Alligator River/Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge P. O. Box 1969 Manteo, North Carolina 27954 Contact: Bonnie Strawser - 252-473-1131 Back to News Home Page

News Release

Photo by Bonnie Strawser
Wildland Urban Interface Specialist Kelley Van Druten receives Star Award from the Southeast Region of the National Park Service.
The award is presented by her supervisor, Fire Management Office Tom Crews.

Kelley Van Druten, Wildland Urban Interface Specialist for Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, was recently presented with a Star Award by the National Park Service for the invaluable assistance she provided in completing a federally-mandated plan called the Fire Program Analysis. The nomination read, in part, "Across the Southeast Region, many Park employees have worked closely in an interagency cooperative effort to complete the new Fire Program Analysis (FPA). The FPA is a new budget request/ work load analysis tool that will be used to project budgets beginning in fiscal year 2008 for all Fire Programs within US Department of the Interior and the US Department of Agriculture. Kelley Van Druten provided essential technical expertise to the NC Coast Fire Planning Unit, assisting the Outer Banks Group and Cape Lookout National Seashore in completing their analysis ahead of schedule. Kelley's professionalism, dedication, and assistance were critical in our meeting this important interagency goal and are greatly appreciated by the National Park Service, Southeast Region."

Tom Crews, Fire Management Officer for the refuge, commended Kelley for her work, "Kelley has proven herself to be extremely valuable in her role as Wildland Urban Interface Specialist. She coordinates grants to Rural Fire Departments near neighboring refuges across Northeastern North Carolina and works cooperatively with all the Federal, State and local agencies and interest groups to bring FireWise programs to our area. She has also coordinated many firebreak construction, rehabilitation and maintenance projects on and adjacent to refuge lands in NC. She serves on State and National Committees on fire prevention and management outreach as well. During the past two years, Kelley has served as our Fire Planner as well as her regular duties, which has served our refuges and neighboring communities extremely well. It is a high honor for her to be recognized by one of our partner agencies. This goes to show how much Kelley's hard work and efforts have meant to our interagency partners. And, she means a lot to us, too. We really appreciate her dedication and hard work."