Rules

• "Contest Period" – 9:00 AM EDT September 19, 2015 – 11:59 PM EDT EDT November 25, 2015 (including both the "Entry Period" and "Voting Period").
• "Entry Period" – 9:00 AM EDT September 19, 2015 – 11:59 PM EDT October 11, 2015.
• "Voting Period" – 9:00 AM EDT on October 12, 2015 and end at 11:59 PM EDT on November 25, 2015.
• "The Contest" – Western Massachusetts Public Lands Alliance (WMPLA) Spring/Summer 2015 "Pictures for Parks Charitable Photo Contest." The Contest entails a votes-based fundraising competition to raise money for WMPLA-led projects and programs that benefit the state parks and forests of Western Massachusetts.
• "Western Massachusetts" – any location within Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and/or Hampden counties.
• "Contestant/Fundraiser" – a person who enters the contest by uploading a photo, making a donation, and soliciting others to make a donation.
• "Entry" – an individual photograph submitted by a Contestant/Fundraiser into one of the eligible Contest Categories (see below for definition of "Contest Categories").
• "Voter/Donor" – a person who votes one or more times for a submitted photo (or photos) of a particular Contestant/Donor (or Contestants/Donors) by making a donation.
• "Votes/Donations" – a donation of $1. Votes for a given submission will be commensurate with the aggregate amount of the Votes/Donations. For instance, a $100 donation made by a Voter/Donor on behalf of a given Entry will result in that Entry receiving 100 votes from that Voter/Donor. There are no limits on the number of Votes/Donations that can be cast/given by a particular Voter/Donor.
• "Winner" – the Entry that receives the largest aggregate number of Votes/Donations within a given Contest Category.
• "Overall Winner" – the Entry that receives the largest aggregate number of Votes/Donations across all three (3) Contest Categories.
• "Contest Categories" – The three distinctly different themed categories for which a given Entry can be entered to win. These categories include the following:
  • Lands & Waters – pictures of forests, mountains, scenic vistas, waterways, lakes, wetlands, and other landscape features in western Massachusetts
  • Wondrous Wildlife & Photogenic Flora – pictures prominently featuring any form of wildlife (i.e., including birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates), herbaceous plant, or tree naturally occurring in western Massachusetts
  • People & Nature – pictures prominently featuring people (adults or children) participating in a form of outdoor recreation or environmental interpretation in western Massachusetts.

• Individual photographs can be entered to win in one of three Contest Categories (see above description).
• Contestants/Fundraisers with entries in the People and Nature Contest Category will be required to furnish model releases for any photo in which a recognizable human (adult or child) is featured.
• Photographs may not be edited or altered (other than minor color, contrast, or sharpness adjustments.)
• There is no limit on the number of Entries a given Fundraiser/Donor can submit within a given Contest Category.
• Photographs taken by a minor must be submitted by a legal guardian.
• This is an amateur photo contest. Professional or watermarked photography will not be accepted.
• Acceptable photo formats are limited to .jpg, .bmp, .tif, and .png
• Any photograph that includes content that is deemed inappropriate, indecent, or obscene, as determined by the staff of the Western Massachusetts Public Lands Alliance in their sole discretion, will be removed from the Contest with no opportunity for a refund.
• Photographs must be uploaded via this contest site.
• The original photo should be no smaller than 3648 pixels X 2736 pixels @ 72 dpi. Contestants should not crop if it will reduce the size of the photo below that stated above.

The "Pictures for Parks Charitable Photo Contest" (the "Contest") is open to all legal U.S. residents who are at least eighteen (18) years of age. The Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited or restricted by law or regulations.

• Online entries must be received between 9:00 AM EDT September 19, 2015 – 11:59 PM EDT October 11, 2015 (the "Entry Period").
• All entries and requests become the property of WMPLA and will not be acknowledged or returned. By submitting a photo, an Entrant agrees that WMPLA may use his/her submitted photo(s) for future fundraising and other official purposes, and may appear on WMPLA's website, social media pages, or outreach materials without the need for additional permissions or recompense. Please know that these uses help raise more funds for critically important projects and programs that benefit our public lands – including state parks, forests and wildlife management areas – as well as the people that visit them and the communities that are enriched by them. Your submission will continue to help us meet our mission even if it does not win a Contest Category.
• You agree that WMPLA may at any time, including prior to the Contest close, request a larger resolution version of the submitted entry. This request is not to be construed as indication of a winning entry. If not uploaded during contest entry, Contestants must be able to provide full resolution versions of the image in order to claim the prizes. Winners will be announced once we have received all full resolution images.
• You will be asked for the following information:
  • A fundraising goal (value must be a whole dollar amount; minimum of $10, no maximum)
  • The name of the state park of forest in Western Massachusetts for which you would like Votes/Donations to be applied. Leaving this blank will allow us to allocate to the partner with the greatest need
  • Your name
• The suggested minimum donation for entry is $5. This is a fundraiser to benefit the state parks and forests of Western Massachusetts, which are chronically under-funded and in need of support from individuals and organizations who value them. A donation is not required, but is strongly encouraged. Donations are tax deductible by law. Please save your receipts for your tax records. WMPLA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

• Voting is required to participate and win the Contest.
• Voting requires a $1 donation per vote. Entrants can and should solicit votes using the tools provided.
• The photograph with the most votes (donations) in each of the three Contest Categories at the end of the contest period will win the Contest. See PRIZES below for prize details.
• The voting period will begin at 9:00 AM EDT on October 12, 2015 and end at 11:59 PM EDT on November 25, 2015.
• Entrants may vote for their own entries.
• Organizations may enter and vote for Entries as separate entities.
• To vote, voter must go to the photo contest site and purchase a minimum of five (5) votes for a $5 donation. Those votes can then be cast for any photo entered in the contest in one vote increments. There is no cap or limit placed on the number of votes a voter/donor can purchase.
• Voters do not have to use all of the votes at the time of donation, nor on a single entry. When voters donate, they will be given the option of applying all of the votes to one (1) entry or setting up an account and storing votes in their account. If voter chooses to store the votes, voter can log in to their account using their ID and password and vote at a later time.
• Votes left unused at the termination of the contest will be considered donations and will not be applied towards any single entry.
• Voting will not affect what photos are included in the WMPLA calendar developed and published after the conclusion of the Contest. Photos entered in the Contest will be included in the calendar, however, decisions about what photos are depicted in the calendar will be WMPLA's sole discretion.

• Final tabulation of votes to determine the Contest Category winners and the "Overall Winner" will begin immediately following the close of the contest.
• Contestants may be notified with a request to provide a higher resolution photo.
• Contestants agree that WMPLA may at any time, including prior to the Contest close, request a larger resolution version of the submitted entry. This request is not to be construed as indication of a winning entry. If not uploaded during contest entry, the three Contest Category winners must be able to provide full resolution versions of the image in order to claim the prizes.
• Contestants are advised to ensure that email messages sent from "wmpla.org" are not blocked in their junk mail/spam filters.
• Winning Photos will be posted at wmpla.org following winner's notification and print- eligible pictures receipt. Additionally, any submitted photos may also be featured in various promotional materials including online. The selection process will be conducted under the supervision of WMPLA with assistance from GoGo Photo Contest, and all tabulations are final and binding.
• Winners will be determined by public voting. The Entry which receives the most votes in each of the three (3) Contest Categories when public voting ends on September 20, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. will be the Winner for that particular Contest Category. The Entry that receives the largest aggregate number of votes across each of the three (3) Contest Categories will be Overall Winner of the Contest.
• In the event of a tie, WMPLA will, at its discretion break the tie through an analysis of the times votes came in to determine the winner of each Contest Category and/or the Contest overall. The selection process will be conducted under the supervision of WMPLA with assistance from GoGo Photo Contest, and all tabulations are final and binding.
• Winners of the Fundraising Contest will be notified by e-mail on or about November 30, 2015, and will be given instructions on how to claim prize. Odds of winning depend on the number of votes each entrant receives.

Prizes will be awarded to the winning Contestant in each of the three (3) Contest Categories. The three (3) Contest Category winners will receive:

• Recognition on WMPLA's office website (wmpla.org) and Facebook page (http://facebook.com/wmpla)
• Prominent placement in the visitor center of Mt. Greylock State Reservation for one (1) year
• One (1) $100 gift card to Guido's Fresh Marketplace (Pittsfield and Great Barrington) or the Morgan House Restaurant (Lee, MA)*

• Recognition on WMPLA's office website (wmpla.org) and Facebook page (http://facebook.com/wmpla)
• Prominent placement in the visitor center of Mt. Greylock State Reservation for one (1) year.
• One (1) $100 gift card to Guido's Fresh Marketplace (Pittsfield and Great Barrington) or the Morgan House Restaurant (Lee, MA)*

• Recognition on WMPLA's office website (wmpla.org) and Facebook page (http://facebook.com/wmpla)
• Prominent placement in the visitor center of Mt. Greylock State Reservation for one (1) year.
• One (1) $100 gift card to Guido's Fresh Marketplace (Pittsfield and Great Barrington) or the Morgan House Restaurant (Lee, MA)*

In addition to the above mentioned Contest Category prizes, the Contest's Overall Winner will also receive the following:

• A free round of golf for two (including cart) and a complementary one-month Passport membership at Cranwell Resort (Lenox, MA) ($345 value)
• Complementary overnight lodgings and dinner for two at Bascom Lodge on the summit of Mt. Greylock ($189 value)
• Four adult admission tickets to RambleWild tree-to-tree aerial adventure park (Hancock, MA) ($276 value)

*Prizes are non-transferable and are not redeemable for cash.