Nellis environmental grove to be renamed, rededicated Published March 19, 2008 By Staff Sgt. Travis Edwards Nellis AFB Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- The environmental grove at Nellis will be rededicated to Maj. Gen. Billy McCoy April 3, from 10 to 11 a.m. General McCoy was commander of the U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons Center, which is now known as the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center. The ceremony, which will take place at the grove pavilion, comes 16 years after the groundbreaking of the original environmental grove, which was created in appreciation of General McCoy's vision of "mission accomplishment through environmental excellence." "General McCoy was a pioneer in that he established the Nellis Environmental Office filled with 23 environmentalists in 1990; he recognized the importance of environmental protection while accomplishing the Air Force mission," said Kim Walters, 99th Civil Engineer Squadron Environmental Office program manager. Ms. Walters added the rededication came about from Loi Hopper, the environmental office's flight chief, who wanted to create a place at Nellis that showcased the many ways to conserve natural resources in order to create more awareness on environmental conservation at Nellis and in the Air Force. With the rededication, the grove will sport solar-powered lights and will have various sections dedicated to specific cultures and plants; like a historic tree, tortoise habitat, survival plants and a "Native American" section filled with aloe plants and other foliage used commonly by the American Indians, to name a few.
