Society of Environmental Journalist Awards (Science/Technology) 2011

Shell Games
Craig Allen Welch

Shell Games is a wonderful combination of solid reporting, good historical research and fine writing. In it, Seattle Times environment reporter Craig Welch tackles the issue of geoduck clam poaching and smuggling. It is an issue that could easily be reported as a local story, but Welch expands it into an international one, making clear to readers who live outside the Pacific Northwest why the issue matters. The original investigative reporting on the black market for these aquatic creatures makes it a terrific work of journalism; the strong narrative as the author follows undercover agents keeps the reader engaged from start to finish.

Disguised as a regional book about Florida, Paving Paradise is an absolute must-read for anyone concerned about regulatory incompetence and accountability, especially that of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its enormous influence on how our nation's land is destroyed and its water polluted by unwise development. The authors spent more than three years investigating state and federal agencies that just couldn't say no to developers. Their exhaustive research is highly evident in this book, not just in connecting the dots between different projects but also in gaining the trust of key officials for hard-hitting candor and insight. Commendable. Gutsy. An excruciatingly well-documented and thorough examination of what went wrong in the Sunshine State. "This is top-notch investigative journalism," one judge said.