What We Do: Our Issues
Restoring Healthy Parks – Protecting Living Parks and Living Systems: In conjunction with the Southern Environmental Law Center, NPCA is striving towards halting large-scale coal mining in the New River watershed of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area that could irreversibly damage habitat and water quality downstream. NPCA is also continuing to encourage legislators to adopt clean air legislation that curbs the dangerous levels of air pollutants that are damaging wildlife habitats and posing health risks to visitors.
Protecting our nation's heritage – The southeast region is host to numerous National Historical Sites, Military Parks, and Cemeteries. NPCA is collaborating with local preservation & historic societies to ensure that our national parks remain testaments to our national heritage and our nation’s cultural diversity.
Promoting responsible growth of park adjacent communities: NPCA is collaborating with local communities and transportation authorities to encourage sustainable and appropriate development adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. NPCA encourages those involved to plan for habitat corridors, viewsheds, and other park-protective practices.
Building relationships: NPCA continues to foster and pursue relationship with southeast congressional champions for the parks. NPCA also reaches out to gateway communities, individuals, and other organizations that are committed to protecting our national parks.
Securing funding: NPCA recognizes the shortfalls in the budgets for our national parks. We seek individuals who share our commitment to protecting and enhancing the national parks in this region, and nationwide. NPCA is also planning for the 2016 Parks Centennial, and working to secure legislation that will adequately fund the national park system for the next century.
