Congratulations to Jamie Fosburgh with the National Park Service on being the 2025 Jackie Diedrich Excellence in Leadership Award recipient.
On December 9th, Jamie Fosburgh, received the Jackie Diedrich Excellence in Leadership Award from the Interagency Wild and Scenic Rivers Coordinating Council during the virtual U.S. Forest Service National Wild and Scenic River Awards Ceremony. This award recognizes a key individual in one of the four river-administering agencies that has shown outstanding leadership by going “above and beyond” to manage and protect Wild and Scenic Rivers. Jamie was also able to accept the award in person at the 2024 Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers Meeting in front of colleagues and partners earlier this winter.
Jamie Fosburgh has tirelessly worked to manage and protect wild and scenic rivers for more than 30 years. His leadership and dedication within the National Park Service at the regional and national level is without parallel. Jamie has managed multiple Section 5(a) congressionally authorized wild and scenic river studies and worked with agency legislative affairs staff to prepare agency testimony, respond to congressional inquiries, and prepare reports to Congress. On top of that, Jamie has been at the forefront of developing and growing the NPS Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers Program which he and others pioneered in the 1990s. In 2008, Jamie co-authored a foundational journal article that described the common principles and management systems for these partnership wild and scenic rivers. He recruited, developed, and now manages and mentors a team that consists of eleven permanent staff and fellows/interns who support eighteen rivers and their partnership organizations and river communities.
Jamie currently serves on the NPS Wild and Scenic Rivers Steering Committee where he has worked to improve consistency in managing the NPS's wild and scenic rivers. He was part of the team that developed Director's Order #46: Wild and Scenic Rivers in 2015. Jamie’s initiatives have not only raised awareness about the importance of these vital waterways but have also inspired countless individuals to take action in preserving our natural treasures. His unwavering dedication to fostering community engagement and collaboration has made a significant impact on river health and accessibility. Jamie's experiences and insights have been invaluable to fielding Partnership Wild and Scenic River inquiries and requests from other regions across the country and encouraging this unique partnership model to expand outside the Northeast region.
This recognition is a testament to Jamie's hard work and the vital role he plays in safeguarding our rivers for future generations.
Please join us in congratulating Jamie and appreciating his many years of leadership of the Northeast Rivers programs and protecting and enhancing rivers across the nation. Learn more about National Wild and Scenic River Awards on rivers.gov.
