Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site chosen to compete for national award

Tom Harvey, 512-389-4453, tom.harvey@tpwd.texas.gov

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EL PASO — Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site has been selected to participate in the 2011 “This Place Matters” Community Challenge sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. One hundred sites were chosen from over 250 applicants from around the country to compete in a popularity contest for three cash prizes. The winning sites will be determined by the number of votes received through the National Trust’s Web site. The top prize is $25,000.

To vote for Hueco Tanks, anyone can visit the National Trust’s site to register. Voting closes June 30 at 4 p.m.

“Winning this award would be a great gift to our community and visitors,” said Wanda Olszewski, Hueco Tanks Superintendent.

If voted to receive funding through this contest, Hueco Tanks will use the prize to increase the park’s Lone Star Legacy endowment fund and provide additional funding for park staff, volunteers and partners to continue programs and services for visitors.

“Hueco Tanks’ Lone Star Legacy endowment fund was built over the last ten years with many small contributions, such as a few dollars that local families could spare in appreciation for Native American dancing at our annual Interpretive Fair. Such an increase in the endowment would help us sustain the kinds of programs our visitors love most, while encouraging stewardship of this amazing site,” she said.

Hueco Tanks, located at the tip of far West Texas near El Paso, is known for its hundreds of Native American pictographs and as a unique rock climbing destination. The park also offers birding and hiking tours. Named for its natural rock basins or huecos, the property is located on 860.3 acres in El Paso County.

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