WHERE WE WORK

In This Issue:

Dimensions of Regional Leadership

Building Community Allies for National Park Funding

Gateways to Yellowstone Hits the Streets

Geotourism MapGuide for the Crown of the Continent:

A hidden jewel in the Crown of the Continent:

Don’t Feed the Bears!

7th Annual Gabriella Axelrad Memorial Ride

Favorite Hikes – Grand Teton National Park

Landmark conservation easement protects Grant-Kohrs Ranch viewshed

Brace Hayden

Tony's Message

Leadership and Teamwork

Close to a year ago, political appointees at the Department of the Interior unveiled a plan that, if adopted, would have undermined basic park protections on a broad scale. The proposed rewrite of the Park Service’s Management Policies would have loosened standards that NPS professionals follow to “protect parks unimpaired for future generations.” It contained directives that would have stripped away park conservation protections across a deep cross-section of park management protocols. In essence, the rewrite would have sorely compromised the power of park managers to protect parks for present and future generations.

NPCA quickly took the lead to oppose the ill-advised politicallymotivated scheme. Recognizing the precedent-setting nature of the action, and objecting to the political factors that fueled the process, NPCA redirected its resources and personnel into an all-out effort to halt the process. Key conservation partners joined the team, and NPCA’s national and regional staff collectively turned the organizational ship to focus on this key battle. Multiple chapters make up the story of rerouting the rewrite, but the defi ning moment happened in June when, after nine intensive months of public debate and dialogue, NPCA President Tom Kiernan stood on a press conference podium in Washington, D.C., with incoming Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorne. Together, they announced the development of a reworked set of management policies that turned out to be far different in scope and intent than the initially proposed draft.

We are presently confi dent that the new policies, as drafted, will maintain and in places strengthen the ability of the National Park Service to protect our nation’s national parks.

More than a document; the new rewrite is testimony to the power of public engagement. Media from around the country took an interest in the issue and wrote articles and editorials, focusing on the politics behind the effort to undermine park protection. Tens of thousands of Americans sent letters to the NPS urging greater, not less, protection for our parks. NPCA and our concerned partners collectively engaged our grassroots activists and allies along with our Board of Trustees and National Council, our communications and government affairs departments, and our regional fi eld staff who reached out to our 325,000-plus members and deployed a signifi cant and infl uential voice in the process.

NPCA is proud of this story of persistence, teamwork, and leadership by NPCA. And we are grateful to our members and colleagues who helped turn a potentially devastating process into a win for national parks, for open process, and for recognition of the greater good.