AUSTIN— A Chambers County game warden, the Fort Boggy State Park superintendent and Whole Earth Provision Company were recognized during the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting held Thursday morning in Austin.

The awards were presented by partners recognizing the winners, which include the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) Texas Boating Officer of the Year, Texans for State Parks’ Distinguished Park Ranger Award and a donation from the Whole Earth Provision Company.

Fort Boggy’s Wesley Hamilton Presented Distinguished Ranger Award by Texans for State Parks

Wesley Hamilton, park superintendent at Fort Boggy State Park in Centerville, was recognized Thursday as the recipient of the Distinguished Ranger Award by Texans for State Parks.

Hamilton has worked at Fort Boggy for eight years and has consistently demonstrated leadership and commitment to the TPWD mission throughout his tenure. He has also created strong partnerships with the community and local “Friends” group. With his commitment and public support, Fort Boggy State Park has moved into a growth phase that included the construction of three state of the art cabins and a grand re-opening last fall.

The Friends of Fort Boggy nominated Wesley Hamilton for the award due to his dedication to keeping the park open, his leadership and vision, and for inspiring others to see the potential of Fort Boggy State Park.

Fort Boggy State Park is located right off of highway 45 halfway between Dallas and Houston.

Texans for State Parks is a Texas-wide grassroots non-profit organization that devotes its efforts to the advocacy of the Texas State Parks system, which includes state historic sites and state natural areas. Members of this organization include individuals, organizations, businesses and state parks “Friends” groups.

Chambers County Game Warden Patricia Vannoy Named NASBLA Boating Officer of the Year

Chambers County Game Warden Patricia Vannoy was recognized Thursday as the recipient of the NASBLA Boating Officer of the Year award.

Vannoy is extremely active in the community promoting boater safety in one of the most populated and busiest bay systems, Galveston Bay, in the United States and Texas. She has participated in numerous public programs promoting fish and game rules regulations, boater safety and has coordinated and executed one of the largest annual public programs in the community. The expo is attended by more than 500 community members who get the opportunity to participate and get educated on the various issues facing TPWD.

In addition to her community outreach, Vannoy was selected to join the State Forensic Reconstruction and Mapping Team (STORM). Since joining, she has worked many boat crashes, including some high profile cases that has enabled her to set the bar high for boat crash investigations in Texas.

Whole Earth Provision Company Donates $30,296 to TPWD from April Promotion Proceeds

For the sixth year in a row, the Whole Earth Provision Company has donated the proceeds from their “April is Texas State Parks Month” and Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour promotion to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. This year’s donation is $30,296 bringing their six year total donation to $178,803 for Texas State Parks.

Throughout the month of April, eight Whole Earth Provision Company stores in Texas solicited donations at the checkout counters for Texas State Parks. The stores also held a special “Ask a Ranger” event in the store where park rangers came in and answered questions from shoppers in the store.

In addition to their in-store promotion, Whole Earth Provision Company named Texas State Parks as the benefactor of the two-day Banff Mountain Film Festival held at the Paramount Theater in Austin. At the event, park staff were able to speak to outdoor enthusiasts and supporters about the TPWD mission from a booth before the film.