Trail Conference Receives 2022 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award
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The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference is the recipient of the 2022 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award in the Healthy Communities category for its ongoing work on the Lenape Trail in Essex County, New Jersey.
The Lenape Trail is a 36-mile, unique urban-suburban trail named in recognition of the Lenape people, the original inhabitants of the area. Since 2010, Trail Conference volunteers and staff have dedicated more than 2,300 hours to the project on efforts such as trail clearing, mounting blazes and markings, installation of wayfinding signage, and improving the environmental sustainability of the Trail. The Lenape Trail brings visitors to Essex County’s outdoor destinations by connecting 18 parks and 11 communities. An in-depth digital guide, highlighting the Trail’s abundant recreational opportunities, can be found at LenapeTrail.org.
Learn more about the Trail Conference's work on the Lenape Trail, and watch this year's virtual awards ceremony, below:
The Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards are awarded each year to individuals and organizations that demonstrate commitment and leadership on a variety of environmental issues, including environmental justice, climate change, sustainability, education, and protection of natural resources. The Awards are New Jersey’s premier environmental awards program, having recognized 212 winners since 2000.
A panel of judges reviewed and scored the nominations on criteria including documented environmental benefit, contributions to meeting the state’s environment needs, replicability by others, leadership and innovation, and education and outreach undertaken as part of the effort. To learn more about the program, visit dep.nj.gov/awards.