MSM 497 Clyde Brown - The Grand Bay NERR

As a third generation fisherman, Clyde Brown grew up hunting and fishing on the Gulf Coast.  Even as he pursued a career with International Paper, he worked to preserve the natural resources of the Gulf and protect the interests of fishermen. In 1982, Brown worked to dredge out an access canal into Bayou Heron after it became filled-in through disuse.  He recalls how they raised the funds for a landing to make Bayou Heron accessible for everyone. Due to his interest in preserving our marine resources, Brown was appointed to the Gulf of Mexico Program for Fisheries.  He describes his work with the program and how his desire to establish a reserve in Jackson County led the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve or NERR.  Brown credits his wife's pecan pie for sealing the deal. Clyde Brown was awarded NOAA's Environmental Hero Award in recognition of his thirty-year commitment to coastal conservation.  He looks back on the occasion with humor and humility.