COUNTYWIDE

Supervisor Tom Wilson, who has helped foster a greater awareness of coastal issues, was named Coastal Advocate of the Year by the California Coastal Coalition at a recent statewide conference in Monterey.

“We’ve been working hard,” Wilson said, adding that it was a “great boost to have our efforts recognized.”

Steve Aceti, the coalition’s executive director, said Wilson was being honored for vigorously lobbying on behalf of statewide initiatives, Propositions 12 and 13 on last March’s primary ballot, that made funds available for beach restoration projects.

“Supervisor Wilson is someone who has done a lot to help the coastal community statewide,” Aceti said.

Wilson, whose district includes most of the county’s coastline, is the founder and chair of the Orange County Coalition, which includes the six coastal cities and seeks to protect beaches, wetlands and coastal water quality.