Thanks to the long-standing support and generous donations of A&B Foundation and Skyline Eco-Adventures, the East Maui Watershed Partnership (EMWP) recently purchased a new Toyota Tundra. To transport crew to remote areas of the watershed, EMWP needs reliable four-wheel-drive vehicles. East Maui Watershed Partnership is a voluntary effort among federal, state and private landowners to preserve and protect the 100,000-acre watershed on the windward slopes of Haleakala. Learn more about the organization at www.eastmauiwatershed.org.

HONOLULU — The Small Business Administration has opened nominations for the prestigious 2011 SBA Small Business Awards.

SBA honors continue to be one of the most competitive, comprehensive and visible awards presented to small businesses in the state.

With a record of recognizing excellence in small business for more than 20 years, past SBA winners have included outstanding small companies such as Bale Sandwich and Bakery, Old Lahaina Luau, L&L Drive In, Martin and MacArthur, Pictures Plus and many more.

“SBA’s annual awards continues to generate interest and excitement in Hawaii, because we discover great stories of innovation, creativity and teamwork focused on excellence,” said Jane Sawyer, district director.

“It is inspiring to learn about the positive, proactive measures that many small business owners and entrepreneurs are taking to sustain and grow their businesses, particularly with the tough economic conditions.”

Award categories include SBA’s Small Business Person of the Year, Entrepreneurial Success Award, Family-Owned Business of the Year, Small Business Exporter, Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Minority Small Business Champion Advocacy Award, Women in Business Champion Advocacy Award, Veteran Small Business Champion Advocacy Award, Financial Services Champion Advocacy Award, and Home-Based Business Champion Advocacy Award.

Any individual or organization may submit a nomination for an SBA Small Business Award. The required nomination forms with detailed information for each of the ten award categories can be downloaded from the web at the Hawaii Small Business Development Center Network site at www.hisbdc.org.

Completed forms should be submitted to the SBA

District Office at 500 Ala Moana Boulevard, Suite 1-306, by 4 p.m. on Nov. 10.

For more information, call SBA at (808) 541-2990.