Michael S. Regan 16th Administrator, United States Environmental Protection Agency | Official Website
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with the White House Council on Environmental Quality, recently celebrated the 2024 President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) ceremony, recognizing exceptional youth dedicated to environmental stewardship.
This year's PEYA awardees included four high school students from Soldotna, Alaska, for their “Bucket Trees for Campfire Safety” project on the Kenai Peninsula. After observing the devastating effects of the 2019 Swan Lake wildfires, which burned over 170,000 acres, the students sought ways to protect and educate their community about wildfire prevention. Their research focused on reducing human-caused wildfires, which account for nearly 85 percent of fires in the United States.
The students advocated for new safety standards at campgrounds to prevent campfires from becoming hazards. These standards include dousing fires with water, stirring them, and ensuring that coals are completely cold. Since 2022, they have installed 18 "bucket trees" at various campgrounds on the Kenai Peninsula. These stands provide empty loaner buckets labeled with fire safety instructions for use by visitors and campers. The buckets are distributed by host agencies that continue to promote sustainable fire safety practices.
The project has received praise from Alaska State Park Rangers, firefighters, and the broader community for its contribution to environmental stewardship. The students plan to expand their efforts into a statewide initiative aimed at protecting all of Alaska's natural landscapes.
Since its inception in 1971, the PEYA program has recognized young people across the United States for their contributions to protecting air quality, water resources, land conservation, and overall ecological health. The program honors K-12 youth who develop outstanding environmental projects and encourages positive community involvement through increased awareness of natural resources.
For more details on this year’s winning projects, visit: President’s Environmental Youth Award winners.
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