# Curt Buchholtz

President, National Park Friends Alliance

Estes Park, Colorado

# Testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee

#  on Energy and Natural Resources

# August 2, 2007

Mr. Chairman and honorable committee members, thank you for the
invitation to testify today about S. 1253, a bill to establish a fund
for the National Park Centennial Challenge, and for other purposes.

I'm Curt Buchholtz, Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Nature
Association, a nonprofit membership organization working to assist Rocky
Mountain National Park, enhancing the experiences of park visitors, and
engaging citizens in stewardship. The Rocky Mountain Nature Association
was established in 1931 and is a long-term partner with the National
Park Service, helping with dozens of park improvement projects and
hundreds of educational programs.

Permit me to add that I am also the President of the National Park
Friends Alliance, a confederation of some forty nonprofit organizations
engaged in fundraising to benefit the National Park System. These
organizations, along with the National Park Foundation, work to engage
the American public in philanthropy and volunteerism and help protect,
enhance, and interpret park resources. Many local organizations, like
the Yosemite Association, the Mount Rushmore Society, and our own Nature
Association have been partners with our individual parks each in excess
of seventy-five years.

The host of nonprofit partnership organizations helping national parks
are collectively proud of their philanthropic track record and an
expanding level of accomplishments---which now includes hundreds of
completed projects in dozens of parks, ranging from the well-known \$550
million campaign to preserve and protect the Statue of Liberty and Ellis
Island to a host of more modest projects, ranging from a \$2.4 million
visitor center for Rocky Mountain National Park, to land acquisition,
historical preservation, programs for kids, and even an educational
endowment fund for the Blue Ridge Parkway. We are carrying forward a
rich heritage of philanthropic enhancement of our National Park System,
linking us philosophically to Stephen Mather, the National Park
Service's first director, who was also a major park philanthropist. We
cherish deep and positive relationships with the Park Service and a
generous American public. At the same time, we applaud Congressional
support and concern for our parks.

Philanthropy benefiting parks has increased substantially over the past
decade. In 2005, to offer a recent example, National Park Service
records show that friends groups generated donations totaling \$68
million, with the National Park Foundation adding another \$22 million.
In total, contributed services, financial aid and assistance to national
parks through volunteers, cooperating associations, and friends groups
totaled \$234 million in that fiscal year.

Another recent example: a review of philanthropic activity in December
2006 found National Park Service-approved fundraising projects having a
collective fundraising goal for nonprofit partners of \$295,830,000,
with \$70,100,000 provided for those specified projects in matching
federal funds.

Having seen park philanthropy increase over the last two decades, we
consider the passage S. 1253 as an important step in the right
direction, giving recognition to the importance of philanthropy for our
parks. Such legislation can create a positive climate for citizen
stewardship and boost the culture of partnerships in public land
conservation.

The Friends Alliance must reaffirm a core principle, however, stating
that charitable funds given to friends groups or directly to a national
park must not be used to pay for basic government operations or to
offset losses in appropriated funds, unless the donor affirmatively and
knowingly restricts the funds to park operations. As the Alliance has
consistently stated, the purpose of philanthropy is to add value to
national parks\--creating a margin of excellence beyond what the Park
Service can accomplish alone.

Permit me to summarize the position of the National Park Friends
Alliance in regard to S. 1532:

1\) We are enthusiastic about the National Park Centennial Initiative as
articulated by Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and National Park
Service Director Mary Bomar. The five announced goals of stewardship,
environmental leadership, recreational experience, education, and
professional excellence certainly match our missions as park partners.

2\) We heartily endorse the proposal that federal funds could be made
available to match philanthropic contributions. It is our belief that a
federal match will draw attention to park philanthropy and should
increase the magnitude of giving in the decade ahead.

3\) We believe that the Centennial Challenge acknowledges the
significance of philanthropy. It extends both encouragement and
appreciation to public spirited donors. It recognizes that philanthropy
has produced positive results in the past and can play a significant and
increased role within the context of citizen support for national park
stewardship long-term.

4\) We support this legislation because it presents a major opportunity
for philanthropy to be nurtured at the local level---whether in the
iconic parks or the smaller, newly-established sites, opening the
opportunity for projects as diverse as land acquisition or education,
trail building or visitor services, wildlife research or programs for
young people. Innovation is the key to the future. Today it is found
most often at the local park level where the National Park Service
intersects successfully with nonprofit partners. Of course we also
anticipate that major initiatives at the national level will also have a
significant impact, especially for smaller sites or for parks with
friends groups just getting started.

Any concerns we have in advancing this legislation focus on the way this
Centennial Challenge may be interpreted as it evolves into a National
Park Service program. The success of the Centennial Challenge depends
upon the clarification of critical details. For example:

1\) If there is a mandate that nonprofit organizations must transfer
donated funds to the federal treasury, it is probable the philanthropic
component of the Centennial Challenge will fail, simply because of donor
reluctance to "give" directly to the federal government. Based upon our
experience very few donors will place their contributions in federal
government accounts---and this requirement in the current bill would
greatly inhibit philanthropy. An alternative approach is needed, perhaps
through the National Park Foundation, which was established by Congress
to receive philanthropic gifts on behalf of national parks.

2\) The legislation does not define "qualified partners." Perhaps
incorrectly, our assumption is that that term includes friends
organizations like our own, cooperating associations, and other
nonprofit organizations having project or general agreements with the
National Park Service. We know of no "qualifying" process now in place
to establish a partnership beyond that of general or project agreements.
A recent National Park Service report counts 174 friends groups and 67
cooperating associations, which represents a sizeable set of partners
presumably willing to be "qualified" for this campaign.

3\) In order for this Challenge to succeed, we assume the National Park
Service will strengthen its resolve to enhance the productivity of
partnerships. Currently there are a number of policy issues clouding the
horizon, causing projects to be unnecessarily burdened by delays.
Successful philanthropy means productivity.

4\) As envisioned, the Centennial Challenge will be a decade-long
endeavor. We worry that funds will not be appropriated sufficiently to
attract either the immediate or the long-term commitment of donors.

5\) We've heard that there are those who doubt the ability of the
nonprofit sector to raise funds equal to the proposed Centennial
Challenge of \$100,000,000 per year. But with a boost from this
legislation, we believe national parks are guaranteed to become ever
greater objects of philanthropic giving.

In answer to that concern, allow us to point to the long tradition of
philanthropy within national park history. Gifts of land created major
national parks, from Muir Woods to the Virgin Islands, from Acadia to
Grand Teton. Just a quick survey of our members, from the Yosemite Fund
and Golden Gate National Park Conservancy, from the Statue of Liberty to
the Mount Rushmore Society, revealed recent gifts of \$1 million from
the Goldman Fund, \$108,000 from the J.M. Long Foundation, \$288,000
from Toyota, \$1 million from the Donovan Foundation, \$250,000 from the
RR Foundation, \$300,000 from the State of South Dakota Fund, \$500,000
from the Goldsmith Foundation, and \$15 million from the Haas Jr. Fund.
In my own case, a planned gift of \$3 million is being given to the
Rocky Mountain Nature Association to benefit Rocky Mountain National
Park, and will, most likely, be placed toward youth programs and
endowments.

Each year the magnitude of campaigns around the National Park System
continues to grow. Offering just two examples from 2007, Gettysburg is
completing a \$95 million campaign and the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial has a
\$33.7 million campaign underway. National Park Service funds committed
at Gettysburg total \$11.2 million and at the U.S.S. Arizona they total
\$7.7 million. These two cases alone demonstrate the skillful leveraging
of federal funds.

6\) A final concern is that the selection of "signature projects" should
be developed in a context of collaboration with nonprofit partners,
including as many of the 391 National Park System sites as possible. As
the Centennial Challenge begins, nonprofit partners are committed to its
success, both in meeting the expectations of donors and in providing
accountability to the National Park Service and to Congress. In the
spirit of partnership, in some cases nonprofit organizations will assume
project fulfillment; in other cases, the National Park Service may take
the lead role. Philanthropy is not the wave of the future. It is already
at work. These nonprofit partnerships allied with the government should
be encouraged and applauded. Together we can ensure the completion of
significant national park improvements both for the American people and
the next generation.

The National Park Friends Alliance believes that S. 1253, a bill to
establish a fund for the National Park Centennial Challenge, presents a
challenge to nonprofit partners, no doubt. But it is a welcome
opportunity. I can assure you that everyone I've talked to who is
engaged in philanthropy is willing to participate in this campaign. We
hope the challenge funds will be provided. We hope partnerships are
given the tools to succeed. Friends groups, cooperating associations,
and other nonprofits allied with the National Park System are energized
by this vision and stand ready to help.

Thank you for allowing the National Park Friends Alliance to present its
point of view.