SAWS Director Bill Hodge was announced as the recipient of the 2013 Bob Marshall Award as an Individual Champion of Wilderness Stewardship. The recipient is nominated and selected by the United States Forest Service in conjunction with the International Journal of Wilderness. Upon announcing Hodge's selection, the Forest Service stated:
"Mr. Hodge is being recognized for his stewardship of wilderness at the regional and national levels. Mr. Hodge’s accomplishments include the development of an annual wilderness training program knows as the Wilderness Skills Institute, providing field presence in wildernesses in the southern Appalachians through a SAWS Wilderness Ranger program , and assisting the Cherokee, Chattahoochee-Oconee and North Carolina National Forests in working on the Chief’s 10 Year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge. Bill has served on the board of the National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance (NWSA) and lead the effort to host the 2012 NWSA conference in North Carolina. Bill is passionate about growing the next generation of wilderness stewards. This is exemplified in his work to provide underserved youth to wilderness for life changing experiences and stewardship efforts. His work has had life-long impacts to the resources and people and exemplifies the true meaning of being a “wilderness steward.”