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FEATURED PARK
White Sands National Monument, New Mexico
If you're looking for a different twist on a white Christmas, one that emphasizes sun instead of snow, try exploring this unique Southwestern park. The copious white sands of White Sands National Monument are part of the largest gypsum dune field in the world—275 square miles of shifting, glistening minerals piled together in a valley of the Chihuahuan Desert. Because gypsum dissolves easily in water, it is rare to find it in sand form. Normally the gypsum would be washed away by rivers into the sea, but because these dunes are trapped by the mountains that surround the region, any water that collects from rain and snow eventually drains away, leaving the pristine powder behind. The world's second-largest gypsum dune field is only eight square miles, making White Sands spectacular in its scope as well as its rarity.
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The park offers a variety of activities for visitors, including nightly sunset strolls, educational programs, and crafts for kids. Be sure to check the park's website or a visitor center for a schedule of events. Also be aware that areas of the park are sometimes closed when missile tests are conducted at the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. Check for closures by calling the park at 575.679.2599.
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Improved NPCA Website Makes Connecting and Sharing Easier
 In response to feedback from members and online supporters, NPCA has completely revamped its website to make it easier to find park information, share ideas, get involved, and support our national parks. Our new website is more interactive, featuring an improved map for exploring the parks, an expanded section on NPCA's work protecting the parks, and better ways to share your stories and connect through social media. And there are numerous ways to defend our national parks with a click of the mouse in our improved section on ways to get involved.
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OUR LATEST CAMPAIGN
Freedom's Fortress, Protected for the Future
 Last month, using the Antiquities Act for the first time in his presidency, President Barack Obama proclaimed Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia, our country's newest national monument. Rich in history, Fort Monroe and the Old Point Comfort Peninsula encapsulate many critical milestones in our nation's history. The first documented Africans in Virginia were traded for food by Dutch sailors there in 1619. Edgar Allen Poe wrote "Annabel Lee" while serving in the military here. Both Chief Blackhawk and Jefferson Davis were imprisoned within its walls, and Harriet Tubman nursed the sick at the fort's hospital.
During the Civil War, the Union-controlled fort became known as Freedom's Fortress. When Confederate General Charles Mallory sent an emissary to seek the return of three enslaved African Americans who had escaped to the fort in search of freedom, Union General Benjamin Butler declared the men "contraband of war" and refused to give them up. The three men were soon followed by thousands, beginning an exodus for freedom that continued throughout the war.
The president's proclamation is the culmination of years of advocacy. If you haven't done so already, please send a thank you to President Obama for using the Antiquities Act and declaring Fort Monroe a national monument.
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OUR LATEST REPORTS
Made in America: Investing in National Parks for Our Heritage and Our Economy
 Yellowstone, Gettysburg, the Statue of Liberty, and the Flight 93 Memorial are among the many national parks that we, as Americans, own together. Keeping this magnificent collection of places well-managed and open to everyone costs less than 1/13th of 1 percent of the federal budget— quite a bargain for a park system that inspires visitors from around the world and produces nearly 270,000 private-sector jobs across the country. Yet for the second year in a row, America's national parks face an erosion of funding necessary to serve the public and protect park resources. Read the report or view a transcript of our recent Facebook chat for a question-and-answer session on why national parks are a good investment for America.
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Protecting Our Chesapeake, Protecting Our National Parks
 NPCA's newest report explores two historical parks in the Chesapeake watershed: Colonial National Historical Park on the James and York Rivers and Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine on the Patapsco River. It recounts what the rivers looked like before significant agricultural practices, oyster harvesting, and extensive human development, and recommends options to restore the Chesapeake Bay and their national parks to a highly productive ecosystem with cleaner water, fewer toxic contaminants, and more abundant aquatic and terrestrial life. Because our national parks help us recognize what has been lost, they also help us see what we have the opportunity to regain.
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NPCA AT WORK IN THE PARKS
Coalition Fights for Clean Air in and Around Parks
 On November 14, a group of advocates traveled to Washington, DC, to let the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and members of the Senate know that Americans want clean air. NPCA's lobby day participants included a mechanical engineer from Arizona, a botanist from the Navajo Nation, a mayor from Virginia, a hunter from Minnesota, a small business owner from New Mexico, a retired school teacher from North Dakota, and a college student from Colorado—and their interests in protecting air quality in national parks were as diverse as their backgrounds. They expressed their support for strong and consistent state and EPA action to clean up the dirtiest sources of park pollution. These advocates will continue to carry this message to the media from their hometowns around the country.
This event was part of NPCA's effort to enforce the Clean Air Act's visibility protection program which, if enforced, would improve air quality in parks nationwide. These meetings couldn't have occurred at a better time! A few days prior, NPCA announced an agreement with the EPA to secure 43 state deadlines to produce haze cleanup plans. The agreement, if approved by the court, will require each state and EPA to issue enforceable plans to reduce pollution from the nation's dirtiest coal plants.
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PLANNED GIVING
Receive Higher Annuity Rates in 2011 While Protecting Parks
 Make a charitable gift annuity with NPCA, and your donation will underwrite NPCA's ongoing public education programs, advocacy and outreach activities, and park protection projects to safeguard our nation's natural and cultural heritage. Establish the annuity by December 31, 2011 and receive a higher annuity rate*—generally by 50 to 80 basis points (0.5% to 0.8%)—than those that will take effect in 2012. Here is a sample of the rates under the December, 2011 table compared with the January 1, 2012 table:
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Age
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December Rate
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2012 Rate
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65
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5.3%
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4.7%
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75
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6.5%
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5.8%
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85
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8.4%
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7.8%
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With a minimum gift of $10,000, you will receive fixed income for life—for yourself or up to two beneficiaries. You may also receive an immediate income-tax deduction or reduce and postpone your capital gains taxes by funding your gift with appreciated securities. For more information and a personalized annuity illustration, please contact Director of Gift Planning Morgan Dodd at 1.877.468.5775 (toll-free) or giftplanning@npca.org. You can also find more information on our website.
*The charitable gift annuity rates will decrease after December 31, 2011 and the new (decreased) rates take effect for charitable gift annuities issued on and after January 1, 2012.
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The National Parks Conservation Association depends on the generous support of donors who contribute through direct payroll deductions in their workplace campaigns. Workplace giving makes it easy to support NPCA and helps us protect the national parks by providing a reliable source of support for our efforts. NPCA participates in several workplace charity campaigns, including the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC #12069), state employee campaigns, and numerous private campaigns. NPCA is also a member of EarthShare®, a nationwide network of America's leading nonprofit environmental and conservation organizations. 
