Picture Perfect

A photo of Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, taken by Mark Cromwell of Oklahoma, will be the official image gracing the 2010 America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Pass, which allows admittance to any National Wildlife Refuge that charges an entry fee, as well as national park, national forest and other federal recreational lands. The annual pass is available for $80, with lower prices for people 62 and older. A free, lifetime pass is available to citizens or permanent residents who have a permanent disability.

The photo of Bosque del Apache Refuge won the grand prize of the Share the Experience Photo Contest, sponsored by Olympus Imaging America Inc. and the National Park Foundation in partnership with the National Park Service and other federal land management agencies. The photo contest encourages Americans to explore the nation’s public lands.

Cromwell has spent much of his life exploring the backcountry of America’s protected lands. His winning photo was taken during a bird-watching trip. Of his photo, Cromwell said, “The day I took this shot we were up before dawn to catch the morning light. A few cranes settled in shallow water in front of me and it was serendipity.” As the Grand Prize winner, Cromwell will receive a trip to a national park of his choice and an Olympus E-3 digital single lens reflex camera kit.

Sponsored by Olympus Imaging America Inc. and the National Park Foundation in partnership with the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the USDA Forest Service, the Share the Experience Photo Contest showcases the more than 500 million acres of Federal Lands and draws entries from all across the United States.

The National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is the world’s premier system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America’s fish, wildlife, and plants. Learn more at http://www.fws.gov/refuges.

The Annual Pass can be purchased by phone, 888-275-8747, extension 1; e-mail, fedrecpass@usgs.gov; from the Internet, http://store.usgs.gov/pass; or at any participating Federal recreation site.

To view the 2008 winning photos and honorable mentions, visit www.nationalparks.org/photocontest.