b'LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENTEnvironmental Stewardship daily operations and to take actions where Define your Passion possible to reduce our dependence on dis-posable items, limit our impacts on the Since this issue of FOGHORN focuses on thewildlife and shorelines we travel and to environment, I wanted to take a moment towork by volunteering our time to organiza-encourage you to strengthen your passiontions that better the Prince William Sound for environmental stewardship by sharing aregion and Alaska. Through all of his work bit about our companys founder and story.he emphasized the need for balance and Environmental stewardship at StanColleen Stephens understanding between industry and en-Stephens Cruises is woven into ourvironmental protection when he wrote, I everyday actions and decisions. From thethink it is so important that weindustry start of our operations 49 years ago, we were wise to ourand people concerned with the environmentwork potential environmental impacts and made decisionstogether, I want to see us develop a program that the accordingly. This dedi- rest of the world could cation to protecting ourlook up to. We support region of Alaska becamethe industry, but we a passion overnight inalso need to protect 1989 with the devas- other interests. We want tating Exxon Valdez oilto make sure there is a spill.balance.My late father, Stan Stephens, operated onePVAs Green WATERS of the first vessels toVessel and Associate respond to the disaster.members of PVA are In addition, we hadboth equally dependent vessels on contract withon healthy waterways in the Alaska Departmentorder for our businesses ofEnvironmentalto thrive. Therefore, it Conservation for theis important for each of first year of response.us to take time to look During the first monthat our operations, our of clean-up, prior to ourstaff, and the resources normal tour season, Dadavailable to us in our was on the front linescommunity to help us watching the response,define our organiza-decision making and,tions passion for envi-to be honest, sometimesronmental stewardship. the lack of both. HisThe Passenger Vessel personal journal fromAssociations Green April 18, 1989, reads,WATERS program en-Today is absoluteClean up efforts after the devastating 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. Photos: Alaskacourages members confusion. They foundResources Library and Information Services to look at all aspects a lot of oil north of Perryof their businesses Island in Wells Passage. Equipment is starting to breakincluding the office and shore support facilities, vessel down. So, there are less and less skimmers working.design and construction, fuel type and consumption, The oil is getting so spread out they cannot handle it. Agalley processes, engine maintenance and emissions, whole month has gone by without a real understand- water use, marketing, reservations, and environmental ing of those in charge on how big Prince William Soundspecific training. By simply completing the voluntary really is. Im dedicating the rest of my life and spareassessment and application, a business will have the time to the protection of the environment. opportunity to look internally and define the steps it is Dad/Stans new life focus and dedication to envi- taking to improve its dedication to practical environmen-ronmental stewardship was transferred to anyone hetally sound operations. worked with or met, and that message has not beenThe PVA Green WATERS program has flexibility forgotten. Today, his ideals empower us to look at ourLETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT, CONTINUED ON PAGE 464JULY 2020FOGHORN'