Three Pennsylvania Wilds Winners Announced for Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation 2018 Awards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – January 26, 2018

The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation (PPFF) annual awards recognize the outstanding service, programs, and exemplary work being done in state parks and forests by leaders across the state. The Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship (PA Wilds Center) is honored to be the recipient of the 2018 President’s Award, and to share the spotlight with two other award winners from the Pennsylvania Wilds. The PPFF is the only non-profit whose mission is Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests.

Said Ta Enos, Executive Director of the PA Wilds Center, “PPFF is one of our key allies in the state working to conserve and enhance our precious state park and forest system. The Pennsylvania Wilds has 2.1 million acres of public land. These invaluable natural assets elevate quality of life in the region, and provide essential economic development opportunities for our rural communities via nature tourism and the outdoor recreation industry. We are grateful for the work PPFF does, and are truly honored they have recognized us as a leader in protecting open spaces.”

The winners will be honored at the 12th annual banquet on Wednesday May 9, 2018 at the Susquehanna Club, New Cumberland.

“The awards banquet is one of my favorite times of year,” said Marci Mowery, President of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation. “The commitment of the award winners to the stewardship of our public lands for generations to come inspires and engenders a continued commitment to these precious resources.”

Ta Enos continued, “We are thrilled to share the spotlight with two other Pennsylvania Wilds award winners this year – Cook Forest State Park, and education volunteers Marilyn and Tom Fye. Cook Forest is a tremendous natural asset for the region, with its renowned Forest Cathedral, majestic old growth forest, and access to a 13-mile stretch of the National Wild & Scenic Clarion River, popular for outdoor recreation and stunning views. The PA Wilds Center also offers our congratulations to Marilyn and Tom Fye – volunteers like the Fyes are the backbone of the PA Wilds movement; educating youth and the public on the value of our natural resources so that they will be preserved for future generations.”

Pennsylvania Wilds Region Award Winners:

President’s Award: 

The Pennsylvania Wilds Conservation Landscape Program and the Pa Wilds Center are being awarded the President’s Award to recognize their outstanding work to protect open space, conservation, outdoor recreation, and volunteerism.

Park of the Year: 

Cook Forest State Park is being recognized for its exemplary and innovative work in customer service, education, programming, recreation, stewardship of the natural, cultural, historic assets, and/or accommodation of special needs of visitors.

Education Award:  

Marilyn and Tom Fye are being recognized for their help with decades of education programming, camp ground hosting, volunteerism, and commitment to Parker Dam and Clear Creek State Parks and their visitors.

Sponsorships are available for the Wednesday May 9, 2018 awards banquet at the Susquehanna Club, New Cumberland. For more information and to register for the awards banquet go to PPFF’s website at paparksandforests.org

Learn more: 

About: The PA Wilds Center is a nonprofit whose mission is to integrate conservation and economic development in a way that strengthens and inspires communities in the Pennsylvania Wilds.  Focusing on one of the largest blocks of green between New York City and Chicago, an important objective of the PA Wilds Center is to brand the Pennsylvania Wilds region as a world class destination for outdoor recreation experiences by promoting its heritage, cultural, entrepreneurial and natural assets, in an effort to attract tourists, create jobs and help sustain rural communities.  For more information on the PA Wilds Center’s programs and services, please visit www.pawildscenter.org.

The Pennsylvania Wilds region includes the counties of Warren, Forest, Elk, Potter, McKean, Tioga, Clinton, Lycoming, Clearfield, Jefferson, Cameron, Clarion and Northern Centre.

###