Presented by the American Recreation Coalition
Dawn Grafe, Supervisory Park Ranger for the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex, has been selected to receive the 2007 Legends Award from the American Recreation Coalition (ARC). The ARC is a Washington-based non-profit organization which strives to promote and facilitate public/private partnerships to enhance and protect outdoor recreational opportunities and the resources upon which such experiences are based.
The Legends Awards are presented annually to one representative each from six Federal agencies, and Dawn is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recipient. The Awards are given in recognition of the recipients successful efforts to enhance outdoor recreation facilities, resources and experiences on Federal lands. As Supervisory Park Ranger for the Refuge Complex, Dawn is responsible for overseeing outreach, recreation, environmental education and volunteer programs on Cape Meares, Nestucca Bay, Oregon Islands, Siletz Bay and Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuges spanning 320 miles of the Oregon coast.
Dawn is also involved with many refuge partners for outreach and recreation programs on non-refuge lands along the Oregon coast. Her recent accomplishments include playing a pivotal role in the development of the Oregon Coast Birding Trail. The self-guided driving tour of the birding trail covers the entire Oregon and Northern California coastline and features 173 prime birding destinations. Dawn was also instrumental in the Refuge Complex receiving a 1/2 million dollar Oregon Department of Transportation grant to develop public use facilities on the Nestucca Bay refuge.
In addition, Dawns accomplishments include development of interpretive canoe/kayak trips on Siletz Bay refuge; establishment of a volunteer network along the Oregon coast locating interpreters at refuge and state park overlooks where they interpret seabirds, marine mammals and other natural history to the tens of thousands of visitors; coordination of the Oregon Shorebird Festival and extensive involvement in the Pacific City Birding and Blues Festival; conducting annual seabird training for interns and docents working for Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management; working with Friends Groups at Cape Meares and Haystack Rock; and managing the largest Shorebird Sister Schools Program in the nation.
"Dawn is a talented, enthusiastic and dedicated person", said Roy W. Lowe, Project Leader for the Oregon Coast Refuge Complex. "Since joining our staff in 2001, Dawn has built up a fledgling public use program to one that is now being honoring nationally, and her award is well deserved", said Lowe.
Dawn will be presented the 2007 Legends Award by the America Recreation Coalition at an awards ceremony in Washington DC on June 12, 2007, as part of the Great Outdoors Week celebration.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 97-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 547 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
