Centennial Challenge Key Step to Future of National Parks, Says National Parks Conservation Association
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PRESS RELEASE
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | |
| Date: | May 7, 2008 |
| Contact: | Perry Wheeler, National Parks Conservation Association, P: 202.419.3712 |
Centennial Challenge Key Step to Future of National Parks, Says National Parks Conservation Association
Statement by NPCA Vice President for Government Affairs Craig Obey
“The Centennial Challenge will help prepare our national parks for a second century of service to our children and grandchildren. The House Natural Resources Committee’s action today is a major step toward making it a reality,” said NPCA Vice President for Government Affairs Craig Obey. “A great deal of hard work has gone into Rep. Grijalva’s substitute to H.R.3094. While the authorization level does not yet achieve the ultimate goal of $100 million per year for ten years, the Committee has taken an essential step on which to build. We are optimistic that the administration and Congress can now work expeditiously to build on the Committee proposal and ready it for consideration in the full House of Representatives.”
The innovative National Park Centennial Challenge embodied in the Grijalva substitute will – if enacted – create a 10-year partnership between the federal government and private American citizens to begin to repair and enhance the national parks before their 2016 centennial. It seeks to double private philanthropic and other non-federal donations to carry out projects and programs in the parks beyond what is possible through the yearly federal budget and appropriations process, and to inspire continued public and private investment in America’s national parks.
“We thank Chairman Rahall, Chairman Grijalva, Congressman Young, Congressman Bishop, and other key committee members for their leadership in helping to move the bill. It is truly an investment in our national heritage, our economy, and the continuing legacy we leave to future generations,” Obey said. “We call on Congress to act quickly to enact this historic legislation, and we pledge to do everything we can to help make that happen.”
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