FEATURED PARK
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine (Baltimore, Maryland)
During the War of 1812, British forces sailed to Baltimore, Maryland, intent on attacking the city. But Baltimore was defended by Fort McHenry--a star-shaped fort perfectly situated on a point jutting into Baltimore Harbor. On the morning of September 13, 1814, the British navy attacked and bombed the fort for 25 hours.
Francis Scott Key witnessed the bombardment from a ship in Baltimore harbor. After a day of intense bombing, the attack ended. Key looked anxiously for the American flag over the fort. Had the fort been taken? To his relief, he saw the American flag flying above the fort--proof that the British had been repelled. Baltimore and its important port were saved from the threat of a British invasion.
Key immediately expressed his gratitude in a poem--a poem that became "The Star-Spangled Banner," our national anthem.
View the slideshow > >
NEW: Park Stories Podcast
 NPCA introduces its new Park Stories podcast series by taking you into Yosemite National Park for an engaging encounter with one of the park's first rangers, Sergeant Alizy Bowman, a member of an African-American regiment of the U.S. Army that stood guard over Yosemite well before the creation of the National Park Service. Bowman was a Buffalo Soldier, and his inspiring story is shared by Park Service Ranger Shelton Johnson.
Download his story today and subscribe to our podcast > >
OUR LATEST REPORT
Report Reveals Challenges at Assateague Island National Seashore
Invasive Species, Over-Sand Vehicles, and Nearby Development Threaten Assateague Park Ecosystems
 Assateague Island National Seashore, part of both Maryland and Virginia, offers an extraordinary beach experience that allows visitors to enjoy wildlife and outdoor activities in a beautiful natural setting.
According to a new report by NPCA's Center for the State of the Parks, the future health of the park is threatened by non-native feral horses and sika deer, heavy over-sand vehicle use, and polluted waters from adjacent land use and development. Funding and staffing shortfalls have affected nearly all facets of the park, including the preservation of its cultural treasures.
Read the full report > >
NPCA AT WORK IN THE PARKS
Restoring the Elwha River in Olympic National Park
 NPCA recently took a group of Seattle-area reporters on a rafting trip down the Elwha River in Olympic National Park in Washington state to see first-hand what the river could look like after one of the largest dam-removal projects in the country gets underway.
The Elwha River was once a prime salmon-producing river on the Olympic Peninsula, but when two dams were built in the early 1900s, the salmon couldn’t make it past the dam walls and lost access to their spawning grounds. Today only 5,000 to 10,000 salmon return to reproduce.
In 1992, Congress passed the Elwha Restoration Act, allowing Olympic National Park to restore the river ecosystem by removing the two dams. Once the river flows freely again, the park will work to restore runs of 10 different species of fish, including five Pacific salmon stocks and steelhead, with the goal of 400,000 fish returning to the river.
While on the river rafts, park scientists estimated that 22 species of wildlife, including bald eagles, black bears, and river otters, have declined because of a lack of salmon throughout the upper portion of the river.
NPCA is working closely with the Park Service to ensure this project remains a top priority for members of Congress in order to ensure full funding.
CENTENNIAL INITIATIVE FOR THE PARKS
Park Service Announces Eligible Projects
 On August 25, 2006--the 90th anniversary of the National Park Service--Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced the "National Parks Centennial Challenge," a proposal to create a new, 10-year program to improve the park system in time for its 100th anniversary in 2016.
This August, the National Park Service released an extensive list of park projects and programs that already have private funding available, but await matching federal funding from the proposed Centennial Challenge; Congress is now considering legislation to authorize and fund the Centennial Challenge program.
"This is an impressive list of projects that demonstrates the deep and enduring commitment Americans have for our national parks," says NPCA President Thomas Kiernan.
To learn about the proposed Centennial Challenge legislation, read NPCA President Thomas Kiernan's testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives > >
Lend a Hand for America's National Parks on September 29
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All National Park Service sites will offer free visitor admission on September 29 for National Public Lands Day. |
 September 29, 2007, is the 14th annual National Public Lands Day, a nationwide volunteer effort to enhance America's public lands. NPCA will host hands-on volunteer activities in national parks across the country.
Volunteers will be painting structures, removing invasive species, maintaining trails, cleaning campgrounds, and more. T-shirts, work gloves, tools, and refreshments will all be provided (in some parks, you’ll even get a free lunch); hours vary depending on the park.
If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact one of these NPCA event coordinators for more information:
Golden Gate National Recreation Area (CA), Contact Neal Desai at 415.989.9921, ext. 20 or ndesai@npca.org
Grand Teton National Park (WY), Contact Sharon Mader at 307.733.4680 or smader@npca.org
Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens (DC), Contact Alan Spears at 202.454.3384 or apsears@npca.org
Mount Rainier National Park (WA), Contact Shane Farnor at 206.903.1444, ext. 24 or sfarnor@npca.org
Rocky Mountain National Park (CO), Contact Karen Hevel-Mingo at 801.521.0785 or khevel-mingo@npca.org
Saguaro National Park (AZ), Contact Karen Hevel-Mingo at 801.521.0785 or khevel-mingo@npca.org
Shenandoah National Park (VA), Contact Catharine Gilliam at 540.460.5105 or cgilliam@npca.org
Valley Forge National Historical Park (PA), Contact Cinda Waldbuesser at 215.399.4136 or cwaldbuesser@npca.org
FACES
Meet NPCA Media Manager Tracey McIntire
 We think NPCA's supporters are doing an amazing job at protecting our national parks. And we're lucky that we have staff that are just as dedicated to protecting our parks at work, and in their daily lives too!
One such star is Tracey McIntire, NPCA media manager and one of the newest additions to our family. Tracey shared her story about why she is delighted to be working to protect our national parks.
"My personal story of America begins where America was born--in Concord, Massachusetts. It was there on April 19, 1776, that colonists stood against British troops and fired the first shots for American independence. I was born in Concord almost 200 years later, but I've always felt close to those who came before, thanks to a childhood that was enriched with local history.
The rangers at Concord's Minuteman National Historical Park brought history alive for me through their engaging talks and summer programs for children. Each week we'd meet at the house where the famous American author Nathaniel Hawthorne (author of The Scarlet Letter) once lived. I couldn't wait to see what was planned for the day--we might "attend" an 18th-century school or play games that Louisa May Alcott played as a child. I remember one day in particular when we were allowed to help excavate the site of a Revolutionary War tavern. For years afterwards I was determined to become either an archaeologist or a park ranger.
That experience in one of America's national parks has not only given me many happy memories, but it also shaped me as a person. I am privileged to now work for an organization that helps national parks across the country to pass that rich historical knowledge and love of the past along to the children of today. By working for the National Parks Conservation Association, I feel that I can repay a little of the wealth that the rangers gave to me by working to get the funding that they desperately need for their programs.
That's my America--a country where we can take an experience that has enriched us and not only repay those who gave it to us, but give others the chance to experience it as well."
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