Montana State Parks has honored two local individuals who work at Lone Pine State Park in Kalispell with outstanding service awards for 2011.
Amy Grout, the manager at Lone Pine, has been named the Park Professional of the Year for Montana.
“Amy consistently represents Montana State Parks with her enthusiasm and gregarious personality,” Dave Landstrom, regional manager for Montana State Parks, said in a statement. “She is a team player and a true advocate of the entire park system.”
Eugene “Brownie” Brownfield was named the Volunteer of the Year for Region 1.
“On a moment’s notice, Brownie will stop what he’s doing, drop everything and race up to the visitor center to help out,” Grout said. “He is well-known and well-loved by visitors and staff alike.”
Montana State Parks honored eight individuals from across the state.
“One of the best aspects of my job is to recognize our extraordinary staff members and volunteers for their dedication and service,” Chas Van Genderen, administrator for Montana State Parks, said. “These individuals help to make our state parks great and keep our visitors coming back.”
In 2011, 1,304 volunteers provided more than 46,000 hours of service in Montana State Parks, a 21 percent increase over 2010.