The Buzzards Bay Coalition will award its Guardian Award to two tri-town men, Mattapoisett Town Administrator Michael Gagne, and Marion’s Michael Deland, who will be awarded posthumously.

The award is the organization’s highest honor and recognizes work to clean up, restore or protect Buzzards Bay as a volunteer, organization, public official or employee.

The Buzzards Bay Coalition will also present an award to Wendy Northcross of Cape Cod at its annual meeting at The Back Eddy Restaurant in Westport. The meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m. on May 21, and will also celebrate Coalition’s accomplishments for the year.

Deland was the New England administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency. He was a summer resident of Marion and retired there before passing away on January 8 of this year. Deland played a critical role in restoring the New Bedford Harbor and set a precedent to protect wetlands by requiring developers to search for alternative sites.

The Buzzards Bay Coalition wanted to honor Deland for his public service for almost four decades. His wife, Jane Deland, will accept his Guardian Award on his behalf.

The Coalition will also recognize Gagne for his strong support of land conservation throughout his 35-year career. He has served as the chair of the Buzzards Bay Action Committee, and has also helped the Coalition to preserve a significant amount of land in Mattapoisett.