Glacier National Park Conservancy receives Partnership Awards

The Glacier National Park Conservancy announced it has received two 2017 Partnership Awards from the Public Lands Alliance, recognizing exemplary public lands partnerships.

The organization, which serves as the main fundraising partner for Glacier National Park, received the Partners Choice Award for its support in training and deploying Gracie, a specially trained border collie used by park biologists to deter wildlife from Logan Pass and other locations in the park.

Glacier’s “Bark Ranger” received the public-choice award through votes on social media. The award recognizes the partnership between the Glacier National Park Conservancy and the park to create a pilot project to implement new wildlife management strategies at Logan Pass.

REI Missoula received the 2017 Corporate Stewardship Award in partnership with the Glacier Conservancy for their philanthropic efforts in Glacier National Park. The award recognizes a company that has demonstrated exceptional achievement to enhance the quality of the visitor experience in America’s public lands.

In 2015 they funded the rehabilitation of the St. Mary Lake Trail, followed by funding for the first year of a two-year project at Hidden Lake Trail. Employees from the store have also volunteered their time in the park doing trail work and assisting in the native plant nursery.

More than 300 people attended the awards ceremony last month during the Public Lands Alliance Convention and Trade Show in Arlington, Virginia, according to the conservancy’s press release.