Public Service Award

The nominee must work for an agency at the federal, state, or local level and must have demonstrated significant and consistent support of trail planning, design, or implementation through strong leadership and/or legislative efforts. The nominee may be an elected official, a paid employee, or a volunteer.

Steve Anderson

Steve Anderson of Tucson, Arizona, is Principal Planner of Pima County Natural Resources Parks & Recreation Department.

A trails advocate for more than twenty years, he has been involved in successful trails and open space conservation projects at the local, state and national levels. Steve's numerous achievements include:

Leading the effort to update the Eastern Pima County Trail System Master Plan, to include 1,500 miles of trails and several urban trails parks.

Led the difficult but successful effort to protect the historic El Paso and Southwestern rail corridor and have it approved by the Tucson City Council for greenway development (2004/05).

Unanimously elected Chair of the Tucson Parks and Recreation Commission in February 2006, and is leading the effort to promote trails, greenways and open space in the City of Tucson.

Appointed in 2002 by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as the first chairperson of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail Advisory Council, a group of cultural and natural resource experts from California and Arizona working to protect, develop and enhance the Anza National Historic Trail.

Has served as a mentor for grad students at the UA School of Landscape Architecture since 2002.

Steve's commitment to trails and open space has been considerable over the past two-plus decades. In fact, Steve was Co-Chair of the 1998 National Trails Symposium. Steve's years of devoted public service make him very worthy of recognition by American Trails.

More winners of this award

2015: Karl Knapp

2013: Roger Sabine

2010: Senator Robert H. Plymale

2004: Tom Gilbert