FEATURED PARK: Zion National Park, Utah
Utah’s first national park is also its most iconic. Established in 1919, Zion’s massive sandstone cliffs, wandering canyons, freestanding arches, and rushing streams make up some of the most spectacular vistas in the country. It’s no wonder the park’s geology is so breathtaking—these landscapes were 250 million years in the making.
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200 National Parks Closed?
National parks across the country are bracing for the real possibility of a “fiscal cliff.” If Congress does not act, the Park Service could lose 8 to 10 percent of its funding next month. Some parks would be forced to eliminate their seasonal ranger programs. Some would close roads and campgrounds—even the parks themselves. The cuts would be the equivalent of closing nearly 200 of the national park sites with the smallest budgets and could put up to 9,000 park employees out of a job. Tell Congress: Keep parks open!
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Students Revive a Neglected Park near the Everglades
Florida City is just six miles from Everglades National Park, but many of its residents have never been to the world-class public lands right in their backyard. Which is why NPCA, Nature Valley, and city and county partners teamed up to restore a local 25-acre tract that helps connect the community to the Everglades. Volunteers built a brand-new educational trail, removed trash, pulled weeds, and planted native shrubs. Check out what this inspiring crew of young workers accomplished.
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Double Your Impact
Help protect our national parks by making your year-end tax-deductible support go twice as far! Thanks to a generous former NPCA board trustee, your online gift made by midnight, December 31, will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $300,000. This is a great way to double your year-end support for NPCA’s park protection efforts, helping to ensure that our parks will endure for our children and grandchildren. Midnight, December 31st will be here before you know it—double your impact now!
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New Video: Native People Speak Out for Clean Air
NPCA collaborated with the Navajo environmental group Diné CARE to produce an eloquent video that elevates the profile of native voices advocating for better air quality in the Southwest. These voices are often underrepresented in deliberations over pollution controls for the five coal-fired power plants that are on or adjacent to the Navajo Nation. NPCA and our native allies support measures that will reduce health impacts and return clean air and unobstructed vistas to national parks like Grand Canyon and Petrified Forest.
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Energy Development on Public Lands: The Next Four Years
During the election season, President Obama expressed support for energy development on public lands, but large-scale development of oil and gas adjacent to national parks could threaten the air, water, wildlife, and scenery. While we expect domestic energy exploration to continue on federal lands, we must plan wisely and implement common-sense protections to ensure that we preserve our natural and cultural heritage. How we approach this issue over the next four years can make a big difference in protecting our parks.
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What Can Make 70 Kids Suddenly Fall Silent?
NPCA staffer Edward Stierli learned the answer to this question (sleeping wildlife!) and much more when he spent an afternoon canoeing with urban schoolchildren on the Anacostia River near Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens last month. Connecting the next generation of outdoor lovers to the national parks is some of the most important work we can do as environmental stewards. Ed also shares a couple of online tools to help plan your own adventure exploring the Chesapeake, with or without the kids.
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An Easy Way to Support NPCA
Want an easy way to support the national parks? Payroll contribution takes the hassle out of giving! NPCA participates in many workplace charity campaigns, both public and private, including the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC #12069). NPCA is also a member of EarthShare®, a nationwide network of America’s leading nonprofit environmental and conservation organizations that works to promote charitable giving through workplace giving campaigns. If you would like to learn more about how your employer can host a campaign, please contact Earth Share by visiting www.earthshare.org.
» Learn More
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Pin Our Parks Competition
Help leading electronics manufacturer Haier and NPCA celebrate and honor America’s natural beauty by participating in the “Pin Our Parks Competition” on Pinterest. From Yosemite to Yellowstone, simply re-pin your favorite national park photo on Pinterest, or post it on Twitter using the #MomentstoConserve hashtag to enter a drawing to win Haier products! To learn more about Haier’s partnership with NPCA, click here.
» Start Pinning
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Increase Income. Save Taxes. Protect National Parks!
NPCA’s Charitable Gift Annuity Program offers you an attractive way to increase your income with guaranteed income for life, reduce taxes with a tax deduction in the year the gift is made, and provide continuing lifetime income for a surviving spouse or other individual.
» Learn More
Photo: © Scott Kirkwood/NPCA
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QUOTE OF THE MONTH
"Harmony with land is like harmony with a friend; you cannot cherish his right hand and chop off his left."
-Aldo Leopold
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