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FROM STAFF REPORTS

MONTGOMERY – The Alabama State Parks Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is now accepting nominations for the prestigious Eagle Awards, which recognize special contributors to the parks.

Nominations for the eighth annual Eagle Awards are now open online at Alapark.com/eagle-awards-2024, with awards presented in five categories: Elected Official, Community Partner, Park Partner, Volunteer in Parks (VIP) and Youth (K5 – 12th Grade). The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, Dec. 22, 2023.

Winners will be honored on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, as part of 2024’s first Eagle Awareness Weekend at Lake Guntersville State Park.

“Our State Parks System welcomes millions of visitors each year, and we recognize that many of the programs and amenities in our parks would not be possible without the contributions of so many individuals and organizations,” said Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Commissioner Chris Blankenship. “That’s why it’s always such an honor to thank these amazing contributors with the Eagle Awards during Eagle Awareness Weekend at Lake Guntersville State Park. It’s an incredible setting to thank and acknowledge the efforts that help make our State Parks so welcoming.”

 

Nominations are open to the public in the following Eagle Award categories:  

Elected Official: This award honors an elected official who has worked to support and fulfill the mission of Alabama State Parks in preserving natural areas, operating recreational facilities, and extending public knowledge of the state’s natural environment.

 Community Partner: Honoring government organizations, chambers of commerce, tourism organizations, and local businesses who help parks succeed through collaboration and community support, this award celebrates community partners. Community partners share the vision of successful parks fostering increasingly successful communities. 

 Park Partner: This award honors organizations working to ensure the creation and ongoing maintenance of vital park amenities such as hiking and biking trails. The nominee is a partnering organization that sees a need and collaborates with the leaders of Alabama State Parks to fill it.

Volunteer in Parks: This award honors Volunteers in Parks (VIPs) who serve to make Alabama State Parks destinations of excellence. Whether contributing physical labor at a single park or strategically planning for the parks system, VIP nominees are service-oriented individuals who keep park maintenance and growth at the forefront of all efforts.

Youth: Honoring K5 – 12th grade student award recipients, this award highlights students who have made extraordinary contributions to a single state park or the system of Alabama State Parks through community service organizations or individual service efforts.

“Our motto is ‘Partners Pay the Way,’ and the Eagle Awards gives us the ability to thank some of our most important partners,” Alabama State Parks Director Greg Lein said.