The recognition of the volunteer effort to repair flood damage at Mount Rainier National Park continus to garner awards.

Park staff learned today that on May 8, Mount Rainier’s volunteer program will receive the George B. Hartzog Jr. Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service, the National Park Service’s highest honor.

The Hartzog Award recognizes the efforts of the individual volunteers, the 1,724 people who turned out to build trails, plant trees, scan historic images and work in the park’s visitor centers.

"You are the ones who’ve been keeping our greenhouse running and helping to rescue people lost on the mountain. You’re the ones who’ve invested weekends to patrol trails at Carbon River and summers to serve as Campground Hosts at Cougar Rock and Ohanapecosh. You’re the ones who’ve been coming out faithfully for 20 years, or who chose to spend four months living in a platform tent last summer, or who took a long weekend to camp out and serve as Meadow Rovers, or who spent a day of your vacation volunteering with the Washington Trails Association, or who squeezed in few hours to help restore the Longmire Campground with your kids on National Public Lands Day," wrote Kevin Bacher, who heads the park’s volunteer program.

On Monday, the park and the coalition of organizations that led the volunteer effort received the Cooperative Conservation Award.