National honors for GSMNP books

According to managers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the books and other media produced by its publishing partner pulled a “Lord of the Rings-like” sweep at a recent National Park Service awards competition. Great Smoky Mountains Association, the non-profit partner that runs the three bookstores inside the Park, were presented first place honors in 6 of the 14 categories at the national meeting of the Association of Partners for Public Lands (APPL) in St. Louis, Mo. APPL is a non-profit organization which works to enhance the effectiveness of its over 70 member organizations who partner to provide visitor education with national parks, national forests and national wildlife refuges across the country. Out of 14 categories and a total of 129 entries, products produced at the Smokies won in six categories and received Honorable Mention in a seventh. In the category Book-General the winner was “Exploring the Smokies” by Rose Houk, a guidebook of things to see and do in the Smokies. The quarterly, free Park newspaper, “Smokies Guide” took first in the Complimentary Visitor Guides while the Park’s “Fishing Regulations” brochure earned Honorable Mention. In the area of Maps and Guides, “History Hikes of the Smokies” by Michal Strutin was a co-winner. Out of 17 entries in Theme Related Items, the “Great Smoky Mountains Calendar” featuring photos by Adam Jones and Nye Simmons took first place. “Smoky Mountains Wee Ones” with illustrations by Lisa Horstman was a co-winner in Children’s Media. The Park’s “Experience Your Smokies” program which offers area residents a chance for a 6-week behind the scenes look at Park issues and activities won the Educational Outreach category. Experience Your Smokies is co-sponsored by the Gatlinburg Gateway Foundation and the Blount County Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the Park and the Association. Cathleen Cook, the Chief of Resource Education at the Smokies said, “When I arrived here at the Smokies last fall I was immediately impressed by the bookstores in the Park visitor centers. Not only do we have stores that offer a “Smithsonian Museum Shop” type of experience, but many of the publications produced by Great Smoky Mountains Association are the best I have ever seen. Apparently they were the best the judges at APPL had seen this year as well.” Founded in 1953, the Great Smoky Mountains Association is the Park’s oldest partner. Profits from the Association’s sales are returned to help the Park’s educational and research activities. In 2004 that support is expected to be approximately $1.4 million.