News Release

Carl Sandburg Home NHS Receives National Park Service Environmental Achievement Award

Date: April 22, 2020
Contact: Public Information Officer

The National Park Service has awarded Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site with the 2019 Environmental Achievement Award for exceptional accomplishments in sustainability.  This award recognizes the park for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, lowering energy consumption for utilities, and leaving an overall smaller carbon footprint. 

This award follows the park’s implementation of a Climate Friendly Parks Action Plan.  This plan included management actions that would reduce the environmental footprint and contribute to achieving the goal of reducing park greenhouse gas emissions.

The goals were achieved through converting lighting across the park and in historic buildings to LED, installing a propane fueling station and converting 3 vehicles and 2 mowers to bi-fuel, installing solar panels on an administrative building, and connecting gutters and downspouts to a rainwater collection cistern that supports the park nursery, among others.

The park is committed to managing resources in a way that reduces energy use and applies sound environmental impact considerations for management decisions.  With efforts from individuals, communities, and organizations, we can support healthy parks, healthy people, and a healthy planet.

 

For further information about the park please visit our website at: www.nps.gov/carl.