FEATURED PARK
Featured Park: Lowell National Historical Park, Massachusetts
"I am sick at heart when I look into the social world and see woman so willingly made a dupe to the beastly selfishness of man." --Sarah Bagley, Lowell Mill Girl
In the mid-1800s, the town of Lowell, Massachusetts, was a thriving center of the textile industry, with dozens of mills using the power of the Merrimack River and the latest modern machinery to turn Southern cotton into cloth. The textile companies recruited single, young women from rural areas with promises of room, board, and wages. The women--known as Mill Girls--worked long hours six days a week surrounded by noise, dust, and the ever-present danger of fire. Their eventual demands and protests for shorter hours and better working conditions put Lowell at the center of the early labor movement.
Lowell National Historical Park celebrates the lives and work of these women, as well as their impact on the larger labor and women's rights movements, and the impact of Lowell's mills on the industrial development of the United States. Visitors to the park can walk the historical trail through town and around the canals and mill buildings, view working looms in the Boott Cotton Mills Museum, and take a boat tour on the canals that run through the city.
View the slideshow > >
Read the Article in National Parks Magazine > >
OUR LATEST REPORT
Center for the State of the Parks: Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
 Situated at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers between Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, Harpers Ferry has served as a backdrop to more historical events than perhaps any other location in the United States. Today, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park offers powerful interpretation of the area's rich history.
Some of America's most famous historical figures spent time here: Explorer Meriwether Lewis visited the federal armory at Harpers Ferry to gather supplies for the Corps of Discovery, and abolitionist John Brown later raided that very armory to prepare for a rebellion. The town witnessed the largest surrender of Union troops during the Civil War. Harpers Ferry was also central in the Niagara Movement, a precursor to the creation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
According to a recent assessment by NPCA's Center for the State of the Parks, the park's cultural resources are in "good" condition and the natural resources are in "fair" condition overall. While cultural resources scored high, the park still struggles with staff shortfalls, inadequate museum storage and exhibit space, a lack of planning documents, and continued threats from adjacent development that would affect critical views from the park.
Learn more about the park and the threats it faces > >
NPCA AT WORK FOR THE PARKS
Protect the Air We Breathe: An Agenda for Clean Air
 NPCA, The American Lung Association, and other organizations have developed a Clean Air Agenda for the new administration and Congress. The Agenda calls on our elected leaders to clean up coal plant pollution and take other steps necessary to protect public health and reduce haze and other air pollution in our national parks.
Learn more > >
TRAVEL WITH NPCA
Utah Parklands: Arches & Canyonlands
May 17, 2009 to May 22, 2009
 Just one week remains to sign up for this Four Corners adventure! Don't miss out on the opportunity to gaze upon stunning rock formations in Arches National Park and the legendary Monument Valley; watch for golden eagles and scout out ancient petroglyphs as you hike through Canyonlands National Park; take in the sweet fragrance of juniper trees while floating down the Colorado River; and listen for the voices of the Ancestral Puebloans at the Anasazi Heritage Center. It's going to be a remarkable journey--don't let it pass you by.
For more information please call us at 800.628.7275, email us at travel@npca.org, or go online to www.npca.org/travel
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Salute to the Parks Gala
April 1, 2009
 Secure your seat at NPCA's 2009 Salute to the Parks Gala on April 1st in Washington, D.C.!
Our annual event brings together leaders of the conservation and environmental communities to celebrate America's national parks and recognize individuals whose dedication to the parks deserves attention. NPCA's William Penn Mott Jr. award will be presented to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).
This year's gala will also feature a sneak preview of The National Parks: America's Best Idea presented by the documentary's award-winning director Ken Burns.
For more details, including ticket purchases, please visit www.npca.org/annualdinner
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Become a Trustees for the Parks member!
 NPCA's work is made possible by visionary leaders like you who understand the value and importance of our national parks and historical heritage.
We hope you will consider becoming a Trustees for the Parks member! Annual gifts of $1,000 or more help NPCA continue our work to ensure that our National Park System can be enjoyed and treasured by our children and grandchildren. Plus, you'll receive notices on special travel opportunities, invitations to exclusive events, and mailings specifically designed for our Trustees for the Parks members.
As a token of our appreciation, we will send a beautiful coffee-table book titled Our National Parks by renowned photographer David Muench.
Visit us online to learn more about the benefits of becoming a Trustees for the Parks member, or click here to make a donation online today!
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