The Cultural and Natural Resource Awards Programs recognize the outstanding contributions of National Park Service staff in understanding, protecting, and managing park resources and in lands adjacent. Awardees are selected annually in a spring call for nominations.

Award recipients come from across the country and US territories and represent the diversity in landscapes in the National Park System.

The National Park Service’s Natural Resource Stewardship and Science and the Cultural Resources, Partnerships, and Science accomplishments are communicated widely through the Director’s Awards ceremony. These awards celebrate individuals in variety of categories:

Awards in Cultural Resources

The Director’s Awards for Cultural Resources recognize expertise and outstanding contributions in cultural resource stewardship and management, to employees of the National Park Service. The three awards were created to encourage creativity in cultural resource stewardship and management practices and projects, particularly those that may serve as examples or models for programs across the service. The three awards are:

• Park superintendent
• Facility maintenance specialist, and
• Cultural resource specialist

Awards in Natural Resources

• Excellence in Natural Resource Stewardship through Maintenance recognizes an outstanding contribution in natural resource management by a Facility Management employee.
• Natural Resource Research recognizes a federal employee or non-federal researcher for their outstanding contributions to natural resource research benefiting national parks.
• Superintendent of the Year for Natural Resource Stewardship recognizes a Superintendent for their outstanding contributions, creative leadership, and direction and support in natural resource management.
• Natural Resource Management recognizes an individual for their significant contribution to natural resource management in parks, particularly a contribution that resulted in the adoption of a new or improved resource management practice and/or approach by the National Park Service.
• Natural Resource Management in a Small Park recognizes achievements in natural resource management in small parks.
• Professional Excellence in Natural Resource recognizes an individual who significantly contributes to resource management successes by employing a high degree of technical excellence in a narrowly focused, professional role.