The hard work paid off for the staff of Roan Mountain State Park in 2016.
During a recent manager’s meeting in Nashville with each of the districts within the state with upper management, RMSP was named the State Park of the Year for ‘16 by Tennessee State Parks – a branch of the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC).
“It really is a product of the work by the staff at the park,” Park Manager J.R. Tinch said. “It was a busy year at the park and the staff really put in the work and the effort to make it a successful year.”
RMSP is one of the 56 state parks in Tennessee and qualified for the honor by a variety of factors, including work with sustainability, resources, excellence in the park and work with the budget.
“Our staff did an extremely great job this year,” Tinch said. “We were able to open the new birds of prey aviary, finish our remodeling project with the Miller Farmstead and put in new trail signage. We were able to also come in under budget and that goes back to the work put in by the staff. We also had tons of support this year for our different programs and for the Rhododendron Festival. It’s an honor to receive the award.”
The announcement is an ounce of momentum for the new year, Tinch added. Just a month into the new season, plans are around the bend to continue on the success. Along with each of the programs at the park, Roan Mountain recently earned status as an Appalachian Trail Community.
“We really have a lot of momentum for this year and we’re all looking forward to what’s ahead this year,” he said. “Our staff has been boots on the ground with each of our programs we’re currently getting things ready for this year.”
The next event scheduled for RMSP is the 10th Winter Naturalists’ Rally set for February 11. As an annual tradition, attendees are encouraged to stop by to join naturalists for an exploration of the Roan Highlands.
Visit friendsofroanmtn.org for more information.