Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has announced this year’s recipients of the esteemed Stephen T. Mather Awards: Dave Hallac, superintendent of Cape Hatteras National Seashore and the Outer Banks Group, and Vincent Santucci, senior National Park Service paleontologist. These awards recognize Santucci and Hallac for their unparalleled dedication to protecting unique national park resources at all odds.

The Stephen T. Mather Award, first presented in 1984, is named after the first director of the National Park Service (NPS) and is given to individuals in the National Park Service who have shown steadfast leadership and persistent dedication to our national parks.

Since 2015, Superintendent Dave Hallac has overseen the Outer Banks Group, a collection of North Carolina coastal national parks that includes Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Wright Brothers National Memorial and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. Hallac has directed climate mitigation efforts around the Ocracoke Lighthouse and Oregon Inlet Marina, maintenance and restoration of iconic structures like the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and 60-foot Wright Brothers Monument, the establishment and interpretation of the Lost Colony’s Freedom Trail, and much more.

“In recent years, climate change impacts along Cape Hatteras National Seashore have made national headlines. Amid rising seas and raging tides, houses in the park-adjacent community of Rodanthe have collapsed, spreading debris in the park. Hallac has emerged as a leader in this crisis, leading cleanup efforts and protecting delicate park resources,” noted the announcement of the award from NPCA.

“Superintendent Dave Hallac’s dedication to Cape Hatteras and deep knowledge of preservation have been a saving grace for this iconic national seashore. Pummeled by powerful storms and strewn with wreckage, Cape Hatteras serves as an ominous reminder that climate change remains the greatest threat facing our national parks. But Dave’s leadership and fortitude remind us that when our parks are staffed with the best and brightest, no challenge is insurmountable. His deft community engagement skills and resilient spirit are an example for national park advocates across the country to follow. We are proud to name him as a recipient of this year’s Mather award.” said Theresa Pierno, National Parks Conservation Association president and CEO.

“I am honored to receive this year’s Stephen T. Mather Award,” said Hallac. “It is a privilege to lead so many dedicated professionals at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and Wright Brothers National Memorial. Their hard work and ability to rise to a number of significant challenges have helped to adaptively manage parks and work with communities in a very dynamic coastal environment.”

READ ABOUT MORE NEWS HERE.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE COASTLAND TIMES TODAY!