Pennsylvania State Parks Finalist for National Gold Medal Award

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania's state park
system is one of four finalists for the 2009 National Gold Medal Awards for
Excellence in Park and Recreation Management, acting Secretary of Conservation
and Natural Resources John Quigley said today.

"We have spectacular natural assets in our state park system -- the darkest
night-time skies east of the Mississippi; the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon; the
largest known bat colony in the state and largest elk herd in the Northeast;
and Pennsylvania's seashore on Lake Erie," Quigley said. "Beyond what we are
blessed with, we have been very innovative in Pennsylvania in our efforts to
draw people into our parks in new ways, and connect them to nature through
outdoor recreation."

The Gold Medal Award is given by the American Academy for Park and Recreation
Administration and the National Recreation and Park Association. The winner
will be announced at the NRPA annual meeting in Utah in October. The other
finalists are the state park systems in Georgia, Michigan and North Carolina.

The award honors excellence in long-range planning, resource management,
volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development and professional
development.

Pennsylvania has 117 state parks and three conservation areas. The system's
nearly 300,000 acres and 1,800 full- and part-time employees play host to more
than 35 million visitors each year.

Some of DCNR's new and innovative state park programs include:
-- The Get Outdoors PA program that offers hundreds of activities
annually
for people to learn about outdoor recreation such as kayaking, fishing
and hiking, and learn about how we protect our natural resources,
their
role and why they should care.
-- To increase exposure to natural experiences for kids in urban areas,
the
Bureau of State Parks teamed up with city parks and recreation
programs
and youth organizations to create the Adventure Camp program--summer
camp program for teens. More than 150 kids attended camp in 8
metropolitan areas last summer.
-- DCNR launched a Green parks initiative in 2007 to address climate
change
and energy consumption in our parks, both in words and action. The
goal
is to reduce the carbon footprint of our parks by 20 percent over the
next 5 years.

-- Construction is underway on the system's first nature inn at Bald
Eagle State Park, to expand overnight accommodations and attract new
visitors.

"We see ourselves not only as land protectors and recreation providers, but
also as a model of best practices, conservation advocates, and educators of
our future stewards," Quigley said.

For more information about Pennsylvania state parks, visit the DCNR Web site
at www.dcnr.state.pa.us. For more information about the Gold Medal program, go
to www.nrpa.org/awards.

CONTACT: Christine Novak
(717) 772-9101

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Christine Novak of PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources,
+1-717-772-9101