The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation was recognized by the Public Lands Alliance with a 2025 Outstanding Public Engagement Award for the Blue Ridge Rising initiative.

Blue Ridge Rising marked the first time in the Blue Ridge Parkway’s history that all 29 park-adjacent counties in North Carolina and Virginia worked together to create strategies that will have wide-ranging benefits for the region’s communities.

“We are honored to share this award with all the community members who offered their ideas and expertise to help identify strategies to enhance and unite the region surrounding the Blue Ridge Parkway,” said Foundation Development Director George Ivey. “We look forward to executing these ideas to create ties that strengthen the relationship between our national park and its neighbors.”

After a series of more than 35 local and regional meetings and the inaugural Blue Ridge Rising Two-State Summit, the initiative is working to implement the Blue Ridge Rising Action Plan, a guide that highlights the next steps in the collaborative process.