Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton today named Martha Phillips Allbright, former Chief Deputy Attorney General under Norton in Colorado, as the Executive Director of the new Take Pride in America, a national partnership initiative aimed at increasing volunteer service on America's public lands. At the Four Mile Historic Park in Denver, Norton and Allbright awarded seven Colorado volunteers the highest Take Pride in America award.

"Marti Allbright will make a great Executive Director for Take Pride in America because she is a person of great inspiration as well as great abilities," said Secretary Norton. "Take Pride in America aims to inspire a whole new generation of volunteers, like those here today, who enthusiastically put their patriotism to work in protecting protect our national parks, wildlife refuges, public lands and other natural treasures."

Allbright currently serves as Senior Counsel at Brownstein, Hyatt and Farber in Colorado. She served as transition Chief of Staff for Secretary Norton at the Interior Department from January to April 2001. After serving as Chief Deputy Attorney General of Colorado in 1997 and 1998, Allbright was General Counsel of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation until 2000.

"I am honored to serve as executive director of Take Pride in America because it will empower volunteers from every corner of America to restore and improve our parks, refuges, recreation areas and cultural and historical sites," Allbright said. "The volunteers from Colorado whom we recognize today are receiving the highest Presidential Take Pride in America award for more than 4,000 hours of service each. They are an inspiration to all of us."

The volunteers include Marty Felix, the "Wild Horse Lady" of the Bureau of Land Management's Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range; Joy Fisher, age 89, who volunteers at the BLM's Colorado State office; Diane Buell, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) volunteer who has interpreted history and wildlife for thousands of visitors at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge for more than a decade; Bill Dowell, a former Rocky Mountain Arsenal Army employee who became a volunteer at the refuge after his retirement; Dennis Downing, who has volunteered as a biological science technician, naturalist and visitor center staff member at the same refuge; R. Felton Brunson, who provides engineering and design expertise to the Denver Service Center and parks and regions as requested; and Richard Bray, a retiree who has devoted more than seven years to inventorying and monitoring Rocky Mountain National Park's butterflies.

Take Pride is part of President George W. Bush's USA Freedom Corps, dedicated to fostering a culture of service to others. It works with governors and other partners to launch volunteer conservation projects.

"Take Pride already has gained tremendous momentum by enlisting more than 100 charter partners - including major corporations, conservation groups, service organizations, trade associations and a bipartisan coalition of state governors," Norton said. Formal partnerships with state governments allow federal and state land managers to identify volunteer opportunities and to enlist public service commitments from citizens.

Companies and corporations can help by sponsoring Take Pride in America cleanup days or by committing blocks of volunteer service time to local restoration efforts. The Interior Department launched www.TakePride.gov to outline program goals and offers ideas and suggestion for citizen, group and corporate involvement.

Take Pride sponsors a national recognition and awards program. Federal agencies recognize volunteers who have donated up to 2,000 hours of service. The Secretarial Award recognizes 3,000 hours of service. A special Presidential Award is given to those who have reached 4,000 hours of service such as the Colorado volunteers honored today.