Search

• Park César E. Chávez National Monument This national monument honors one of the most important U.S. labor and human rights leaders of the 20th century. César Chávez co-founded the United Farm Workers of America in 1962, the first agricultural labor union in the nation.
• Park Rosie The Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park This national historical park honors the estimated 18 million women who joined defense and support industries during World War II. It also features the SS Red Oak Victory Ship—the last of the 747 ships launched at Richmond, California, during World War II. The Rosie the Riveter Memorial began as a public art project in the 1990s and is sculpted to resemble the form of a liberty ship. The structure showcases photos and quotes from real-life “Rosies,” and a walkway features an inscribed timeline commemorating events from the American home front during the war.
• Park Honouliuli National Historic Site Located on the island of Oahu, Honouliuli was one of 17 incarceration camps in Hawaii where innocent civilians were imprisoned during World War II.
• Park Grand Teton National Park This spectacular destination preserves a dramatic stretch of the Teton Range bordering the Snake River. One of the unusual features of these distinctive mountains is the absence of foothills, meaning that there are no smaller mountains blocking the view. The park also features glacier-carved lakes, a historic district of weathered buildings made by 19th century Mormon homesteaders, and an abundance of wildlife large and small, including nearly 1,000 bison that roam the grassy fields in herds.
• Policy Update Position on H.R. 1049, National Heritage Area Act Apr 2019 NPCA submitted the following position to members of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands ahead of a hearing scheduled for April 30, 2019.
• Press Release Sens. Warner, Portman Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Address National Park Service Maintenance Backlog Mar 2017 NPS has a $12 billion backlog in deferred and overdue maintenance – half is critical transportation infrastructure
• Press Release Stonewall Makes History Again: Becomes First National Park Site Dedicated to LGBT History Jun 2016 After more than two years of building strong public support in the community, across the nation and in Congress, National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) celebrates President Obama’s historic designation of Stonewall National Monument, the first national park site dedicated to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) history.
• Blog Post It's the Best Year to Enjoy National Parks: 10 Reasons Why Jan 2016 | By Nicolas Brulliard It's the 100th birthday of the National Park Service, with opportunities to celebrate the parks throughout 2016. From planting a “Centennial Forest” in Texas to counting species of plants and animals on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., here are 10 ways to take your appreciation for national parks to historic levels in 2016.
• Blog Post 7 National Park Sites That Tell the Story of Immigration Sep 2019 | By Nicolas Brulliard From Castle Clinton National Monument to Golden Gate National Recreation Area, national park sites explore the stark contrasts of the immigrant experience.
• Press Release National Park Leaders Honored with Stephen T. Mather Award Oct 2017 NPCA presented its annual Stephen T. Mather award to Mojave National Preserve Chief of Resources Debra Hughson and the late Frank Hays, who most recently served in the Park Service’s Northeast Regional Office. The Mather award is named after the first director of the National Park Service, and given to individuals who have shown steadfast leadership and persistent dedication to our national parks.
• Blog Post No Trophy Homes in Our National Parks Sep 2015 | By John Garder Support the Fund that Improves and Protects Public Land
• Press Release President Obama Designates Three National Monuments in the California Desert Feb 2016 Protecting spectacular and unique desert lands, President Obama designated three new national monuments today: Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow, and our country's 410th national park site, Castle Mountains National Monument.
• Blog Post Small Wonders: The 12 Teeniest National Park Sites Aug 2015 | By Jennifer Errick National parks encompass vast wilderness areas and grand landscapes, yet so many of America’s greatest treasures come in much smaller packages. Twelve national park sites measure less than one acre each, though they share enormous stories of struggle, leadership, tragedy, and creative spirit in less space than a football field. Here are the teeniest spots, from largest to smallest.
• Press Release National Park Sites Added to the Chopping Block with Interior Department Announcement May 2017 The Department of Interior released a list of twenty-seven national monuments designated under the Antiquities Act of 1906 that are now subject to public review, including Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Interior Department’s announcement opens the door to review of any national monuments designated since 1996.
• Blog Post New National Park Site Preserves Maine’s Vast Beauty Aug 2016 | By Jennifer Errick President Obama celebrates the National Park Service's 100th birthday by creating America's newest national park site, the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Here's a glimpse at what makes these vast boreal forests and free-flowing rivers so special, and how the region inspired early conservationists.
• Blog Post César E. Chávez National Monument an Excellent First Step Toward Honoring the Influential Labor Leader Oct 2012 | By Ron Sundergill NPCA commends President Barack Obama for announcing on Monday that he will designate a César E. Chávez National Monument in Keene, California, as the 398th site in the National Park System—the first national park unit to recognize the work of a contemporary Latino American. This designation is an excellent first step toward honoring Chávez and a fitting way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
• Policy Update National Parks Second Century Action Coalition Sep 2018 The National Parks Second Century Action Coalition is a national coalition dedicated to promoting the protection, restoration, and operation of the National Park System to benefit the health and well-being of current and future generations.
• Blog Post National Park Construction Projects in Jeopardy Jun 2014 | By Emily Douce In Massachusetts, park officials barricaded a bridge leading into Lowell National Historical Park because bricks in the structure could fall on people's heads. In Washington, D.C., a bridge on the George Washington Parkway that leads to Arlington Cemetery and is used daily by thousands of people is so structurally deficient, the National Park Service could close it to heavy vehicles such as tour buses within two years if it isn't repaired. In Wyoming, important sections of the Yellowstone National Park Grand Loop Road are in such need of repair that they threaten visitor safety.
• Press Release House Approves 1.3 Million Acres of Wilderness, Adds Over 1,000 Miles into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System Feb 2020 Lands package includes an expansion to Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, over 600,000 acres of new wilderness in Colorado and expanded waterway and wilderness protections near Olympic National Park
• Blog Post National Parks Are a Grand Bargain Aug 2013 | By Jennifer Errick Park officials are grappling with how to enact budget cuts from the federal sequester, and people around the country are feeling the effects.
• Press Release Fracking Yosemite: Administration Unveils Plan for More than 1.6 Million Acres, Including Near National Parks Apr 2019 Proposal considers new oil and gas development on lands including those near Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks and Cesar E. Chavez National Monument. 
• Press Release Southern Utah National Parks Threatened by BLM Oil and Gas Lease Sale Dec 2018 New oil and gas lease sales threaten Arches and Canyonlands National Parks as well as Hovenweep National Monument and its surrounding cultural landscape.
• Press Release Groups Defend National Parks From BP Cherry Point Refinery Pollution Jun 2017 NPCA is challenging oil giant BP’s expansion permit in Whatcom County, WA, for failure to protect air quality of Olympic National Park and North Cascades National Park
• Press Release Amid Pandemic, Interior Moves Forward With Enormous Oil And Gas Drilling Plan Near National Parks Jun 2020 The 110,000+ acre proposal would include oil and gas drilling within a mile of Canyonlands National Park and the original boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument
• Blog Post Trivia Challenge: The Only National Park Planetarium Nov 2015 | By Jennifer Errick Q: National parks are some of the last, best places in the country to experience naturally dark night skies. Many parks enhance their stargazing activities with seasonal astronomy festivals and educational programs. Only one U.S. national park site features a planetarium to help visitors learn about the cosmos. Can you name this national park?
• Magazine Article A National Park Is Born Spring 2020 | By Nicolas Brulliard White Sands National Monument becomes the country’s 62nd national park. What will change?
• Blog Post Trivia Challenge: The Longest Trail in the National Park System Jan 2016 | By Jennifer Errick Q: The National Park System has 18,000 miles of trails through some of the most magnificent parts of the country, from remote wilderness paths to interpretive walking tours along city streets. It also offers some of the most challenging hikes in the country. Can you name the longest trail in the National Park System?
• Press Release Pilot Program at Grand Teton National Park Informs Future of Composting in Teton County Nov 2017 As part of the Zero-Landfill Initiative to reduce the amount of visitor-generated waste that national parks send to the landfills, Grand Teton National Park and Teton County are making great inroads with new composting waste removal efforts.
• Press Release Results of LGBT Theme Study Points to More Inclusive Future for America’s National Parks Oct 2016 New National Park Service theme study identifies many nationally significant LGBT stories and sites.
• Press Release National Parks Group Files Lawsuit to Defend Mojave Desert Parks, Wildlife and Water Apr 2018 NPCA's lawsuit against the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) challenges policy changes by the agencies that threaten Mojave National Preserve, Mojave Trails National Monument, wildlife and fragile desert water resources.
• Press Release Kentucky’s Camp Nelson Receives National Park Status Oct 2018 Camp Nelson National Monument will become the second national park site to commemorate African American history in Kentucky.
• Press Release New Dog Rule Refines Access, Protection for 2nd Most Visited National Park Feb 2016 A decade in the making, the proposed dog rule for Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) aims to balance resource protection with the many forms of recreation enjoyed at the 2nd most visited national park site.
• Press Release Pullman National Monument Plans for Future on Display During Metra Train Tour Jun 2019 To celebrate Pullman National Monument’s official designation and the National Park Conservation Association’s 100th anniversary, visitors received a one of a kind tour by train.
• Press Release Obama Makes History in Chicago: Designates City's First National Park at Historic Pullman Neighborhood Feb 2015 President Obama designates Chicago's first national park site, Pullman National Monument.
• Report Restoring the Great Lakes in our National Parks This report highlights the successful and critical role that the National Park Service plays in restoring the Great Lakes, safeguarding public health, creating jobs, and protecting these special places belonging to all Americans.
• Report Making Connections: Colonial National Historical Park Every national park exists in a context. Colonial National Historical Park’s context is marked by a long tradition of support and partnership. Uniquely, Colonial NHP connects an array of public and private sites that complement each other in preserving and interpreting a rich history spanning the American colonial period and beyond.
• Report Center for State of the Parks: Adams National Historical Park At Adams National Historical Park, the assessment found that personnel have made considerable progress toward preserving the park’s resources, yet significant challenges remain.
• Land Based Trip Hiking Olympic National Park Washington’s Olympic National Park is extraordinary. More than 95 percent of it is designated as the Olympic Wilderness, meaning it’s undisturbed by buildings or roads. On a trail in this International Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage site, you might find yourself with black bears, elk or mountain goats as your only companions.
• Report Best Practices in Friends Groups and National Parks Best Practices In Friends Groups And National Parks
• Report Center for State of the Parks: Shenandoah National Park The State of the Parks assessment describes a variety of threats to Shenandoah.
• Advocacy in Action An Oil Refinery Has No Place Next to Theodore Roosevelt National Park Protect the iconic North Dakota badlands from an ill-conceived facility that would pollute the air
• Park National Capital Parks-East Includes a rich diversity of sites in Washington, D.C. including the 1,200-acre Anacostia Park along the banks of the Anacostia River, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, and the Fort Circle Parks that protect Fort Dupont and other fortifications to defend Washington during the Civil War.
• Land Based Trip Wild Florida (Everglades and Keys) Leave your preconceived notions of Florida behind and slip into a quiet world of sloughs, sawgrass prairie, hardwood hammock, mangroves, aquamarine bays, and coral reefs. Kayak mangrove tunnels in Everglades National Park, explore the pirate history and coral reefs of Biscayne National Park, and take a boat ride out to Dry Tortugas National Park to explore the historic and impressive Fort Jefferson and snorkel the clear waters.
• Advocacy in Action Protecting Golden Gate's Fragile Resources through the Proposed Dog Rule The proposed dog rule for Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) aims to balance resource protection with the many forms of recreation enjoyed at the second most visited national park site.
• Advocacy in Action Don't Drill Near Dinosaur The Bureau of Land Management is considering offering oil and gas leases within 5 miles of Dinosaur National Monument, but drilling has no place at the doorstep of this Southwestern park and its world-class fossils.
• Land Based Trip Great Alaska Expedition Take Alaska’s true measure on an overland journey from Fairbanks and Denali National Park in the Interior, to Prince William Sound and Homer on the southcentral coast.
• Staff Sarah Duensing Senior Communications Coordinator As the Senior Communication Coordinator at NPCA, Sarah Duensing works on a variety of projects, including work for the blog, advocacy actions and National Parks magazine.
• Staff West Honeycutt Director of Planned Giving West works with supporters across the country to secure and protect the long-term future of America's National Parks through legacy giving.
• Scott Kirkwood Former editor-in-chief of National Parks magazine
• Land Based Trip Joshua Tree and Death Valley Explore the startling, sublime, surreal, and exquisite landscapes of Joshua Tree and Death Valley as you head deep into the heart of these two parks.
• Land Based Trip Essence of Yellowstone and Grand Teton In your explorations of Yellowstone and Grand Teton, you’ll hike, view wildlife, and even raft to your heart’s content as you get a deeper understanding of these two iconic parks.
• Staff and Government Affairs Alan Spears Senior Director of Cultural Resources, Government Affairs Alan joined NPCA in 1999 and is currently the Senior Director of Cultural Resources in the Government Affairs department. He serves as NPCA's resident historian and cultural resources expert. Alan is the only staff person to ever be rescued from a tidal marsh by a Park Police helicopter.
• Advocacy in Action Keep Crater Lake Wild A wilderness designation will preserve Crater Lake, its wildlife and its outdoor recreation opportunities forever. It's time to give this iconic park the protection it deserves.
• Advocacy in Action Help Write a Better Future for Denali’s Wolves Hunting and trapping just beyond the park’s border have severely reduced or eliminated entire wolf packs and dramatically reduced visitors’ wolf viewing. Simple, common-sense regulations can help reverse this harmful trend.
• Staff and Media Personnel Angela Gonzales Senior Communications Manager Angela joined NPCA in October 2017 and is the Senior Manager of Communications. She currently manages outreach and communications for the Government Affairs team and Conservation Programs. Previously, Angela managed the communication efforts for the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and Texas regions and assisted with NPCA’s social media outreach.

Pagination