LONGVIEW, Texas — East Texas is such a beautiful place to live. But, it may not be that way without the help of one of its residents.
Longview native Richard LeTourneau recently received the Texas Conservation Alliance's (TCA) Richard the Ned and Genie Lifetime Achievement Award.
Named after TCA founders Ned and Genie Fritz, this award is given to those who have dedicated many years of service to protecting our state’s vital natural resources.
"East Texas is one of the most beautiful places on Earth and Richard is a native of here and he really cares about the forests, rivers and wildlife of Texas," said Janice Bezanson, TCA Senior Policy Director. "Richard has quietly gone about being effective at protecting natural areas, literally for decades. All without fanfare, all without asking for any kind of reward.. and it was his persistence and his diligence that impressed everyone to the point that we felt like he had to have this award."
From being a TCA board member, to serving multiple task forces during his career, LeTourneau know how important it is we sustain the ecosystems of East Texas.
"Well, it’s critical to many types of wildlife and the habitat itself is critical that there can be any wildlife at all," LeTourneau said. "So it’s both protecting the wildlife and protecting the habitat."
LeTourneau has proven care and hard work is all it takes to leave a lasting impact.
"Well, I would like to thank the Texas Conservation Alliance for being so supportive and doing such good work for so many years, many victories over the years and hopefully many more, " sid LeTourneau.
If you know of a feel-good story around East Texas, reach out to CBS19's Chandlor Jordan at CJordan@cbs19.tv.