National Park Service honors Friends of Sacajawea Park

The National Park Service has recognized Sharon Stewart and Friends of Sacajawea State Park with an award honoring their work in support of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

A parks official planned to present the Midwest Regional Outstanding Trail/National Heritage Area Partnership Award on Thursday evening.

The award honors partnerships that support conservation, stewardship and citizen engagement within and beyond park boundaries.

Stewart has worked with the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail for 15 years, often dedicating more than 40 hours a week to support park operations and tell the larger story of the expedition. She helped form Friends of Sacajawea State Park in January 2013 to ensure there would be a nonprofit to support the park and to rally continuing support from local citizens.

The 284-acre Sacajawea State Park is at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia rivers in Pasco and is named for the Shonshone guide who aided the Lewis & Clark Expedition. The expedition camped at what is now the park between Oct. 16-18 in 1805.

This story was originally published June 16, 2016 at 4:26 PM with the headline "National Park Service honors Friends of Sacajawea Park."