Nominations End Monday for Western Washington's Cox Conserves Heroes Program

SEATTLE, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- KIRO 7, in partnership with The Trust for Public Land (TPL), is searching for Western Washington's third Cox Conserves Hero. Nominations end Monday, September 13 at 5:00 p.m. PT.

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To nominate an individual, visit http://budurl.com/KIRO7.

Following the nomination stage, the Cox Conserves Judging Circle, a group of local environmental and civic leaders, will select five finalists. The winning Hero, chosen by an online public vote, will be awarded $5,000 to donate to the environmental nonprofit of his or her choice. The four finalists will each receive $1,250 to donate to their nonprofit of choice.

The Cox Conserves Heroes program encourages the public to nominate people in their community who create, preserve or enhance places for everyone to enjoy - parks, greenways, gardens, waterways, plazas, streets and public squares. These everyday heroes make our communities better places to live, work and play. Eligible nominees cannot receive financial compensation for their conservation work.

This is the third year the Cox Conserves Heroes program has taken place in Western Washington. Gary Colley was named Western Washington's Cox Conserves Hero in 2009 and selected the North Olympic Land Trust to receive $5,000. Colley's donated legal work was a key element in protecting more than 1,500 acres of land.

Mike Town was named the inaugural Cox Conserves Hero in 2008 and selected The Washington Wilderness Coalition to receive $5,000. Town helped turn the Wild Sky Wilderness Act into law, which created a new wilderness within an hour's drive of nearly one million people. He recently received the inaugural Green Prize in Public Education from the NEA Foundation and an Einstein Fellowship from the Department of Energy.

About KIRO 7

Part of Cox Media Group, KIRO 7 is a CBS affiliate and is Western Washington's source for the latest in breaking news and weather.

Cox Media Group, Inc., a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises, is an integrated broadcasting, publishing and digital media company that includes Valpak and the national advertising rep firms of Cox Reps. With revenues of $1.8 billion, the company operations include 15 broadcast television stations and one local cable channel, 86 radio stations, four metro newspapers and more than a dozen non-daily publications, and more than 100 digital services.  Additionally, Cox Media Group owns and operates Valpak, one of the leading direct marketing companies in North America.

About The Trust for Public Land

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, and natural areas, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. Since 1972, TPL has helped protect more than 2.8 million acres of land nationwide, including over 73,000 acres in Washington. TPL has helped states and communities craft and pass over 330 ballot measures, generating $25 billion in new conservation-related funding. Our work in Washington stretches from the shores of the Puget Sound to the working lands east of the Cascades, as we strive to save special places as diverse and beautiful as the state itself, conserving the best of Washington for everyone to enjoy.

SOURCE Cox Conserves