Search results for “Enhancing the Visitor Experience”
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Blog Post Can Technology Improve the National Park Experience? Should national parks be respites where visitors, young and old, are encouraged to turn off their electronic devices? If so, do national parks risk losing relevancy? One youth group explores how technology can improve the park experience.
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Press Release New Everglades Management Plan Means Improved Visitor Experiences and More Access to the Park After more than a decade of research, planning, and an extensive public comment process, the National Park Service released their final General Management Plan for Everglades National Park.
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Blog Post The Only National Park Planetarium National parks are some of the last, best places in the country to experience naturally dark night skies. Only one U.S. national park site features a planetarium to help visitors learn about the cosmos.
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Blog Post The 'Outrageous Evil' That Led to the Birth of the National Park Service Today, the National Park Service celebrates its 99th birthday. Establishing an agency dedicated to the care of America’s national parks is one of our country’s most visionary accomplishments. The lands and landmarks our park rangers protect are among the world’s greatest wonders.
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Blog Post Meet the Three People Least Impressed with the Grand Canyon Not everyone is amazed by the grandeur of the Grand Canyon—but these three unimpressed girls made one NPCA staffer love the park even more.
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Blog Post The Quietest Place in the Contiguous United States According to a specialized researcher who has been analyzing sound recordings for more than three decades, one park contains the “quietest square inch” in the Lower 48.
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Press Release Angelenos Unite to Support Rim of the Valley Expansion of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area NPCA, The City Project, and local partners call for action to advance the National Park Service's Rim of the Valley special resource study.
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Magazine Article Over the River and Through the Woods A wintry return to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.
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Press Release Senate Bill Provides Historic Investment to Combat Climate Change as National Parks and Communities Experience More Frequent and Severe Weather If passed, this comprehensive bill would provide nearly $1 billion for NPS to hire more staff and adapt its natural, cultural and historic resources to the changing climate.
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Blog Post The Rise of the National Park Mascots From Major Muskrat to Sunny Saguaro, human-sized mascots help national parks attract new visitors and convey important messages about wildlife and safety.
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Blog Post 10 Parks Getting a Boost Through the Great American Outdoors Act 2020’s historic investment continues to improve our national parks. Read about some of the latest park maintenance and repair projects underway and why NPCA urges Congress to extend the act’s funding to finish the job.
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Blog Post 5 Reasons the ‘Lower Energy Costs Act’ Is a Bad Idea A proposed new energy bill expands mining and fossil fuel production at the expense of our public lands, hurting our national parks and some of the most irreplaceable resources they protect. Let’s not let it become law – the long-term price is too great.
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Press Release Coming Soon! Grand Opening of Historic Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center The Visitor Center will open to the public on June 28, marking the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.
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Policy Update Welcome to the 116th Congress On behalf of all of us who work at the National Parks Conservation Association and our more than 1.3 million members and supporters nationwide, welcome to the 116th Congress.
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Policy Update Position on Reauthorization of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act NPCA submitted the following position to members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
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Blog Post The First Park with a Million Visitors The 1930s brought big changes to the National Park System, setting the stage for large increases in tourism, including the first national park site to welcome more than 1 million annual visitors.
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Magazine Article The Ranger Project The stargazers, climbers, paddlers, teachers, naturalists, historians, scientists, rescuers, protectors and dreamers of the National Park Service.
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Press Release Former Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and Park Service Ranger Betty Reid Soskin Honored at Annual Salute to the Parks Celebration The celebration will focus on people whose stories are told in our parks – and the people who protect those places.
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Blog Post Latinos Are Critical to the Environmental Movement Latino Conservation Week highlights the contributions of Latinos in caring for the environment, while encouraging the community’s culture of stewardship. Here’s how NPCA supports Latino engagement every day.
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Policy Update The Undoing Of Our Public Lands and National Parks President Trump and the officials he appointed systematically undermined, degraded and outright attacked the laws that protect our public lands, the agencies that manage them and the irreplaceable resources these places safeguard for the American people.
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Policy Update The Undoing Of Our Public Lands and National Parks Since the Trump administration began in January 2017, a series of actions taken at the presidential and departmental level have undermined, degraded and outright attacked the laws that protect our public lands and the agencies that manage them.
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Press Release President Biden Nominates Charles Sams for Director of the National Park Service Today, after more than four years without an official director, President Biden nominated Charles “Chuck” Sams III to be the director of the National Park Service.
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Magazine Article Landscapes for the People Photographer George Grant has never been widely known, but his skillfully crafted work helped popularize the idea that the national parks belong to everyday Americans.
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Policy Update Position on the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2021 NPCA submitted the following position to members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works ahead of a hearing scheduled for May 26, 2021.
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Press Release NPCA Supports Nomination of Tommy Beaudreau for Department of the Interior Deputy Secretary and Shannon Estenoz for Assistant Secretary of Fish, Wildlife and Parks Now, more than ever, we need strong leaders like Tommy Beaudreau and Shannon Estenoz to speak up for our treasured landscapes and the irreplaceable wildlife they protect.
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Policy Update Position on Funding the Border Wall NPCA submitted the following position to the Senate ahead of votes scheduled for February 15, 2018.
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Magazine Article The Sustainable Spread National park eateries are serving more healthy, local, sustainable fare, and you can already taste the difference.
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Press Release Momentous Victory for Our National Parks and Communities in the Fight Against Climate Change "This robust bill addresses the climate problem head-on by transitioning the nation to clean energy, reducing pollution, creating jobs and boosting the economy, all vital measures that will ensure our national parks and communities can thrive for generations to come." - Theresa Pierno, NPCA's President and CEO
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Press Release EPA Reinforces Weak Texas Haze Plan That Disregards the Health of Parks and Communities The EPA’s continued efforts to disregard the Clean Air Act is detrimental to the health of Texans and our national parks.
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Blog Post I Was There in 1969: Why a Stonewall Visitor Center Matters Mark Segal was 18 and had freshly arrived in New York City in 1969, just in time to participate in a watershed moment in LGBTQ history. Here, he recounts his role in the Stonewall uprising and explains why NPCA’s work to establish the national monument and open a visitor center continues the path for equality.
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Land Based Trip Natural Fortunes of the Four Corners Welcome to the Four Corners region, known for sweeping vistas, internationally recognized dark skies, diverse plant and animal species, and remains of the homes left behind by the Ancestral Puebloan culture, whose sites are sacred to modern Pueblo descendants. Compare the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde to the structures in Chaco Culture National Historical Park and Aztec Ruins National Monument. This unique and beautiful area is increasingly at risk of oil and gas development, which threatens priceless sacred lands and archeological sites. On this trip, journey alongside NPCA experts to experience these unique places firsthand and get a behind-the-scenes look at how NPCA is fighting to protect them.
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Land Based Trip On the Road to Freedom: Understanding Civil Rights Through our National Parks and Heritage Areas Join NPCA experts on this remarkable journey through some of the most significant sites associated with American civil rights. Along the way, you will have a unique opportunity to meet with NPCA partners, local historians, and even some of the faithful activists known as foot soldiers who actively played a role in the civil rights movement of the 1960’s. Learn firsthand about NPCA’s role in expanding cultural resource protections to help preserve the story of civil rights. This program allows you to experience cultural elements, such as food and music, that defined the period.
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Land Based Trip Great Deserts of the West: Joshua Tree & Death Valley Experience a plethora of desert wonders on this unforgettable adventure through Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Parks. This expert-led journey will take you through lush oases, waterfalls, vast sand dunes, towering granite monoliths, salt flats, badlands, alpine peaks and more! Keep a sharp eye out for desert wildlife with opportunities to see desert bighorn sheep, desert cottontail rabbits, roadrunners, desert reptiles, coyotes and snakes. No need to fear, each night we'll retire to comfortable accommodations that keep us close to the action.
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Victory Navajo Citizens Stop Developers from Building an Egregious Resort and Tramway on the Rim of the Grand Canyon Developers have been attempting for years to build a massive 420-acre resort hotel and aerial tramway right on the rim of the Grand Canyon. In February 2018, Western Navajo citizens unanimously opposed allowing this destructive project on their land, effectively ending the threat to this landmark national park and its deeply significant cultural sites.
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NPCA at Work Two National Monuments Under Threat in the California Desert Last year, President Obama protected some of our country’s most spectacular and unique desert lands by designating three national new national monuments. Now, the Department of the Interior could attempt to alter or revoke federal protections for two of these important places.
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NPCA at Work Protect Mojave from the Soda Mountain Solar Project Developers have proposed building the Soda Mountain Solar Project, an industrial-scale renewable energy facility, less than one mile from the boundary of Mojave National Preserve. It would be the closest renewable energy project to a national park site in the entire southwestern United States, in the middle of a critical pathway for desert bighorn sheep.
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Page Trustees for the Parks Join the Trustees for the Parks, our community of national park enthusiasts.
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Testimony Support for the Manhattan Project National Historical Park Testimony in support of S. 3300, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park Act
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See a Map Farming in National Parks in the Mid-Atlantic See 14 national park sites in the Chesapeake Bay watershed where farmers work with Park Service staff to manage runoff and other environmental threats responsibly.
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See a Map The 10 Featured Restaurants Get easy directions and links to our 10 picks.
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Fact Sheet How to Write a Letter to the Editor Another way to hold your members of Congress publicly accountable on national park issues is to write to your local newspaper. This step-by-step guide explains how.
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Amazon See America — the Book A hand-picked collection of artwork from the See America poster project is now available for sale as a book. A portion of the proceeds benefit NPCA.
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google maps Parks in the Arctic See a map of four national park sites in Alaska that are located above the Arctic Circle.
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Small Ship Cruise Wild California Escape: Channel Islands Unique and wild, Channel Islands National Park serves as the perfect getaway for a revitalizing experience of wilderness and wellness. Known as North America’s Galápagos, the Channel Islands and their surrounding waters provide habitat for more than 2,000 species of plants and animals, including 150 native species found nowhere else in the world. See islands so magnificent that they were protected as a national monument in 1938 and later became a national park in 1980. NPCA has worked to remove ranching and hunting operations on Santa Rosa Island, allowing native species to flourish and providing the public with unhindered access to this beautifully isolated place.
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Land Based Trip Backroads of Big Bend Welcome to West Texas and Big Bend National Park. From the rugged and rocky canyons of the Rio Grande to the breathtaking Chisos Mountains, we will explore this diverse landscape and take a deep dive into the region’s cultural history. Your guide and accompanying NPCA host will show you a lesser-known side of the park as we explore by foot and on water. You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of this landscape, its cultural history, and the ongoing challenges that make Big Bend an important priority for NPCA. Explore one of the wildest corners of America —and its unforgettable sights and solitude — all with the comfort of an NPCA small-group tour.
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Regional Events Blackwell Blueprint BLACKWELL BLUEPRINT is a collaborative ideas workshop to spur creativity and vision for the successful future of the Blackwell School National Historic Site. Make plans to share your ideas with a team of planning and design professionals and people involved with the park and the community. Become part of the vision of how a national park can benefit Marfa and the region.
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NPCA at Work Don’t Put Endangered Wildlife at Risk to Drill Big Cypress A private energy development company wants to conduct seismic testing on 70,000 acres within Big Cypress National Preserve for oil and gas development — paving the way for drilling to begin on an unprecedented scale on national park land.
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Park First Ladies National Historic Site They command the attention of millions and spearhead initiatives that shape our culture, yet for years, no comprehensive resource helped to document and interpret the lives of America’s first ladies. Recognizing this need, enthusiast Mary Regula, wife of a former Ohio congressman, helped establish a bibliography on these leaders. Her efforts led to a National First Ladies Library in 1996 and this historic site in 2000 — one of only a handful of national parks devoted specifically to interpreting women’s history. Though the site preserves the childhood home of one individual woman — First Lady Ida Saxton McKinley — it also archives a wealth of information on the diverse lives of dozens of influential women who served in this rare and distinctive role in American politics and society.
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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.
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Staff and Government Affairs Tariq Zahran Tariq brings over ten years of expertise to NPCA, having worked in both the House and Senate, as well as in various NGOs. He joins NPCA as the Director of Cultural Resources in the Government Affairs department.
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Report Turning Point Through individual stories from parks around the country, this report describes how air pollution harms our national treasures. The report also recommends ten specific steps that our government representatives and all of us can take to clean up harmful air pollution and protect our national parks for future generations.
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Page Regional Offices With a network of 27 programmatic locations in 11 regions across the country, the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) is uniquely positioned to protect our nation's most cherished places. By living and working in and around the parks and communities they serve, NPCA's regional and field staff forge lasting and effective partnerships with advocates, organizations and governments to bridge local advocacy and national policy.
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Park William Howard Taft National Historic Site William Howard Taft National Historic Site includes the family home and exhibits about the career of the nation's 27th president and 10th chief justice.
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Park Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River The Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River offers fishing, hiking, hunting, boating, canoeing, and more in the shadow of the famous Delaware Aqueduct.
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Page Board of Trustees NPCA’s Board of Trustees is the governing body for the nonpartisan, nonprofit organization — the nation’s leading voice for America’s national parks.
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Sarah Duensing As the Senior Communication Coordinator at NPCA, Sarah Duensing worked on a variety of projects, including the blog, advocacy actions and National Parks magazine.
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Tom Kizzia Tom Kizzia tells the story of Papa Pilgrim in his new book, Pilgrim’s Wilderness. A longtime reporter for the Anchorage Daily News, he has written about Alaska conservation issues for 35 years.
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Mary Purvis Mary Purvis is NPCA’s Volunteer Coordinator supporting the Board of Trustees and the National Council.
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Page Join Your tax-deductible gift of $25 or more entitles you to all the exclusive benefits of membership — and helps us protect our beloved national parks from the threats of lack of funding, pollution, overuse . . . and much more.
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Page Our Accountability The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) is committed to using every dollar you donate efficiently and effectively. Our careful stewardship of your financial support is why we receive such high ratings from charity watchdog organizations, including meeting all of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Report Mid-Atlantic Regional Office Field Reports These field reports provide timely updates and perspectives on issues of interest to our members and supporters in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
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Partner Events 2024 Climate Ride Events Join the movement and bike, hike or run for our national parks at one of this year's Climate Ride events.
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Regional Events National Parks Champions Luncheon Join Us for a conversation with park experts about what we can do together to preserve America's history within the national park system.
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Ken Ilgunas Ken Ilgunas is the author of “Walden on Wheels,” “Trespassing Across America” and “This Land Is Our Land.” He lives in Scotland.
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Fact Sheet Valles Caldera National Preserve The Valles Caldera National Preserve’s unmatched combination of geological wonders and superb recreational values make it worthy of inclusion in our National Park System, with interpretation by America’s elite storytellers—our national park rangers.
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Park Kenai Fjords National Park Kenai Fjords National Park offers hiking, kayaking, and the opportunity to see a glacier up close.
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Page Give A Gift Membership Share your passion for the parks by giving someone special an NPCA membership.
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Page Memorial & Tribute Giving Honor the memory of a loved one, commemorate a milestone or celebrate a special occasion while providing a lasting legacy for America’s national parks.
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Page Our Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion These values lie at the heart of who we are, what we do and how we do it.
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Page Our Values The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) is committed to fostering a workplace of excellence to achieve our mission to protect and enhance national parks. Our Core Values of Commitment, Inclusion, Integrity and Respect promote a diverse, ethical and innovative culture and make NPCA an effective organization and a great place to work.
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Page Privacy Policy National Parks Conservation Association ("NPCA ," "we," or "us") respects the privacy of personal information. We want you to understand what information about you we may collect and how we may use, share, and retain that information.
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Page Contact NPCA NPCA's Washington, D.C., headquarters is in an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly building in the Gallery Place-Chinatown neighborhood. NPCA has received Gold LEED certification for its D.C. headquarters.
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Regional Events Park Talks Join our NPCA community for virtual "Park Talks" to learn about our work and ways you can get involved.
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Victory Local Stakeholders Give Strong Protections to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks Plan finds a unique balance between conservation, recreation, and energy development, and shows just how much Utahans love their national parks.
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Report Making Connections: Building a Healthy Future for Shenandoah National Park And Its Gateway Communities Drawing on economic data compiled by state and federal agencies, interviews with local residents and leaders, and a variety of research reports and assessments, this report outlines three findings:
Pagination