St. Paul, Minn. - In addition to the Midwest Regional offices in Chicago and national headquarters in Washington, D.C., National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) welcomes its newest field office located in St. Paul, Minnesota, working as the first line of defense in protecting our national parks in the Upper Midwest.
 
Minnesota native Christine R. Goepfert will serve as NPCA’s new Upper Midwest program manager and will be working directly with partners for Minnesota and South Dakota’s 10 national parks.   Having launched the first field office for Transportation for America, a national transportation organization, Goepfert brings a strong background in coalition building and policy advocacy to protecting the region’s national parks.

“As a life-long outdoors enthusiast who’s visited many national parks, I am thrilled to join the NPCA team to help protect our national parks for future generations,” said Goepfert.  “We must take care of these great places now so that people for years to come can enjoy their natural beauty, awe inspiring views and appreciate the wildlife and historical significance of our national parks.”

Goepfert will continue NPCA’s leadership to oppose the $690 million bridge at the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. NPCA is working closely with the Sensible Stillwater Bridge Partnership, which favors a far less costly and less impactful bridge over the federally protected river.  Goepfert will also work with partners to protect air quality at Voyageurs National Park and to stop the spread of Asian carp in Minnesota waterways. She will work with partners to secure funding to purchase land within Upper Midwest national parks, which will improve visitors’ experiences as well as wildlife migration in the parks. 

“We have many national park supporters in Minnesota and South Dakota and now we are fortunate to have Chris on board to work with them,” said Lynn McClure, NPCA’s Midwest regional director. 

While Goepfert works to protect national parks in Minnesota and South Dakota, she will also engage NPCA supporters to advocate for increased funding for the National Park Service so that our parks have the resources necessary to ensure effective management of our parks. 
 

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Please feel free to contact Chris Goepfert directly to further discuss issues facing Upper Midwest national parks at 612.270.8564 or by email at cgoepfert@npca.org.

About National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA): Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the leading voice of the American people in the fight to safeguard our National Park System. NPCA, its more than 600,000 members, supporters and partners work together to protect the park system and preserve our nation’s natural, historical, and cultural heritage for our children and grandchildren. For more information, visit: www.npca.org.