The ARRL Board of Directors created the Barry Goldwater, K7UGA, Achievement Award last spring to recognize outstanding support of Amateur Radio by an elected federal official. The recipient must be an official who has, in a significant way, supported the well-being and continuity of the Amateur Service in the US. Earlier this month, the Board voted to confer the first such award upon US Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI, (OR-2), “in recognition of many years of exceptional contributions to the strength and vitality of the Amateur Radio Service in the United States.”

ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN; Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, and General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, presented the award to Walden in Washington on September 18. In a letter accompanying the award plaque, President Craigie wrote, “Your understanding of the importance of Amateur Radio to the public interest and to the pursuit of scientific and technical knowledge has led you to act in the spirit of Sen Goldwater, whose exemplary support for Amateur Radio in Washington caused the ARRL Board to name this award in his honor.”

President Craigie called Walden “a great friend to Amateur Radio over the last 12 years with regard to key issues including spectrum protection.” Walden chairs the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, the panel to which "The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2014" (H.R. 4969) was referred for consideration.

In 2002 Walden was an original co-sponsor of H.R. 4720, the Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Consistency Act, and sent a “Dear Colleague” letter seeking additional cosponsors. In 2003 he was a co-sponsor of H.R. 713, the Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act. During a hearing on the bill at which then-ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, testified, Walden called for a halt to the “astonishing” erosion of Amateur Radio spectrum.

In 2004 Walden wrote the FCC chairman seeking to have the Commission defer action on the BPL rulemaking until the release of an NTIA study and an opportunity for public comment. That same year, during a hearing on telecom convergence, Walden grilled a BPL industry representative about interference.

In 2010 Walden co-sponsored H.R. 2160, the Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Act. May of 2011, the ARRL was invited to testify before Walden’s subcommittee on “Creating an Interoperable Public Safety Network,” offering an opportunity to defend 420-440 MHz against reallocation.

As President Craigie handed the award plaque to Rep Walden, she added, “Sen Goldwater was a statesman for Amateur Radio, and so are you.”