The Georgia Conservation Voters awarded state Rep. Tommy Benton, R-Jefferson, with a 2007 environmental leadership award at a Georgia Water Coalition community meeting Oct. 11 in Athens.

Benton was among 32 members of the Georgia House of Representatives and 15 members of the Georgia Senate to receive the award.

"Representative Benton not only cast votes in favor of protecting Georgia’s natural resources this year, but he actively worked to promote an understanding among his colleagues of the need to protect Georgia’s environment as an integral part of preserving our way of life," Jill Johnson, interim director of Georgia Conservation Voters, said in a statement. "Specifically, Representative Benton opposed legislation that leaves Georgia residents with less power in determining how their counties will grow in the future. He has shown common sense leadership as a member of the House Natural Resources Committee."

Georgia Conservation Voters is a 501(c)(4) nonpartisan citizens organization dedicated to protecting Georgia’s environment and the health of all Georgians by advocating for strong environmental protections, educating and electing conservation-minded leaders, and holding all leaders accountable for their role in protecting and restoring our health and environment.