Rick Scott Announces Florida Parks Win National Gold Medal Award

At the state Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Gov. Rick Scott announced the Florida Park Service won the National Gold Medal Award for Excellence. The award is from the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration and the National Recreation and Park Association.

Florida becomes the first state to win the award three times for its park service. No other state has won the Gold Medal award twice.

I am thrilled that the Florida Park Service continues to celebrate Florida, Scott said. Winning this award for the third time continues to show that the Sunshine State is working hard to ensure Florida families and tourists are able to enjoy our natural treasures, and I want to thank all of our employees and volunteers who helped make this possible.

The fact that the Florida Park Service has won this prestigious national award three times, while no other state has ever won twice, shows the dedication of our employees and volunteers to manage the resources that provide vast opportunities for Floridians and visitors to enjoy our natural resources, said state DEP Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard. More than 25 million people visit these award-winning state parks each year, and we are proud to continue to show how special Florida is to all those who visit.