The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission this week presented Joanne Denworth with its first "Visionary in Historic Preservation" award to recognize her expertise in land use and the environment to further historic preservation efforts in Pennsylvania.

"Joanne Denworth is best known for her environmental leadership," PHMC Exective Barbara Franco said. "However, her interest in connecting it to historic preservation goals and objectives is commendable.

"This award recognizes her important contributions to the development of policies that apply to and promote the protection and preservation of both the commonwealth's environment and historic resources."

Denworth, a land use and environmental lawyer in the Governor's Office of Policy, is responsible for issues in state agencies relating to land use -- community and economic development, environmental protection, conservation, transportation, water and sewer infrastructure, and energy, primarily.

She provided leadership for the Interagency Land Use Team, a working group of the Economic Development Cabinet that developed the commonwealth's Keystone Principles for Growth, Investment & Resource Conservation. The Keystone Principles was designed to encourage project development that integrates programs and funding sources from a variety of state agencies into a comprehensive strategy to address issues affecting whole communities.

Denworth was president and co-founder of 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, which is dedicated to revitalizing cities and towns, conserving rural lands, and reducing sprawl.

She has been president of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council for 12 years, where she spearheaded coalitions for land use law reform, enhancement of urban environments, and regional action to promote open space protection and resource-conserving development.

Denworth is also co-author and editor of Guiding Growth (1993), a growth management handbook for municipalities; and she is the primary author of Planning Beyond Boundaries (2002), a manual on multi-municipal planning and implementation.

She has written numerous articles on land use and environmental issues, served as a judge on the Environmental Hearing Board of Pennsylvania, been a township solicitor, and taught at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of City and Regional Planning.

Denworth served on the 21st Century Environment Commission's Land Use Team, has been active in a number of Philadelphia civic organizations, and is a graduate of Vassar College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

"Historic preservation revitalizes and reinvests in communities and neighborhoods, sustains economies, encourages tourism, creates jobs, preserves open space, and reuses older buildings instead of abandoning or demolishing them," said Franco. "Preservation protects and recognizes the social and cultural resources that define and unite Americans, ensuring that such resources will survive to enrich our communities and lives for generations."

9/19/2008