The Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks, a division of the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, recently won top honors in a nationwide evaluation of park systems.

The the American Academy of Park and Recreation Management and the National Recreation and Park Association gave its biannual National Gold Medal Award to the Pennsylvania state park system last month during a conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.

A panel of parks and recreation professionals chose Pennsylvania's parks based on criteria that included resource management, long-range planning, citizen support systems, environmental stewardship, program and professional development and agency recognition.

"The selection of the DCNR Bureau of State Parks for the prestigious 2009 National Gold Medal Award, the 'Oscar' of recreation and park agency recognition, provides independent confirmation of the high quality of the state parks system available to the citizens of the commonwealth," said Robert Griffith, executive director of the Pennsylvania Recreation and Parks Society, in a prepared statement. "It recognizes quality professional management; significant financial investment such as from the Keystone Fund and Growing Greener; innovative outreach through efforts like the Get Outdoors PA [newsletter] and urban initiatives; and contributions made by the state parks to tourism, health and wellness, and quality recreation opportunities."

Pennsylvania has 117 state parks and three conservation areas, which collectively attract more than 35 million visitors per year.

Finalists were the state park systems of Georgia, Michigan and North Carolina.

"The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation congratulates the Bureau of State Parks on their accomplishment," says Marci Mowery, President of the Foundation. "The Gold Medal Award confirms what the more than 35 million visitors to Pennsylvania State Parks already knew, which is that our system is No. 1. What a great treasure to hand to the next generation."

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