FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Public Lands Alliance (PLA) has announced the recipients of its 2025 Partnership Awards that celebrate the best in public lands partnerships. These awards honor individuals, organizations, publications, products, programs and services that embody leading-edge achievements in the preservation of public lands and the enrichment the visitor experience.
The 2025 award winners were announced across two special sessions at the annual Public Lands Alliance Convention and Annual Trade Show. The 2025 Partnership Awards were sponsored in part by Impact Photographics.
A total of 13 awards were presented to individuals, organizations and companies in six categories:
- Public Lands Partner
- Corporate Stewardship
- Agency Leadership
- Innovative Product of the Year
- Outstanding Public Engagement of the Year
- Publication of the Year
Each category reflects the multifaceted nature of public lands stewardship, recognizing efforts that range from individual leadership to corporate responsibility and community engagement. The awardees’ stories are a source of inspiration, showcasing how collaborative efforts can lead to extraordinary outcomes that benefit both the environment and the public.
"Partnerships continue to grow in their importance to the vitality of America's public lands and the people who depend upon them,” said Dan Puskar, President and CEO of PLA. “Each of our awardees has an incredible passion not only for the stewardship and enhancement of our public lands, but to serve their visitors and local communities.”
Here is a complete list of the 2025 Partnership Award winners:
Public Lands Partner Award
The Public Lands Partner Award recognizes an exemplary partnership for its stunning achievements to protect and preserve public lands and enhance the experiences of visitors. The award is presented to both the nonprofit organization and its agency partner for their shared achievements.
The following organizations and their agency partners received the 2025 Public Lands Partner Award:
· Appalachian Trail Conservancy and Appalachian National Scenic Trail
· Friends of Red Rock Canyon and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
· Friends of Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Salem Audubon Society, and Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge
· Grand Staircase Escalante Partners, U.S. Forest Service, and The Hopi Tribe
· Parks California and California State Parks
· Upper Cumberland Southern Off Road Bicycle Association, U.S. Army Corp Engineers, and Cordell Hull Lake
Corporate Stewardship Award
The Corporate Stewardship Award recognizes a company that has demonstrated exceptional achievement to enhance the quality of the visitor experience in America's public lands.
The following companies received the Corporate Stewardship Award on behalf of their philanthropic and partnership efforts with public lands nonprofits:
· All Trails for their public lands program
· Wild Tribute
Agency Leadership Award
The Agency Leadership Award recognizes a land management agency employee for outstanding accomplishments in championing, cultivating and leading a partnership.
The following individuals were presented with the Agency Leadership Award:
· Brian DiLenge, East Idaho Trails Specialist, Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation
· Jan Balsom, Chief, Communications, Partnerships and External Affairs, Grand Canyon National Park
Innovative Product Award
The innovative product award recognizes an interpretive product of any medium created in partnership by a nonprofit organization and land management agency that embodies a path-breaking approach to achieve a public lands mission.
Award Winner:
· Hawai'i Pacific Parks Association for their 3D Kits of 10 Hawai’i Native Species and a Polynesian Voyaging Canoe in partnership with Little and Wood
Outstanding Public Engagement Award
The Outstanding Public Engagement Award recognizes exemplary products, displays, programs or services created in partnership by a nonprofit organization and public lands that advance meaningful and sustainable connections between individuals and America's public lands.
Award Winner:
· Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation for “Blue Ridge Rising”
Publication of the Year
The Publication of the Year Award recognizes a book or other publication created in partnership by a nonprofit organization and a public land that embodies innovation in educating and interpreting public lands to its readers and impacts a substantial audience.
Award Winner:
· Smokies Life for “Letters From The Smokies”
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About the Public Lands Alliance
The Public Lands Alliance (PLA) protects America's public lands by supporting and empowering the local, nonprofit partner organizations dedicated to their conservation. Its members are nonprofit organizations that have a formal partnership with a land management agency to support parks, forests, wildlife refuges, conservation areas, and other public lands sites.
PLA members serve more than 675 public lands sites nationwide in cooperation with their land management agency partners, and they raise $250 million annually to support those lands.