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• Park Boston African American National Historic Site In the early 1800s, the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston was home to one of the largest communities of free African Americans in the country. Unlike other U.S. states, Massachusetts effectively outlawed slavery in its constitution in 1783, decades before the 13th Amendment abolished slavery nationwide. Boston became a thriving center for the abolitionist movement and a critical link in the Underground Railroad. The historic site interprets 15 different structures in this storied neighborhood, including two important buildings, the Abiel Smith School and the African Meeting House, which combine to make up the Museum of African American History. Other historic buildings include a school, the homes of several prominent Boston African Americans and a memorial honoring the first regiment of African American troops to serve in the Civil War.
• Park Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area Rich in history, the 34 beautiful islands and peninsulas of this national recreation area feature lighthouses, military sites, hiking trails and numerous other outdoor adventures. Walk in the steps of the Union soldiers who guarded Boston from their station at Fort Warren during the Civil War. Search the horizon for ships from Boston Light on Little Brewster Island, the second-oldest working lighthouse in the nation. Observe sea creatures in sun-warmed tidal pools and cast your line for striped bass and winter flounder. All of these adventures and more are an easy ferry ride from the city.
• Park Boston National Historical Park See 350 years come to life in a city that shaped the history of America as a colony and an independent nation. Walk the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail to explore 16 historic sites in the heart of the city, including the site of the Boston Massacre, Paul Revere’s house, the Old North Church and the Bunker Hill Monument — all icons of the American Revolution. In addition, visitors can see the U.S.S. Constitution, one of the first ships in the U.S. Navy, commissioned by President George Washington in 1797.
• Park Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site Sacagawea, the Indian guide, joined the Lewis and Clark expedition from her home in the Knife River Indian Villages. This historic site celebrates the culture and tradition of the Northern Plains Indians.
• Park Booker T. Washington National Monument This monument commemorates the tobacco farm where one of America's most prominent African-American leaders of the late 19th and early 20th centuries was born into slavery in 1856. Washington spent his boyhood at the 207-acre estate until the Union victory in the Civil War freed his family. After the Civil War, Washington became the founder and first principal of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial School. Later as an adviser, author and orator, he spoke to the new disenfranchisement of former slaves who suffered under discriminatory Jim Crow laws enacted in the post-Reconstruction period, and he helped to fight for educational and economic advancement in the African-American community.
• NPCA at Work California's National Parks: Struggling for Clean Air It might come as a surprise that California’s crown jewel national parks — Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Joshua Tree and Yosemite — struggle with some of the dirtiest air of any parks in the nation.
• James D. Nations Former Director of NPCA's Center for Park Research Trained as an ecological anthropologist, Dr. James D. Nations has spent the past 25 years working for the protection of natural ecosystems and cultural heritage in the tropics and the United States. Before joining the National Parks Conservation Association as head of the Center for Park Research, James worked 13 years with Conservation International, serving as Vice President for Mexico and Central America, Vice President for Latin America, and Vice President for Development Agency Relations.
• Report Center for State of the Parks: San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Recognizing San Antonio Missions National Historical Park’s significance to our shared national heritage, NPCA’s Center for State of the Parks endeavored to determine the conditions of the cultural resources protected within the park.
• Report Center for State of the Parks: Virgin Islands National Park Recognizing the significance of the natural and cultural resources found within Virgin Islands National Park and Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument, NPCA’s Center for State of the Parks assessed the current conditions of these resources.
• NPCA at Work Protect Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve A proposed 211-mile industrial mining access road would disrupt caribou migration, the subsistence lifestyles of rural Alaskans, and the integrity of Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve.
• Press Release With Unanimous Support, Senate Passes the National Park Service Centennial Act Dec 2016 Centennial bill will help address national park needs and engage youth
• Press Release Bill Expanding Public-Private Partnerships Victory for National Parks Dec 2016 Bipartisan-Supported Centennial Bill Would Help Address National Park Needs and Engage Youth
• Press Release National Parks Boast a $34 Billion Boom as Budget Cuts Loom Apr 2017 Record visitation pumps billions into national, local economies in 2016.
• Press Release With House Passage, Historic Blackwell School Even Closer to National Park Status Dec 2021 The National Parks Conservation Association and Blackwell School Alliance are leading a grassroots campaign for a park that will honor the stories of Latino students and their families, centered around a former segregated school in West Texas.
• Press Release Government Shutdown and Additional Funding Cuts Threaten National Parks, Visitors and Local Communities Nationwide Sep 2013 Federal government shutdown threatens to close national parks across the country impacting local economies as well as family vacation and school trips
• Press Release New National Poll Finds Parks Are Political and Physical Solution to Address Climate Mar 2022 "As the worsening climate crisis continues to threaten our health and our communities, this poll shows national parks unite us and offer solutions for addressing it."
• Press Release Congress Green Lights Funding Increase For National Park Roadways Dec 2015 National park roadways to receive 18 percent increase in transportation funding
• Press Release Federal Report Touts $30 Billion Direct Economic Impact of National Parks, Underscores Benefit Of Increased Funding Apr 2015 National Parks Are Proven Economic Engines; Congress Must End Sequester and Pass Pro-Park Transportation Bill
• Blog Post Plan a Desert Getaway to Bryce Canyon National Park Mar 2015 | By Megan Cantrell What do these things have in common: Fairyland, Peek-A-Boo, Queens Garden, and Hat Shop? They are all names of fun trails to hike at Bryce Canyon National Park.
• Blog Post A National Park That Feels Like the Moon Jul 2019 | By Jennifer Errick Tomorrow is the 50-year anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s historic moon walk. Just one month after this “giant leap for mankind,” Apollo astronauts hoping to follow in Armstrong and Aldrin’s footsteps visited a U.S. national park to train for future moon walks.
• Press Release Trump Administration Issues Flawed Plan for Bears Ears National Monument Lands Despite Active Litigation and Overwhelming Opposition Jul 2019 This management plan is an insult to the public, who overwhelmingly spoke out in favor of protecting Bears Ears — and all our national monuments.
• Blog Post How Is the Partial Government Shutdown Affecting National Parks? Jan 2019 | By Emily Douce, John Garder The longest government shutdown in U.S. history furloughed hundreds of thousands of federal employees, including National Park Service personnel, and left many of America’s public lands ungated and largely unsupervised.
• Press Release Senate Committee Passes Transportation Bill to Increase Funding for National Park Roadways May 2021 “This bipartisan legislation comes at a critical time for our National Park System, as roads, bridges, tunnels and transportation systems are reaching a breaking point at many park sites across the country." - Emily Douce, NPCA's Director of Operations and Park Funding
• Blog Post 7 Facts About the Trump Administration’s Illegal Attack on National Monuments Dec 2017 | By Theresa Pierno President Trump issued two proclamations to remove federal protections from roughly 2 million acres in Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments — the largest reduction of public lands protections in U.S. history.
• Policy Update Background: The Economics of National Parks Oct 2015 Not only are America’s national parks some of the most awe-inspiring places in the world, they are also huge economic generators for the local communities that surround them.
• Press Release National Parks Conservation Association Honors Park Champions at Annual Salute to the Parks Gala Mar 2015 NPCA presents key awards to longtime national park champions.
• Press Release House Passage of Key Legislation Poises Senate for Approving the Most Significant National Park System Expansion in Decades Dec 2014 National Parks Conservation Association, with Local Communities and Businesses, Spent Years Advocating for Park Sites, Expansions and Studies
• Press Release National Park Champions Honored on Capitol Hill Apr 2015 NPCA's National Park Heritage Award recognizes bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives.
• Press Release Hurricane Sandy Devastates Communities and National Parks Oct 2012 Statement by Tom Kiernan, President for the National Parks Conservation Association
• Blog Post How Is the Government Shutdown Affecting National Parks? Sep 2013 | By John Garder The looming threat of a government shutdown is now a reality. Here's what it means for our national parks.
• Press Release House Bill Provides Robust Investment in National Park Roads, Bridges and Transportation Systems Jun 2020 Roadways and transportation systems are integral to the national park experience, providing safe access to hundreds of millions of visitors from around the world each year.
• Press Release New Colorado River Basin Study Provides Important Analysis, Misses Opportunity by Omitting National Parks Perspective Dec 2012 Statement by David Nimkin, Southwest Senior Regional Director, National Parks Conservation Association
• Press Release 75 National Parks Featured in New Keepsake, See America Book Mar 2016 National Parks Conservation Association and the Creative Action Network announce a new keepsake book
• Blog Post Why Science Matters for National Parks Apr 2017 | By Ryan Valdez, Ph.D. National parks have a long history of supporting scientific discovery. Let’s continue to fund the world-class research at our country’s most iconic and inspirational places.
• Press Release Drawing the Line: National Park Service Releases Bold New Proposal to Protect Alaska's Bears and Wolves Sep 2014 Proposed regulation changes would protect bears and wolves in Alaska's national preserves
• Press Release Hundreds of People Voice Support for New National Park Commemorating Women's Equality Apr 2016 Today’s public meeting part of ongoing process to establish new national park site
• Press Release Yellowstone® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Launches Program Supporting America’s National Parks May 2018 Brand partnership with National Parks Conservation Association to help preserve and protect our parks.
• Press Release Government Shutdown Closes National Parks Nationwide Oct 2013 Hurts Local Economies, Planned Family Vacations & America's National Heritage
• Press Release Trump Calls to Illegally Remove Protections for Marine National Monument Jun 2020 "Any attempt to remove protections for even one of our national monuments is illegal and a threat to all we’ve worked to protect for future generations. We will not stand by and let it happen," NPCA President and CEO Theresa Pierno. 
• Press Release President’s Budget Threat to National Parks May 2017 If enacted, would be biggest cut to National Park Service since World War II.
• NPCA at Work Working with Veterans to Protect National Parks NPCA’s veterans program meaningfully engages the military community — including veterans, active duty, reservists and military families — to support national parks through service projects and advocacy.
• NPCA at Work Working for Clean Air in our National Parks Air pollution harms national park visitors’ health, clouds scenic views and alters our climate. And the solutions needed to resolve these problems are largely the same – we must clean up polluting fossil fuel facilities, industries, and vehicles. With your voice, we can make a difference and achieve cleaner air and a healthier climate.
• Report Center for State of the Parks: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Current overall conditions of the known natural resources in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park rated a score of 60 out of 100. Overall conditions of the park’s known cultural resources rated 65 out of a possible 100, indicating “fair” conditions.
• Liz Ackley Former Associate Director of Foundation Relations As Associate Director of Foundation Relations, Liz Ackley writes and manages grants for NPCA’s regional and national programs. Her favorite national park is Yosemite.
• Fact Sheet Park Friends of the Colorado River NPCA's Colorado River Program, launched in 2011, harnesses the iconic power of national parks, their broad public and political support, their capacity to engage and educate, as well as protect and improve the health of the land and water within which national parks reside.
• Fact Sheet Yellowstone Bison Yellowstone National Park is home to the largest continuously wild, genetically pure bison herd in North America. When snow blankets Yellowstone each winter, bison and other wildlife begin their ancient migrations out of the park’s high country and into surrounding valleys seeking food for survival.
• Valerie Naylor Valerie Naylor is the former superintendent of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. She currently serves as a consultant to NPCA’s Northern Rockies Region.
• Heather Lukacs and Scott Kirkwood Heather Lukacs is a program manager for NPCA’s West Virginia Field Office, and a founding member of the New River Clean Water Alliance; Lukacs has led white-water rafting excursions through the gorge since she was a high school senior. Scott Kirkwood is the editor in chief of National Parks magazine; his first white-water rafting trip was on the New River 20 years ago.
• Staff Rachel Mentzer Director of Events Rachel Mentzer joined NPCA in 2015 and serves as the organization’s Director of Special Events. Based in the headquarters office in Washington, D.C., Rachel focuses on creating and implementing an overall vision for NPCA’s largest events, including Salute to the Parks and New York Gala.
• Victory Court Ruling Saves Greater Yellowstone Grizzly Bears Judge's ruling overturns Trump administration decision to remove endangered species protections from grizzly bears in the Yellowstone and Grand Teton region.

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