In This Issue
Featured Park: Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
Policies Preserved! Final National Park Management Policies Preserve Parks' Mission
New Centennial Initiative for the Parks Announced
NPCA at Work in the Parks:
New NPCA Report: National Parks Along the Lewis & Clark Trail
NPCA's Alaska Regional Office Releases Report: Who’s Counting?
New Travel Site for Park Lovers
You're Invited: National Public Lands Day
Featured Park: Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
Celebrating the Bicentennial Anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
From 1804 to 1806, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and a corps of 42 hearty souls trekked 8,000 miles roundtrip through a country that was mostly unknown to the young nation's citizens and even its own government. Envisioned by U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, the expedition sought to explore the Missouri River and locate a northwest passage to the Pacific Ocean. The group was charged with thoroughly examining the geography, geology, ethnology, botany, and wildlife of the recently purchased Louisiana Territory and establishing good relationships with American Indians.
Today, Lewis and Clark's expedition is commemorated along the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail. Stretching through 11 states, over mountaintops, along roaring rivers, through native prairies, and along the Pacific coast, the diverse landscapes that make up the trail tell larger stories of the American narrative, such as foreign affairs, domestic issues, gender and race questions, and American Indian sovereignty.
In the last century, many of the places Lewis and Clark visited on their journey westward have been recognized for their significance to the collective heritage of the United States. As we celebrate the bicentennial anniversary on September 23, 2006, we encourage you to create your own journey of discovery. Take a hike or bike along the trail, kayak on the Missouri River, or watch reenactments of the historic journey at a bicentennial event in St. Louis this month.
Read NPCA's new Report, National Parks Along the Lewis & Clark Trail
More information about Lewis and Clark Bicentennial commemorations across the nation
Explore the Park
Policies Preserved!
Victory for Visitors and Our National Park Heritage
What a difference a year makes. In August 2005, we faced what seemed like an insurmountable challenge: Stopping the harmful rewrite of the National Park Service's Management Policies—the blueprint that provides day-to-day guidance for park managers. But together, we did it.
On August 31st, the Park Service issued the final 2006 Management Policies. These policies are a victory for the parks and will help ensure a healthy future for our parks and visitors. The policies:
- Confirm the Park Service's over-arching mission of long-term preservation;
- Reinstate protections for park air quality, wilderness, natural quiet, and other resources; and,
- Ensure that tomorrow's visitors and generations to come will be welcomed to our parks and offered a memorable, inspiring experience.
NPCA activists and members responded to the threat—sending in nearly 10,000 comments to the Park Service on this issue. Overall the Park Service received more than 50,000 comments when this draft was posted in the Federal Register—one of the most significant outpourings of public concern about a park issue in the 90-year history of the system.
To ensure that the new Secretary of Interior heard from us as the drafting process neared conclusion in July, we invited you to sign a petition, urging Secretary Kempthorne to "hold the line." Once again you responded, with nearly 5,000 signatures on the petition that was hand-delivered to Secretary Kempthorne by NPCA President Tom Kiernan.
Your actions and support made a huge difference in preserving our national parks. Secretary Kempthorne, the dedicated staff of the National Park Service, bipartisan park champions in Congress, NPCA partners, and the American public also deserve enormous praise for helping us to secure this significant victory for America's national treasures and generations of visitors. Together we do make a difference!
New Centennial Initiative for the Parks Launched
"National parks preserve majestic natural wonders. They keep watch over battlefields hallowed by red badges of courage. They keep culture alive at sites dedicated to the performing arts, poetry, and music. Parks offer recreation and discovery through spectacular backcountry hiking and climbing. They honor great leaders like Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Chief Joseph, John Muir, Eleanor Roosevelt and Martin Luther King, Jr. As havens of enjoyment, recreation, learning and personal renewal, national parks must endure."
—Secretary Kempthorne
On August 25, 2006—the 90th anniversary of the National Park Service—Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne launched the "National Parks Centennial Challenge," a 10-year initiative to improve the Park System in time for its 100th anniversary in 2016. NPCA president Tom Kiernan said, "It is time for a significant investment in our national parks as we embark on this 10-year challenge leading up to their 100th anniversary. We look forward to working with Secretary Kempthorne, the Administration, and Congress to see this important commitment carried through, and to finally restore the faded glory of America's national parks."
NPCA At Work in the Parks
New NPCA Report: National Parks Along the Lewis and Clark Trail
During the bicentennial year of the conclusion of Lewis and Clark’s journey, NPCA's Center for State of the Parks endeavored to determine the conditions of cultural and natural resources at six national parks associated with the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The new NPCA report, National Parks Along the Lewis and Clark Trail, assesses six national parks, including the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, Missouri National Recreational River, Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, and Nez Perce National Historical Park. Report findings indicate that the National Park Service needs additional funding to protect, preserve, and interpret these historic treasures.
Read the full report, National Parks Along the Lewis and Clark Trail
Your Support Makes It Possible
Through our Center for State of the Parks, NPCA is conducting research and bringing attention to the challenges faced by the parks along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, and other parks across the nation. In the coming year we're planning more than 25 new State of the Parks reports and beginning the process of re-assessing parks that have already been studied. But we can only meet this goal with your help! Please make a donation to NPCA today.
NPCA's Alaska Regional Office Releases Report, Who's Counting?
If you have ever had the pleasure of visiting a national park in Alaska, you know that most everything in Alaska is different, even its national parks. One of the most striking differences between Alaska's national parks and those in the rest of the park system is that most of them are, in fact, preserves, open to some form of hunting. Each year, thousands of moose, bear, wolves, and caribou are legally harvested on parkland.
In addition to providing hunting opportunities, the National Park Service must also maintain healthy and naturally occurring wildlife populations in accordance with the Organic Act and other management guidelines. In order to do this well, the parks need timely and scientifically sound data concerning wildlife populations. Unfortunately, this information has not always been available to park managers. Without this data, the Park Service lacks the tools to adequately protect our parks for future generations.
To help address this problem, NPCA's regional office in Alaska recently released a new report, Who’s Counting? How Insufficient Support for Science is Hindering National Park Wildlife Management in Alaska. In this report, NPCA examines the challenges facing the Park Service and identifies areas where data are lacking and the reasons why. NPCA also makes several recommendations to improve the availability of sound science and harvest data.
Read the Full Report
Read the Testimony of Jim Stratton, Alaska Regional Director, NPCA, concerning the National Parks of Alaska
You're Invited!
National Public Lands Day is September 30, 2006
September 30, 2006, is the 13th annual National Public Lands Day, a nationwide volunteer effort to enhance America's public lands. NPCA, with the support of REI, will be hosting hands-on volunteer activities in national parks across the country. Projects include painting, weed pulling, trail maintenance, campground clean-up, and the like. T-shirts, work gloves, tools, refreshments, and in some parks, lunch, will be provided. Hours vary depending on the park. If you're interested in volunteering at a nearby park, contact one of the NPCA staff members listed below.
- Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Neal Desai (415) 989-9921 ext. 20 or ndesai@npca.org
- Joshua Tree National Park, Howard Gross (760) 366-3035 or hgross@npca.org
- Yellowstone National Park, Patti Borneman (406) 495-1560 or pborneman@npca.org
- Valley Forge National Historical Park, Cinda Waldbuesser (215) 327-2529 or cwaldbuesser@npca.org
- Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Alan Spears (202) 454-3384 or apsears@npca.org
- Shenandoah National Park, Catharine Gilliam (540) 460-5105 or cgilliam@npca.org
- Mount Rainier National Park, Shane Farnor (206) 903-1444 ext. 24 or sfarnor@npca.org
New Travel Site for Park Lovers
NPCA is delighted to announce a new service available to assist our members in making plans to travel not only to our majestic national parks, but to any other destination that you would like to visit. NPCA has contracted with Passageways Travel to provide attractive travel packages and services for NPCA members and friends. Booking travel arrangements through the Passageways Travel website http://npcatravel.com offers you benefits that other travel search engines do not:
- This is a full-service site with both American Express and Passageways negotiated rates available.
- Help is available at all times with an after-hours Emergency Travel Center.
- Individuals can manage their travel history and profiles on their own accounts.
- You may select your seat assignment at the time of booking.
- You may book flights using Frequent Flyer miles using the service via phone.
- A portion of the transaction fees will help underwrite the work of NPCA in protecting and enhancing America’s national parks.
We hope that you will enjoy this new travel tool and that you will find it helpful in getting out to experience first-hand the enduring legacy of our national parks!
2006 NPCA Calendar Clearance!
Before we recycle our supply of 2006 NPCA calendars, we want to offer them free to you and your family. If you would like one, simply contact our Membership Department at npca@npca.org or call them Monday through Friday from 9-5 (EST) at 1-800-NAT-PARK. These calendars not only look great in the home and office, but in a college dorm room, too! And, for those who are always looking for unique pictures for arts and crafts projects, these images can't be beat. Contact Member Services today!
From All the Staff at NPCA,
Thank you for your time and dedication to helping enhance and protect our national parks for present and future generations.
NPCA's park protection work is made possible by the generous support of people like you. An introductory membership is just $15, and includes a subscription to our award-winning National Parks Magazine. Join us Today!
National Park Explorer is a publication of the National Parks Conservation Association. Contact us at TakeAction@npca.org or write to us at 1300 19th Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036.
Visit us online at www.npca.org.
