Hartzog's honored

Herald and News
Klamath Falls, Oregon
May 29, 2003

George Hartzog served nine years as the National Park Service director.

During his tenure, his most enduring and beloved contribution was creation of a Volunteers In Parks (VIP) program. In his honor, and in celebration of National Volunteer Week, the National Park Service and National Park Foundation created the George B. Hartzog Jr. Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service.

"George Hartzog continues to be revered by National Park Service employees and others outside the organization for his lasting contributions to the stewardship of our great park system," said NPS Director Fran Mainella. "Of those contributions, the Volunteers In Parks program is one of the most far-reaching and beneficial."

The Crater Lake National Park Volunteer Ski Patrol was honored as the Outstanding Volunteer Group. James Peters, from the Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore, was named the Outstanding Individual while the Volunteers and Friends of the Boston Harbor Islands, Inc., was picked for Outstanding Park VIP Program honors.

In all, more than 125,000 volunteers contributed 4.5 million volunteer hours in 2002 to the National Park Service, at an estimated value of $72 million.