Environmental Farming at Martorana


Martorana Family Winery, First Winery to Receive the Associate of Fish & Wildlife Agencies’ Private Lands Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Award

The Associate of Fish & Wildlife Agencies has awarded Martorana Family Winery the Private Lands Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Award. This is the first time a vineyard has received the award for fish habitat restoration. The AFWA’s prestigious award recognizes individual or family-run farms, ranches or forest operations that have incorporated proactive conservation and environmental protection measures.

Gio Martorana accepted the Private Lands Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Award in St. Louis Missouri on Tuesday, September 23rd.


PRIVATE LANDS FISH AND WILDLIFE STEWARDSHIP AWARD

This year’s recipient of AFWA’s Private Lands Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Award—Gio Martorana, owner of the Martorana Family Winery & Vineyards—can answer the question of how to pair wine-making with fish.

For many years, Martorana has implemented a variety of practices to balance production while protecting and restoring native steelhead and salmon populations at his property on Grape Creek, a tributary to Dry Creek and the Russian River in Sonoma County, California.

The Martorana Family Winery & Vineyards has worked to address many of the critical threats that salmonids face in the Russian River and other coastal streams including loss of habitat complexity and riparian cover, barriers to fish passage, water quality issues and low flow resulting from water diversions.

“I love fishing and now I have my own son to teach the ways of the outdoors. Without fish to catch, he cannot understand the feeling one gets when a fish hits your line,” said Martorana. “My son will know that feeling as long as people like us continue to do our work to preserve our fish and wildlife resources. I accept this award for all my neighbors and all of the people who have worked on Grape Creek.”


About The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies represents North America’s fish and wildlife agencies to advance sound, science-based management and conservation of fish and wildlife and their habitats in the public interest.

The Association represents its state agency members on Capitol Hill and before the Administration to advance favorable fish and wildlife conservation policy and funding and works to ensure that all entities work collaboratively on the most important issues. The Association also provides member agencies with coordination services on cross-cutting as well as species-based programs that range from birds, fish habitat and energy development to climate change, wildlife action plans, conservation education, leadership training and international relations.