Awards
Each year SORP recognizes and honors individuals and groups for their outstanding accomplishments in the field of outdoor recreation planning, management, research, and policy, as well as in service to SORP.
Statewide recreation plans (such as SCORP Plans) are now recognized under the Project Excellence category. An organization (office) is limited to one nomination.
Project Excellence Award
The Project Excellence Award is presented annually at NORC to exemplary outdoor recreation projects. The award is presented to the collaborating agencies and organizations key to the success of the planning effort. Selection criteria will include (a) unique or special circumstances, (b) problem-solving, (c) level of innovation and creativity, (e) impact or effect of project, and (f) collaborative team effort. Past award recipients
Individual Service Award
The Individual Service Award is presented annually at NORC to up to three recipients who have made significant and lasting contributions to the outdoor recreation profession. The award may recognize one specific contribution or a series of contributions over one’s career. Past award recipients
Award Categories
- National Recreation Resource Leadership Award
- Individual Service Award
- Project Excellence Award
National Recreation Resource Leadership Award
The recipient of this annual award is chosen by the SORP Board of Directors to acknowledge an individual or organization whose career path has had a significant national impact on outdoor recreation and the outdoor recreation profession.
2022 Angelou Ezeilo, Founder of Greening Youth Foundation
2020 North Carolina State University, Department of Parks, Tourism, and Recreation
2019 Yvon Chouinard (Patagonia) and Kenton Carruth (First Lite)
2018 Congressman Don Byer (VA) Congressman Peter Welch (VT) Senator Jeanne Shaheen (NH) For establishing the Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account (ORSA)
2017 Recreation Equipment, Inc. (REI)
2016 Liz Putnam, Founder of the Student Conservation Fund
2015 Dr. Glenn E. Haas, Professor Emeritus at Colorado State University and Aukerman, Haas and Associates
2014 The California State Parks Foundation, Elizabeth Goldstein, Executive Director
2013 Outdoor Industry Association
2012 Will Shafroth, Counselor to the Secretary for America's Great Outdoors, Department of the Interior
2011 Dr. Ken Cordell, USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station
2010 Mike Pool, Bureau of Land Management
2009 Bob Ratcliffe, Bureau of Land Management
2008 Bob Meinen, Idaho Parks and Recreation
2007 Donna Brasher, Lower Colorado River Authority
2006 Not awarded
2005 Greg Super, USDA Forest Service
2004 Ney Landrum, retired Florida State Parks Director
2003 Gaylord Nelson, Former U.S. Senator and Governor of Wisconsin
2002 Courtland Nelson, Utah Division of Parks and Recreation
2001 Robert Anderson, National Park Service
2000 Darrell Lewis, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
1999 Dr. Arthur H. Mittelstaedt, Jr., Ed. D.
1998 Dr. B. L. “Bev” Driver, retired – USDA Forest Service
1997 Bill Spitzer, retired – National Park Service
1995 Congressman Bruce Vento, Minnesota
Individual Service Award
The Distinguished Service Award is presented annually to up to three recipients who have made significant and lasting contributions to the outdoor recreation profession. The award may recognize one specific contribution or a series of contributions over one’s career.
2022 Ayn Weiskamp, East Bay Regional Parks District Greg Corio, West Virginia University Tim Young, Wyoming Pathways
2020
Smith, Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation Minnesota Land Trust Yu-Fai Leung, North Carolina State University Shawn Lindsey, State of Virginia
2019 Derrick Crandall, American Recreation Coalition Dr. Gary Green, U.S. Forest Service, retired Tom Keith, Logan Simpson Tara McKee, Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation
2018 Barbara Nelson-Jameson Charlie Jacobi Aaron Lowden
2017 Mary Donze, Missouri State Parks Nick Morris, Stark County Park District Arnold Randall, Forest Preserves of Cook County
2016 Mary Coulombe, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Francisco Valenzuela, U.S. Forest Service
2015 Andy Windsor, Bureau of Land Management, Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area Danette Poole, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Bob Campbell, National Park Service, Chesapeake Bay Office
2014 Dr. Robert Manning, The University of Vermont Kathleen Hooper, Santa Clara County Parks Carol Severin, East Bay Regional Parks District and San Francisco State University
2013 Dr. Lowell Caneday, Oklahoma State University Robert A. Fonte, Stark County (Ohio) Park District Dusty Shultz, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
2012 Joe Elton, Virginia State Parks Kate Schutt, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
2011 Ron Stewart, Boulder County Parks and Open Space Roger Lewis, Lower Colorado River Authority
2010 Terry Slider, USDA Forest Service Jim Eychaner, State of Washington Recreation and Conservation Office
2009 Wayne Strum, National Park Service John Davy, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
2008 Tim Bradle, Lower Colorado River Authority Merdith "Cam" Lockwood, USDA Forest Service, Trails Unlimited
2007 Bob Ditton, Texas A&M University Dan Wiley, National Park Service, the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
2006 Marlene Finley, USDA Forest Service Joseph Stephen Weaver, Nevada State Parks Vernon Lovejoy, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
2005 Gloria Shinn, National Parks Service, Seattle WA Keith Demetrak, California State Parks
2004 Ray Murray, National Park Service, California
2003 Wayne Sames, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Craig Karr, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
2002 Mary Fitch, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Charles Van Genderen, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
2001 Robert Reinhardt, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation
2000 Roxane Eley, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Don Bruns, Bureau of Land Management
1999 Beth McClure, South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism
1998 Charles R. Jordan, Parks & Recreation, City of Portland, OR and Board of Directors, The Conservation Fund Greg Super, USDA Forest Service D. Thomas Ross, Recreation & Conservation, National Park Service Jeff Packer, Utah Division of Parks & Recreation
1997 Sue Spear, USDA Forest Service
1996 Fran Mainella, Recreation & Parks, Florida Department of Environmental Protection David Dahlquist, David L. Dahlquist Associates
1995 Albert Gregory, Florida Department of Environmental Protection Leslie Reid, Texas A&M University
1994 Bruce Kennedy, California Department of Parks and Recreation
1993 Dick Westfall, Illinois Department of Conservation
Project Excellence Award
The Project Excellence Award is presented annually to exemplary outdoor recreation projects. The award is presented to the collaborating agencies and organizations key to the success of the planning effort. Selection criteria will include (a) unique or special circumstances, (b) problem-solving, (c) level of innovation and creativity, (e) impact or effect of project, and (f) collaborative team effort.
2022
- Tires to Trails, Tennessee State Parks
- Camping 101, Three Rivers Park District
- Igniting the Science of Outdoor Recreation, U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station
- Winter Backcountry Recreation,
- The 2021 El Paso County Parks and Recreation Master Plan, El Paso County Texas - Parks and Recreation Department
2020
- Agents of Discovery, USFS, USFWS, and the University of Buffalo
- Africatown Connections Blueway Planning Team
- The Conservation Fund, Park Pride, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and West Atlanta Watershed Alliance
- All Inclusive Outdoor Adventures at Middlegrounds Metropark (Metroparks Toledo)
2019
- Comfort Camping, Foundations for Revitalizing Alberta’s Camping Experience
- Greater Maywood Paddling Program
- Mississippi Gateway Regional Park Masterplan
2018
- Denver Urban Rangers, Environmental Learning for Kids, National Park Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and Denver Parks and Recreation
- Utah Conservation Corps Bike Crew, Utah Conservation Corps
- Upper Valley High School Trail Corps, Upper Valley Trails Alliance
2017
- Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial Park, Arizona State Parks and Trails, Yarnell Hill Memorial Site Board, Arizona Department of Transportation, and Arizona Public Service
- LatinXplorers, The Next Door, Inc., Willamette Partnership, Sierra Club, and Partners
- Community Empowerment Initiative, California Department of Parks and Recreation External Affairs Division
- Lower Rio Grande Valley Active Plan, Cities Of Brownsville, Harlingen, Port Isabel, South Padre Island, Ranch Viejo, Los Indios, Combes, San Benito, Laguna Vista, Los Fresnos, and Planning Partners
2016
- E-911 Help Locator Trail Marking System, Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation
- Lafitte Greenway and Revitalization Corridor, Design Workshop
- Conservation Interpretation along Iowa's Byways, Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation and Development
- Charting a New Tomorrow: Montana State Parks Strategic Plan, Montana State Parks and Recreation Board
2015
- Natural Environment Trail Strategy, LEES+Associates
- Careers in Conservation Summer Internship Program, Los Angeles County Department of Parks & Recreation
- Kachemak Bay Water Trail, Kachemak Bay Water Trail Association
- Blue Hole Regional Park, Design Workshop, Inc. and City of Wimberley
2014
- The Parklands of Floyd’s Fork, 21st Century Parks, Louisville, KY
- Our Lands – Our Future: Recreation & Conservation Choices for Northern Colorado Regional Conservation Study, Logan Simpson Design
- Exploring the Benefits of Outdoor Experiences on Veterans, University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment and Sierra Club Outdoors
- SR 28 Corridor Management Plan, America's Most Beautiful Drive, Design Workshop and the Tahoe Transportation District
2013
- North Eastern State Trail, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Partners
- Vision 2030 Strategic Plan and 2012 Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan, Montgomery County, Maryland, The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, (M-NCPPC) Montgomery Parks; Montgomery County Department of Recreation; and GreenPlay, LLC
- Elk Meadow Park Dog Off-leash Area, Jeffco Parks and Open Space, Jefferson County, Colorado
- Trail Inventory Database and “Trails of Missouri State Parks” book, Missouri State Parks
2012
- Imagine Your Parks Strategic Plan, Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge
- Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, National Park Service
- Recreation Proposal for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Suisun Marsh, California State Parks Planning Division
- Alberta Recreation and Tourism Data System, O2 Planning and Design
2011
- Denver Mountain Parks Master Plan, Denver Parks & Recreation Department and Mundus Bishop Design, Inc.
- Redevelopment of Johnson's Shut-ins State Park, Missouri State Parks
- Roads and Trails Plan for Rampart Motorized Recreation Area of Pike National Forest, USDA Forest Service and AECOM
- Snake River Corridor Management/Ownership Transfer Plan, Bureau of Land Management and ERO Resources Corporation
2010
- Game Plan 2020: Building an Active Community, Halff Associates
- Bayhorse: Land of the Yankee Fork State Park, Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation
- Texas Highland Lakes Recreational Boating Studies, Tim Bradle and Gerard Kyle
2009
- Bob Epperson, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
- Laurel Highlands Conservation Landscape, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
2008
- Floyd Thompson, USDA Forest Service
- Canyon Lake Gorge Master Plan, Guadalupe Blanco River Authority, Gorge Preservation Society, Halff Associates, Inc.
- Sustainable Niche Based Strategic Recreation Budget Approach, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region
- Winter Recreation Assessment & Use Guide for the Diamond Lake Ranger District, Christina Lilienthal, USDA Forest Service
2007
- Matagorda Bay Nature Park, Lower Colorado River Authority
- El Paso Parks Master Plan, City of El Paso and Halff Associates
2006
- Recreation Site Facility Master Planning Model, USDA Forest Service
- Mississippi Headwaters Center, Itasca State Park, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
2005
- Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s, Idaho
- PacifiCorp Lewis River Project, Washington State
- Ribault Club House, Florida
2004
- Suwannee River Water Trail, Florida
SCORP Excellence Award
Beginning in 2017, statewide recreation plans (such as SCORP Plans) are now recognized under the Project Excellence Award category outlined above. Each organization (office or unit) is limited to one nomination.
Below is a list of awardees through 2016. The award honored the State/Territory and individuals who, through their collective roles in the planning process, produced an excellent SCORP not only for their State/Territory but also for the Nation as a whole by making the case for the importance of providing places and opportunities for public outdoor recreation to strengthen the health and vitality of the citizens of the United States.
2016 State of Pennsylvania Project Lead: Diane Kripas, Division Chief, Bureau of Recreation & Conservation, PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources Agency Director: Cindy Adams Dunn, PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
2015 State of Delaware Project Lead: Kendall Sommers, Outdoor Recreation Planner, Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation Agency Director: Raymond E. Bivens, Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation
2014 State of Oregon Project Lead: Mr. Terry Bergerson, SCORP Planner, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Agency Director: Ms. Lisa Van Laanen, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
2013 State of Wisconsin Project Lead: Mr. Jeffrey Prey, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
2012 Not awarded
2011 State of Pennsylvania Project Lead: Ms. Brenda Barrett, Director, Bureau of Recreation & Conservation, PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources Agency Director: Ms. Cindy Dunn, Deputy Secretary for Conservation & Technical Services, PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
2010 State of Colorado Project Lead: Mr. Scott Babcock, Strategic Planning Program Manager, Colorado State Parks Agency Director: Mr. Gary Thorson, Deputy Director, Colorado Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation. Additional planning support provided by Wending Way Consulting
2009 State of Georgia Project Lead: Ms. Antoinette Norfleet, Director of Grants, Georgia Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Agency Director: Ms. Becky Kelley, Georgia Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites
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