2003 - Community Effort Award - Population up to 2,000 - Town of Cherokee

The Alfalfa County town of Cherokee already had a good thing going with its proximity to the Great Salt Plains State Park, a premier birdwatching site, but too many tourists were bypassing the town. Seven years ago, they attacked that challenge head-on with a long-range plan. The resulting Cherokee Nature Park today is a major tourist destination itself.

Assembling a multitude of agencies, volunteers and funding, the impact of the park already has been positive, diverse and lasting. It has been so successful that plans are afoot to expand the park by 67 acres.

It now stands as the centerpiece of the town's long-term strategy for survival and growth. For dramatically demonstrating that

"nature tourism" can create a multitude of economic, environmental and public health benefits, the Cherokee Nature Park is good news for humans AND wildlife in Oklahoma.

Posted on Thu, May 1, 2003 by Sonny Wilkinson filed under

2003,
community effort,