The nonprofit earned the honor for its Blue Ridge Rising initiative, which was created to strengthen relationships and foster economic development within the communities that neighbor the Blue Ridge Parkway.

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.

Blue Ridge Rising marked the first time in the national park’s history that all 29 Parkway-adjacent counties in North Carolina and Virginia worked together to determine strategies that will have wide-ranging benefits for the region’s communities. 

After a series of more than 35 local and regional meetings and the inaugural Blue Ridge Rising Two-State Summit, the initiative is working to implement the Blue Ridge Rising Action Plan, a guide that highlights the next steps in the collaborative process.

Blue Ridge Rising was launched in part by two grants from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. To learn more and review the Action Plan, visit blueridgerising.com.

The Foundation is the nonprofit fundraising partner of the Blue Ridge Parkway, helping to ensure cultural and historical preservation, natural resource protection, educational outreach and visitor enjoyment now and for future generations. Since 1997, the Foundation has provided more than $23 million in support for the country’s most visited national park unit. To learn more, visit brpfoundation.org.