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• Park Dry Tortugas National Park This park protects seven small islands 70 miles west of Key West, Florida, and the ocean waters that surround them. These islands change constantly from the effects of tides, weather, air, and other environmental and human factors. On Garden Key, visitors can tour the largest all-masonry fort in the United States, built between 1846 and 1875 to defend the Gulf of Mexico, but never completed. The park is also renowned for its vibrant coral, lush seagrass, and migratory birds.
• Park Congaree National Park Wild and primeval, Congaree National Park is home to the largest old-growth floodplain forest in North America, with large, majestic bald cypress, water tupelo, cedar and loblolly pine trees. The Congaree and Wateree Rivers can flood ten times per year, replenishing soil nutrients that sustain the forest habitat. The park offers hiking and canoe trails, primitive camping, and excellent opportunities to see barred owls and other wildlife.
• Blog Post VIDEO: Native Birds and Wildlife Make a Comeback at Channel Islands National Park Mar 2013 | By Jennifer Errick Yesterday, the Park Service released more good news from Channel Islands National Park. Just a few weeks after biodiversity advocates celebrated the recovery of the night lizard on these protected islands, park officials and their partners are now sharing dramatic findings on improvements to bird populations and other native wildlife at Anacapa Island, one decade after removing invasive rats from the ecosystem.
• Blog Post Miami-Area Partnership Gets Urban Youth Involved in Protecting Parks Jul 2013 | By Hayley Mortimer We can inspire more kids in more communities to get involved in using their voices to protect national parks. It is a win-win-win for the organizers, the youth, and the parks!
• Blog Post Trivia Challenge: Parks in the Arctic Sep 2014 | By Jennifer Errick Q: Alaska is home to nearly two-thirds of the land in the entire National Park System—some 54 million acres in all. But only four of our 401 U.S. national park sites lie entirely north of the Arctic Circle. Can you name these four sites?
• Blog Post 4 Ways President Obama Can Create a Lasting National Park Legacy May 2015 | By Mark Wenzler Last month, President Obama took the podium at Everglades National Park to publicly address the seriousness of climate change. That he chose the world-famous River of Grass as the setting for his Earth Day speech was no accident: Rising ocean levels and other effects of climate change threaten the very existence of this landmark park.
• Blog Post FAQ: What the New Fee Increases Will Mean for Visitors and Parks Apr 2018 | By John Garder The Trump administration has backed off its original plan to impose steep entrance fee increases at 17 national parks during peak visiting season, opting for more moderate increases at all the park sites that collect fees. Here’s what the plan will cost visitors and where those fees will go.
• Press Release On the Heels of Proposed Grizzly Delisting, Lawsuit Challenges Wildlife Management at Grand Teton National Park Mar 2016 NPCA is fighting a dangerous, precedent-setting decision by the National Park Service that puts wildlife at risk in Grand Teton National Park.
• 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.
• Blog Post Emotional and Financial Toll of Government Shutdown Hits Home for National Park Service Personnel Oct 2013 | By Emily Douce More than 21,000 Park Service staff have been furloughed indefinitely, and the park rangers who still have jobs are taking heat for doing their jobs.
• Blog Post What the Park System Needs for Its Birthday: Repairs Aug 2019 | By Emily Douce This Sunday is the 103rd birthday of the National Park Service, yet so many of the 400-plus national park sites in the agency’s care need critical maintenance and repairs. Legislation exists that would help fix this problem — Congress just needs to vote on it.
• Blog Post My Members of Congress Are Friends of the National Parks. Are Yours? Jul 2015 | By Natalie Levine 228 members of Congress received NPCA’s Friend of the National Parks Award for their support of the National Park System through legislative votes in the 113th Congress (2013-2014).
• Press Release Parks Group Applauds Walmart's Decision to Withdraw Plans to Build a Superstore on Wilderness Battlefield Jan 2011 Statement by NPCA President Tom Kiernan
• Press Release Budget Proposal Threatens National Parks Mar 2017 Cuts to Interior Department, EPA puts parks, park resources in jeopardy.
• Press Release National Parks Plagued by Significant Air Pollution Impacts, Finds New Analysis Jul 2015 Majority of Parks Experience Days Risky for Vulnerable Visitors; Four Parks Regularly Unsafe for Most People
• 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.
• Press Release 4,265 Acres Purchased in Petrified Forest National Park Jan 2013 The National Parks Conservation Association and Conservation Fund Protect Significant Prehistoric Lands within Park Boundary
• 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
• Press Release New Everglades Management Plan Means Improved Visitor Experiences and More Access to the Park Aug 2015 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.
• Press Release Interior Secretary Jewell Calls on Congress to Invest in National Parks and Public Lands Oct 2013 National Parks Group Calls for Renewed Commitment to National Parks
• Press Release Obama Calls for Public-Private Investment in National Parks Sep 2015 President's Proposed National Park Centennial Package Would Provide Major Funding Solutions for Projects, Engage Youth for 100th Anniversary of Park System
• Report The U.S. National Park System: An Economic Asset at Risk The U.S. National Park System is an economic asset at risk. The park system generates at least four dollars in value to the public for every tax dollar invested in its annual budget.
• Press Release Victory! New Marine Reserve at Biscayne National Park to Protect Coral Reefs and Replenish Fish Populations Jun 2015 National Park Service announces creation of a marine reserve in Biscayne National Park.
• Press Release Congress Passes Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to Help Build Back and Strengthen National Parks and Communities Nov 2021 “This investment in America is also an investment in our 423 national parks." The Park Service will receive more than $1.7 billion, to support efforts including bridge and roadway repairs, modernizing transit systems and better protecting wildlife and motorists. 
• Press Release Bipartisan Compromise House Bill Proposes Dedicated Funding for National Park Repairs Jul 2018 The Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act includes robust investment in national parks’ $11.6 billion repairs backlog.
• Press Release Senate Committee Introduces Bill to Increase Funding for National Park Roadways Jul 2019 This bill includes a 21 percent increase in funding for national parks, which would be used to repair and update roads, bridges and transportation systems within America’s national parks.
• Press Release House Appropriations Bill Invests in the National Parks but Falls Short in Meeting Infrastructure and Ranger Needs Jun 2015 Underscores Need to Fully Restore Park Funding in Advance of Park Service Centennial
• Blog Post Transmission Lines in Everglades National Park? No Thanks! May 2014 | By Alison Zemanski Heis Victory for Everglades National Park: Massive transmission lines will NOT be built within park boundaries.
• Press Release Wildlife-Rich Lands Protected with Transfer of Antelope Flats to Grand Teton National Park Dec 2016 Department of Interior purchased 640 acres of Wyoming State Educational Trust lands known as the Antelope Flats parcel. The wildlife-rich lands were transferred to the National Park Service and are an important addition to Grand Teton National Park.
• Blog Post The World’s First National Park Cave Dec 2014 | By Jennifer Errick National parks protect the country’s most treasured landscapes, including a wealth of natural resources under the Earth’s crust. The United States was the first place in the world to designate a cave as a national park.
• Press Release Analysis Finds Proposed Refinery a Major Source of Pollution for Theodore Roosevelt National Park Aug 2017 Independent analysis raises numerous concerns about air pollution from Meridian Energy Group’s proposed oil refinery near Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s boundary in North Dakota. The North Dakota Department of Health and the National Park Service are currently reviewing an air permit application by the company.
• Press Release Forest Service Green Lights ‘Growler’ Jet Flights Over Olympic National Park Aug 2017 In a move that endangers natural quiet in Olympic National Park, the U.S. Forest Service approved a permit for the U.S. Navy to use roads just outside the park in support of electronic warfare training for “Growler” fighter jets.
• Press Release Proposed Oil Refinery Threatens Theodore Roosevelt National Park Oct 2016 Meridian Energy Group, Inc. is one step closer to building a 55,000 barrel-per-day crude oil refinery near Theodore Roosevelt National Park . The fast-moving proposal is opposed by NPCA, current and former superintendents of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and many people in the state and local area.
• 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.
• Report Center for State of the Parks: Ninety Six National Historic Site In recognition of the important historical resources protected within Ninety Six National Historic Site, the National Parks Conservation Association’s Center for State of the Parks conducted an assessment to determine current conditions of the park’s resources.
• NPCA at Work Fighting for Clean Air in our National Parks Air pollution is one of the most serious threats facing national parks, harming visitors’ health, clouding scenic views and altering our climate.
• Report Harriet Tubman National Historical Park and Expansion NPCA has advocated for adding Harriet Tubman’s story to the National Park System since 2007, first supporting the legislation to authorize the Secretary of the Department of Interior to conduct a special resource study there, leading up to the national monument designation in 2013 by President Obama.
• Report Leveraging National Park Partnerships in Urban Areas Do you engage in partnerships to achieve your mission? Does it work well? Would you like to strike up new and different types of partnerships?
• Staff Ryan Valdez, Ph.D. Director, Conservation Science & Policy Ryan Valdez serves as Director for Conservation Science & Policy for National Parks Conservation Association. He facilitates the application of multidisciplinary science focused on air/climate, energy, landscapes, water and wildlife toward conservation strategies helping to protect US national parks.
• NPCA at Work Stop Alaska’s War on Wolves and Bears The Department of the Interior has proposed allowing unethical hunting practices on lands managed by the National Park Service.
• NPCA at Work Stand Up to Polluters at Indiana Dunes EPA must enforce the Clean Water Act to protect this national park site from toxic chemicals.
• Clark Bunting Former President and Chief Executive Officer Former President and CEO W. Clark Bunting joined the National Parks Conservation Association in November 2013, following a distinguished career as a businessman and innovator within the media industry.
• Report Proposed Tule Springs Transmission Corridor This report was prepared in response to NV Energy’s request to locate a transmission corridor in an area known alternately as Tule Springs and the Upper Las Vegas Wash, in an area proposed to be a national monument managed by the National Park Service.
• Daniel Saxton Daniel is former senior program coordinator for NPCA's Center for Park Research.
• Laurie McClellan Author LAURIE MCCLELLAN is a freelance writer who grew up on the southern shores of Lake Michigan. She loves maple syrup and anything made out of birch bark, and has hiked in more than 20 national parks.
• Park Coronado National Memorial In the 1540s, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado led 339 European soldiers and more than 1000 Aztec allies on a quest for gold through the Southwest. The expedition didn't find treasure, but it did have an enormous impact on the culture of the region. The memorial is located in a region known as Sky Island where four major biogeographic provinces meet. As a result, the park features a varied geology and rich biodiversity.
• Park Colorado National Monument Colorful canyons, cliffs, and other rock formations tower 2,000 feet over the Colorado River on this part of the spectacular Colorado Plateau. Drive or bike the 23-mile Rim Rock Drive for scenic views from the top of the canyons or hike among the 40 miles of trails to get a closer look at some of the park's sculpted rocks, wildlife, and desert plants.
• Park Christiansted National Historic Site This historic site provides a unique perspective into life under Danish colonial rule in St. Croix. The park's seven waterfront acres feature historic buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries, including a military fort, a custom house and a warehouse from the city's past as a major sugar producer and exporter. Visitors can learn about the role this city played in the international slave trade; more than 100,000 enslaved Africans arrived and were auctioned at the city's wharf over the course of 115 years.
• NPCA at Work Commercial Spaceports Could Threaten Canaveral and Cumberland Island The commercial space industry is an exciting and growing field. But the race for space should not put our national seashores at risk.
• Staff Kari Tobaygo Associate Director, Research & Prospect Management Kari has over 20 years experience in the prospect research field and has led the NPCA Prospect Research team since July, 2012.

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