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Celebrating our national park system |
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By Dirk Kempthorne
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Posted: 04/23/07 07:44 PM [ET] |
When the first explorers ventured west to the Yellowstone Valley in the mid-1850s, many in the East refused to believe their reports of waterfalls that shot upward from the ground, pools of boiling mud, awe-inspiring canyons and magical waterfalls.
Only when a Civil War veteran named Ferdinand Hayden led an expedition into the valley that included artist Thomas Moran and photographer William Jackson did America recognize the remarkable treasure on its frontier.
America faced a choice: What would we do with these places? Would we develop them as were the rest of the frontier or would we set them aside for future generations? In 1872, President Grant answered the question by establishing Yellowstone National Park, the world’s first national park.
Today we again face a choice. Yellowstone is the cornerstone of a system of 390 national parks, battlefields, memorials and other sites that celebrate our nation’s extraordinary natural beauty, diverse heritage and rich culture. From the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor to the peaks of Denali in Alaska, these parks are an expression of who we are as a people and as a nation.
The question today is how we will conserve and enhance our parks in the 21st century.
Our population today is increasingly urbanized. Many of our young people have become more technologically savvy even as they have lost connection to the natural world. How can our parks attract and broaden the natural, cultural and historical experiences and understanding of Americans today, especially our young?
National park issues are in the spotlight this week, which has been designated by President Bush as “National Park Week.” The theme for this special week is “Explore, Learn, Protect.” Later this week, I will visit several of our parks, where I will spend time with young people. In fact, on Saturday, which is National Junior Ranger Day, I will swear in some new junior rangers.
In 2016, we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the national park system. While still a decade away, this approaching anniversary provides an opportunity for Americans to make our national parks even better places to visit and encourage young people to enjoy them.
Last summer, President Bush announced a 10-year effort to enhance our parks called the National Park Centennial Initiative. He instructed me to establish specific performance goals for the next decade that, when achieved, will ensure our parks continue to be places where children and families can learn about our nation’s great history, enjoy quality time together and have fun outdoors. In particular, he directed me to identify signature projects and programs that reflect and highlight these goals.
The president made it clear that this would not to be a typical Washington budget exercise but a partnership with all Americans who treasure our parks. As a result, we are asking the public to join in meeting the challenge.
In his 2008 budget, the president made the largest commitment ever to the future of our national parks. He proposed $100 million a year over the next decade — or $1 billion — to improve both our park infrastructures and the experiences of people visiting the parks. These funds will allow the National Park Service to hire 3,000 seasonal rangers, undertake maintenance projects, improve cultural and natural resources programs, and expand youth programs.
At the same time, the president proposed $100 million a year over the next decade to provide matching funds for contributions made by Americans for projects to improve our parks and open the way for better visitor experiences.
These funds will be conditional. They will be made available only to the degree the American people support these projects. If private partners match the amount completely, this will mean at least an additional $1 billion in contributions to improve our parks.
There is no restriction on the types of projects that might be proposed for funding. Some will no doubt be centered on enhancing the experiences of visitors. Yellowstone’s new $10.5 million state-of-the-art Canyon Visitor Education Center provides a good example of the kind of projects that we will undertake.
Visitors still marvel at Old Faithful as the early explorers did, but now they have access to the latest technology and scientific research to unravel the mysteries of Yellowstone, including the valley’s powerful geological forces.
The Center exists today because for the past 20 years, every visitor to Yellowstone has contributed 43 cents to its construction as part of the entrance fee. In addition, a wide variety of partners ranging from conservation groups to corporations provided generous financial support.
We recently completed a series of listening sessions around the country to solicit the views of the American people on projects we should undertake. We want to move quickly. The goal of the challenge is not to gear up to begin projects in 2016, but to start today so that we can celebrate our accomplishments in 2016.
Our national parks are an inheritance we will hand down to our children and grandchildren. We invite all Americans who cherish this inheritance to rise to the challenge so the 100th anniversary of our national park system will truly be a great celebration of our country and our heritage.
Kempthorne is secretary of the Department of the Interior.
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