NOLS Awards BLM Manager with 2008 Stewardship Award

Lander, Wyoming -This Saturday, October 13th, the National Outdoor Leadership School will present its 2008 Stewardship Award to Dennis Willis, Outdoor Recreation Planner for the Price Field Office of the Utah Bureau of Land Management in Price, Utah. Dennis has worked for the Bureau of Land Management for 30 years, 27 of which were in Price.

NOLS chose to honor Dennis for his ability to provide high-quality outdoor experiences for visitors while remaining steadfastly committed to protecting and providing balanced management of the Green as it flows through Carbon and Emery County and cuts through the fossil-etched rocks of Desolation Canyon, arguably one of the most spectacular canyons in the country.

“Dennis has been instrumental in helping our program grow and continue to provide service to the Desolation Canyon corridor,” said Phil Henderson, NOLS Utah River Program Manager in Vernal, Utah. “He has helped our field staff understand the importance of managing public lands and the risk involved while recreating and teaching on those lands.”

Dennis’s commitment to the natural integrity of public lands and continuing support for extended rafting, kayaking, and canoeing courses demonstrates a quantifiable commitment to outdoor education as a critical land management tool. Such support has been apparent in his personal work with NOLS on several self-guided service projects.

The Stewardship Award, presented annually since 1990, recognizes land managers who have demonstrated exceptional stewardship of the wild lands entrusted to their care.