Nicky Hager, a key figure in the successful campaign to protect publicly-owned West Coast native forests from logging, has been given an "Old Blue" award by the Forest and Bird Protection Society.

Forest and Bird's President, Keith Chapple, said that Nicky Hager had made an outstanding contribution to rainforest conservation over a 25 year period.

"In recent times Nicky has helped inspire a new generation of forest activists in Native Forest Action. They sat in the trees, wrote hundreds of letters and submissions, and helped develop a solution that meets conservationists' needs and those of the West Coast local communities."

Mr Chapple said Nicky had a remarkable talent for ferreting out information other people wished to conceal.

"His book 'Secrets and Lies' lifted the lid on a shady side of the public relations industry that sought to manipulate media and public opinion against conservation."

Forest and Bird's council meeting at the weekend also unanimously passed a motion welcoming the Government's decision to end the logging of the publicly owned West Coast forests.

Other recipients of the Society's annual "Old Blue" Awards were Claire Stevens from North Shore Forest and Bird, Jan Butcher - Franklin, Roy Peacock - Hastings, Valerie Campbell - North Canterbury, and a forest restoration group in the Wairarapa branch of Forest and Bird.

Old Blue was the female black robin whose reproductive efforts saved the species from extinction.

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