterway.

• Large business award, Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club and Spa, Point Clear.

The resort implemented “A Greener Grand,” which altered 40 of their operation strategies for more environmental responsibility. Recyclables included plastic and glass and the hotel makes compost, buys local produce and has installed environmentally friendly lighting and plumbing fixtures.

Paspalum grass is irrigated with Mobile Bay water rather than fresh water. Groundskeepers use salt water rather than herbicides to kill weeds, and resort staff set up an exhibit at Earth Day at the Fairhope Pier to demonstrate environmental responsibility.

• Environmental organization award, Southeastern Wildlife Conservation Group’s Monofilament Line Recycling Program, Spanish Fort.

The Southeastern Wildlife Conservation Group began the Alabama Coastal Clean Ocean Initiative in 2007 to protect the marine ecosystems by reducing the amount of products that enter local waterways and watersheds.

The group began an extensive monofilament recycling program along the Alabama Gulf Coast, utilizing informational signs and educational brochures to show ecosystem harm generated by plastic products, and means of recycling monofilament.

• Educational program award, Baldwin County Water Festival, Fairhope.

Since 2004, the annual Baldwin County Water Festival has educated about 6,000 fourth grade students and teachers about water, watersheds and pollution protection.

Students participate in hands-on activities which raise awareness about water resources, and instill an overall sense of environmental stewardship.

Water Festival pays all field trip costs, including transportation, making the event free and accessible to all students. The steering committee consists of state agencies, local utilities, environmental groups and the county public school system.

• Government agency award, town of Magnolia Springs.

The town incorporated in June 2006 to maintain a small-town atmosphere and protect the Magnolia River. An application has been sent to ADEM to designate Magnolia River as an Outstanding Alabama Water.

Many residents have been trained by Alabama Water Watch to sample water chemistry and bacteria levels. The town has enacted stormwater regulations and zoning designations to protect the watershed, and a grant was received to study water quality and sediment loading.

• Special recognition award, League of Women Voters of Baldwin County, Fairhope.

The league’s environmental committee has worked the last four years educating the public and municipal officials about water quality issues.

They sponsored educational and developmental programs presenting facts and research with a goal of increasing coordinated management of coastal counties and their resources.

The county chapter was instrumental in forming the position statement for the Alabama State League of Women Voters on the issue of coastal zone management, which was approved at the Annual Council in May.

• Special recognition award, cooperative effort between multiple agencies and organizations for protection of the Alabama Red-Bellied Turtle, Spanish Fort.

The Baldwin County Commission recognizes the effort of individuals, agencies and organizations who rallied in 2007 to protect the endangered Alabama Red-Bellied Turtle from road-kill mortality along portions of the Mobile Bay Causeway in Spanish Fort.

Since 1995, it has been documented that the state’s official state reptile was being hit by cars on the Causeway during the turtles’ annual summertime search for suitable dry ground for nesting.

From 2001-2006, David Nelson and his University of South Alabama staff combed the Causeway and recorded a loss of at least 444 turtles, including an average of 12 egg-carrying females each year.

The statistics sparked the interest of Matt Aresco, a biologist and turtle specialist with the Nokuse Plantation in Florida.

He established savetheredbelly.org, a Web site, and initiated a letter-writing campaign to raise awareness of the issue.

Temporary silt fencing was installed along areas of highest mortality. Aresco and the Nokuse Plantation donated 1,500 feet of silt fence, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rented a trencher and fencing was installed in June 2007. Permanent fencing was completed in the spring of 2008.

Nelson reported turtle mortality was reduced by 75 percent.