Texas Coalition for Conservation President Presented Prestigious Cornelius Amory Pugsley Medal for Advocacy for National, State and Local Parks

AUSTIN, Texas - (BUSINESS WIRE) - David Gochman, chairman and CEO of Academy Sports & Outdoors and chairman of the board of the Texas Coalition for Conservation, announced today that Coalition President and Executive Director, George L. Bristol, has been awarded the Cornelius Amory Pugsley Medal. The award honors champions of parks and conservation at the national, state and local level. Past medal recipients include Laurance Rockefeller and Lady Bird Johnson, as well as fellow Texans Andrew Sansom, Terry Hershey, John Crompton and Robert Stanton.

"George Bristol is a champion of parks and conservation at all levels," said Gochman. "No one has worked more tirelessly to improve the lot of parks for the people and achieved more positive results, particularly in the area of increased park funding by the State of Texas for the recreation and renewal of its citizens and tourists."

Bristol accepted the Pugsley Medal on October 15, 2009, at a ceremony in Salt Lake City during the annual national convention of the National Recreation and Park Association. The Pugsley Medals are given annually and are jointly sponsored by the American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration and the National Park Foundation.

"By 2002 it became apparent that our beloved Texas parks did not have a voice or a seat at the table. We set out to change that with studies that demonstrated the economic benefits of state parks to the state and local communities. We made hundreds of personal visits, town hall forums and editorial board meetings. We ran an in-depth poll to demonstrate the public support for parks," Bristol said. "It all paid off in 2007 when the Texas Legislature increased park funding from approximately $64 million per year to $124 million per year. The Legislature was equally generous in 2009."

George Bristol, who founded the Texas Coalition for Conservation in 2001, has spent much of his adult life improving parks and advancing the conservation ethic. He is the vice chairman of Audubon Texas, serving on the organization's board since 2005, and as its chairman in 2006. Recently Bristol served as a consultant on the PBS series by Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea." He served on the Glacier National Park Foundation board for 10 years, retiring in 2009. From 1994-2001, Bristol was a member of the National Park Foundation. In the 1980s, he served as chairman of the Texas Conservation Foundation.

Peter Holt, chairman of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission, said, "It is hard to fathom someone in recent history who has done more for the health and vitality of Texas' parks than George Bristol. His tireless advocacy and leadership on their behalf are without equal. The citizens of Texas owe him an enormous debt of gratitude."

"I accepted the award on behalf of a great number of individuals, organizations, news media and elected officials who pitched in to make things right for our parks. It was a massive joint venture and a successful one," Bristol said. "I did it because I truly believe that the reason for conserving the last best places for the greatest number of our citizens is to let all be of the Earth in a most wholesome setting. From that connection comes civility and patriotism. A deep and lasting civility and patriotism give every experiencing citizen a sense of, and a stake in, pride of ownership."

About the Texas Coalition for Conservation

The Texas Coalition for Conservation helps diverse conservation-minded groups develop and promote a unified message to educate elected officials, other decision-makers and the public about Texas' vital need for substantial and sustainable conservation financing.

We commission studies and gather documentation on the economic benefits of local and state parks, wildlife areas, water, hunting and fishing to substantiate conservation as an economic necessity for our state. We also serve as an information clearinghouse and foster stronger coordination among Coalition partners in designing public and private conservation initiatives.

The Texas Coalition for Conservation helps develop innovative, practicable and fiscally sound approaches for the state financing of Texas' conservation needs over the next 30 years.

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For Texas Coalition for Conservation
Evelyn Nazro, 512-432-1940
enazro@pstrategies.com