Oakland County Parks and its Executive Officer Daniel Stencil were recently honored with the Blue Heron Award from the North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy.

The award recognizes an organization and individual for outstanding stewardship practices toward conserving the headwaters area of north Oakland County.

Oakland County Parks, under Stencils leadership, received $3.76 million in Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grants and additionally allocated $6.75 million in matching funds and additional monies have been directed to preserve more than 600 acres in perpetuity as park lands in Oakland County. The land, located throughout the headwaters of the Shiawassee, Huron, and Clinton rivers, contains significant remaining natural community types including remnant fen and hardwood-conifer swamp.

Stencil has renewed focus on stewarding water quality in county parks. Oakland County Parks was awarded a $190,000 Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Clean Michigan Initiative Grant last year for stormwater quality improvements at Waterford Oaks County Park as part of its commitment to the MDEQs Stormwater Pollution Prevention Initiative. Oakland County Parks appropriated $332,000 in matching funds.

More information can be found at www.nohlc.org or by calling 248.846.6547.