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.
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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, Bluebird Backcountry
- 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