Dr. Jon Kusler passed away on October 8, 2020. Jon was a leader in helping guide national wetland and floodplain policy since the 1970s. He wrote hundreds of papers on a variety of topics ranging from wetland regulation, restoration, functional assessment to floodplain management. He was the founder of the Association of State Wetland Managers (ASWM), an organization that will continue Jon's legacy and press for improvements in wetland and floodplain conservation. In 1990 he received the first National Wetlands Awards Lifetime Achievement Award from the Environmental Law Institute in recognition of his dedication to wetlands. He was a mover and a shaker for wetland policy and wetlands now receive more attention in the policy arena in large part due to his efforts and those of his collaborators at ASWM and elsewhere. We'll miss Jon, may he rest in peace.
The ASWM has established a memorial page on its website for folks to post sentiments and share stories about Jon. They have also established the Jon A. Kusler Student Scholarship Award to fund student attendance at ASWM's annual State/Tribal/Federal Coordination meeting.