Gateway National Recreation Area, New York & New Jersey
Touch the warm bricks of a Civil War-era fort; watch scores of migrating hawks soar overhead on their way to Central America; examine a rare, delicate orchid; help volunteers restore vintage aircraft; or build a sandcastle, enjoy a picnic with family, and surf along a sandy beach. All of these opportunities—and more—are possible at Gateway National Recreation Area, in the shadow of Manhattan.
Created in 1972, Gateway is located in the outer New York-New Jersey Harbor, protecting more than 26,000 acres of land, and offering an array of recreational, cultural, and natural experiences. More than 330 species of birds and 71 species of butterflies live within the park or stopover at Gateway during their arduous seasonal migrations along the Atlantic coast. Gateway's buildings, landscapes, and archaeological sites offer great samples of America's coastal defenses from the Revolutionary War through the Cold War. More > >
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NPCA Launches NPCA Mobile
There's a new way to protect our national treasures by simply using your cell phone. Sign up for NPCA Mobile and a percentage of your monthly mobile bill will go directly to NPCA.
 Subscribe to NPCA Mobile today to receive a sleek NPCA branded RAZR V3m for $49.99 (a $299.99 value!) and a 450-minute calling plan (2-year contract) for $39.95. You'll also receive three "sounds of nature" ring tones on your phone! What a great way to express your passion for America's national parks while helping to preserve them for future generations.
Click here to find out more and subscribe to NPCA Mobile.
Victory for Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & PreserveAlaska's Wrangell-St. Elias protected from damaging all-terrain vehicle use
 A recently settled lawsuit filed by NPCA has stopped the destruction of recreational all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) on three popular trails in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve in Alaska. The unlimited ATV use has ripped through tundra vegetation, exposing the frozen ground to direct sunlight and causing large mud pits to emerge. This damage to the park's tundra ecosystem is threatening wildlife habitat and water quality.
"Illegal ATV riding in Wrangell-St. Elias has been creating massive mud holes up to one hundred yards wide and several miles long," says NPCA Alaska Regional Director Jim Stratton. "Wrangell-St. Elias is one of the world's premier wilderness parks, and today we are starting the journey to heal some serious wounds to the land caused by recreational ATV riding." MORE > >
South Dakota National Parks & the Black HillsSeptember 3-8, 2007
 Southwest South Dakota is one of the most diverse ecological and geological regions in the country. Discover the exciting natural history of this unique region on this NPCA tour of Badlands and Wind Cave National Parks and Mount Rushmore National Monument. You will be amazed by the abundant wildlife and diverse plant life.
For more information, view tour details online or call the NPCA ParkScapes Travel Desk at 800-488-4080 to get more information.
House Budget Proposal a Grand Slam for National Parks
 Our national parks need sustained federal support, but chronic funding shortfalls have put the parks in crisis. NPCA has highlighted the need for additional funding for more than a decade. In February we launched a new campaign called Make National Parks a National Priority--to encourage Congress to support increased funding for the parks. Thousands of park supporters like you signed a Congressional petition urging increased support for our parks as part of the federal budget process, which began in February.
That's why we are pleased to report that the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee provided $2.5 billion for the National Park Service, an increase of $228 million above FY07. This proposed increase is a major victory in our ongoing campaign to restore full funding to the parks. The next step in the process will be a vote by the full House of Representatives. We anticipate the Senate will be taking up the legislation to fund the parks soon as well, hopefully with equally promising numbers. If this budget is approved, it will be big a win for our national parks. And it would be a great stride toward rectifying the annual funding shortfalls that have crippled national parks for years. And we couldn't have done it without you. MORE> >
National Park Volunteers Honored by the National Park Service
 In 2006, 154,000 volunteers gave an astounding gift of 5.1 million hours of their time to enrich our national parks. The National Park Service recently honored several of those outstanding volunteers. Don Harrison was awarded the Individual Volunteer Award for his work raising money for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. For many years visitors to the C&O Canal traveled the canal on a mule-drawn barge. The old boat, the Yankee Clipper, had to be retired because of hull damage. Harrison's work helped raise over half a million dollars to build a new canal boat. MORE > >
Meet NPCA's Own Dionna Humphrey, Associate Director of Advocacy
 As someone who grew up in a primarily urban setting, my experience in national parks was quite limited. Or was it? I can say without fail I spent many days every year following birds, watching squirrels, and flying kites in Golden Gate National Recreation Area. And even though at the age of 8 I didn't know I was in a national park, I knew then, as I know now, that it was important to preserve and protect it.
Which is why I do what I do. I come to work every day knowing that what NPCA does is important, knowing that what our activists, members, and supporters help us do is critical, and knowing that we as a society must continue to do this work so that others can have the same experiences. I am happy to be an advocate for our national parks because they truly are one of the best gifts we can share with the world and with each other.
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