US National Park Service Natural Resource Awards Announced

Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site

Acting National Park Service Director Dan Wenk recently announced the recipients of the 2008 Director’s Awards for Natural Resource Stewardship. The annual awards, established in 1989, honor significant natural resource accomplishments in six categories.

“The award winners and their achievements reinforce the idea that every National Park Service employee, regardless of job title or description, can truly make a difference in the preservation of natural resources,” said Wenk. “Their work represents the diversity of resource management projects taking place in parks throughout the country.”

The recipients are:

Trish Patterson Student Conservation Association Award for Natural Resource Management in a Small Park

Marc Albert, Natural Resource Manager, Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site (resource sharing with Salem Maritime National Historic Site and Boston Harbor Islands National Recreational Area).
Albert helped to plan and implement the $3.5 million Saugus River Turning Basin Project. The project restored a rare freshwater intertidal marsh community and historic waterfront structures. He also secured funding for a five year data collection, management, and reporting effort to conduct multiple resource monitoring studies within the Saugus River tidal basin.

Director’s Excellence in Natural Resource Stewardship through Maintenance

Sonya Capek, Solid Waste Coordinator, Pacific West Regional Office
Capek has improved environmental standards for parks in the region by implementing Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and Integrated Solid Waste Alternative Plans (ISWAPS), and by setting goals for LEED certification and green supply purchases.

Director’s Award for Superintendent of the Year for Natural Resource Stewardship

Patrick Reed, Superintendent, Mammoth Cave National Park
Reed has established a framework for science informed decision making and maintains partnerships that include the Mammoth Cave International Center for Science and Learning, the Cumberland Piedmont Inventory and Monitoring Network, and sister park relationships with cave and karst areas in China and Spain.

Director’s Award for Natural Resource Management

Fred Bunch, Chief of Resource Management, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Bunch has obtained historic ground water rights for the park, collaborated with other agencies on a variety of bison research and conservation issues, established a Global research Initiative in Alpine Environments (GLORA) monitoring site, monitored night sky and natural sounds, and set up a long-term integrated ground water and wetland ecological health pilot program.

Professional Excellence in Natural Resources Award

Kathy Jope, Natural Resources Program Lead, Pacific West Region
Jope has raised NPS awareness of global climate change. She has identified and connected NPS personnel with external subject matter experts and has provided detailed information on climate change to park managers and interpreters.

Director’s Award for Excellence in Natural Resource Research

William C. Malm, PhD, Air Resources Division, Fort Collins
Malm is the coordinator for the NPS visibility/particulate research and monitoring program. He has designed and built instruments to measure the effects of atmospheric aerosols on the scenic qualities of landscape features, as well as their optical and chemical properties. He formulated radiation transfer algorithms that allow pictorial visualization of aerosol scattering and absorption effects.

The awards will be presented at the George Wright Society Meeting in Portland, OR on March 5, 2009. Each recipient will receive a $2,000 cash award, a framed certificate, and a limited edition bronze bison sculpture.

Valere Tjolle