Wildlife Deserves Better: Fatally Flawed National Gold Medal Award
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© Bill Draper | Highland County, Virginia 2021 |
Our most important collective asset is Nature. With increased population and urban sprawl, it is imperative that we preserve and protect the natural world which includes the habitat of the many sentient animals that live in our oceans and on land.
HARMONY IN NATURE is the state of balance and mutual support among all the elements within an ecosystem.
Our ecosystems of plants, animals, microorganisms, and elements such as air, water, sunlight, and soil are complex, interconnected, and contribute to the well-being of the whole.
HARMONY WITH NATURE is how we humans behave and emphasize respect, balance, and interconnectedness in our relationship with Nature.
Humans are part of the ecological system. We must live in balance with Nature through peaceful coexistence, not dominate and control Nature.
Parks promote our physical and mental wellbeing and enhance the quality of our lives and communities. Our ability to easily access green spaces, connect with the natural world, and experience wildlife in their natural habitat is extremely beneficial and meaningful to humans.
Parks are a source of energy and vitality. The human experience of clean air, fresh water, and enjoying wildlife in our parks inspires awe, education, and respect for the earth and the diversity of life it supports.
National, state, and local parks play a critical role in preserving and protecting our natural resources for the benefit of humans and Nature.
We rely on park and recreation professionals to be leaders and protect all aspects of the ecosystem for the common good: the health of the environment, wildlife, and humans. We depend on them to promote and maintain a state of balance, so people, wildlife, and the environment thrive together.
Every year, the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) confers The National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management to public and state park and recreation agencies and armed forces recreation programs in different categories.
“The National Gold Medal Award is intended to recognize an agency's overall management excellence in the field of parks and recreation,” stated Jane H. Adams, National Gold Medal Award Program Manager and Executive Director of the American Academy for Park & Recreation Administration.
However, crucial judging criteria regarding wildlife is completely absent from the National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management.
Peaceful coexistence with wildlife and humane, science based strategies that protect and respect wildlife within park ecosystems is glaringly absent from the standards of excellence used to judge The National Gold Medal Award.
Four out of the seven 2025 National Gold Medal Grand Plaque Award recipients, use sharpshooting, archery, and regulated hunting to control and dominate deer populations:
- Class I (Population 400,001 and over) Winner: Johnson County Park & Recreation District (JCPRD) in Shawnee, Kansas
- Class II (Population 150,001 – 400,000) Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation, Arlington, Virginia
- Ohio State Parks and Watercraft, Columbus, Ohio
- Armed Forces Recreation (Worldwide)
“Evaluation is based on a comprehensive review of the agency's vision, planning, personnel, fiscal management, and service to the community,” Ms. Adams said. “While the award reflects an agency's broader achievements, it does not imply universal agreement with every decision made.”
Although the award does not imply universal agreement with every decision made, lethal deer population control is a calculatedly designed component of a park agency’s vision and comprehensive strategic master plan.
Citizens, park agencies, and award-giving national organizations like the AAPRA and NPRA are all equally responsible for placing a high importance on shaping parks and recreation services.
To demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development, and agency recognition, WILDLIFE MUST BE CONSIDERED AND INCLUDED.
There is a monumental scientific, ethical, and humane abyss in The National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management award-winning criteria.
The National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management should and can require criteria that celebrates agencies that apply more effective, humane, science-based strategies that promote peaceful coexistence, respect and protect deer, humans, and entire ecosystems.
Cities that practice the killing of deer to control populations should be excluded from consideration of the award. Without these higher standards, the National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management lacks merit and value.
Park policies that include killing deer to control populations are inferior natural resources management and poor stewardship of the land.
Killing deer to control populations is a destructive vision, ignorant planning, fiscal mismanagement, and not a service to the community.
Killing deer to control populations is not excellence in park and recreation management.
Killing deer to control populations is a never-ending, archaic, and ineffectual tragedy that does not deserve a national award.
ACTION ALERT for ALL VIRGINIA RESIDENTS
The Arlington Deer population has declined 23% from 290 deer in 2021 to 222 deer in 2025. Please sign and share this Action Alert asking the Arlington County Board to not allow the sharpshooting of deer and instead place a complete emphasis on successful science-based, non-lethal solutions that respect and protect deer, humans, and our ecosystem.
